Safeguarding God's Children, by Kathleen St. John, Star-Tribune [Wyoming], May 6, 2006

Safeguarding God's Children

By Kathleen St. John
Star-Tribune [Wyoming]
May 6, 2006

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2006/05/06/
features/religion/c8ff8f5145cd18a9872571650054da38.txt

Attendees watch a DVD at a "Safeguarding God's Children" workshop at St. James' Church in Riverton on Wednesday.
Photo by Pat Walsh, courtesy

"Garbage in, garbage out."

That's how Pat Walsh, youth missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming, describes sexual abuse prevention programs that merely screen for possible offenders.

He said another key is to monitor the behavior of children and their caretakers.

"You're going to see behaviors or warning signs you can act on," he said. "A lot of groups don't monitor."

Walsh is an instructor for "Safeguarding God's Children," the diocese's sexual abuse prevention program that's a requirement for all adults working with children, as well as members of the vestry of each church.

Parents and community members are also invited to the workshops, which Walsh and his team members host twice a year at churches across Wyoming. The program comes to Casper on Sunday, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 701 S. Wolcott St.

Nancy Johnson, director of the victim/witness unit at the district attorney's office in Casper, will present the workshop with Walsh tomorrow. At the district attorney's office, as well as in her former jobs with Mercer House and the state department of family services, Johnson learned much about child abuse, its warning signs and prevention.

"I have been really involved with child protection," she said. "I really strongly believe in prevention. I think the more people know, the better."

Johnson, a member of St. Mark's, has helped teach the workshop for seven years, and she's seen it grow from an insurance-mandated video presentation to what Walsh called "the latest and greatest evolvement of sexual abuse prevention programs."

"It has turned into a very valuable education for all of us," Johnson said. "I think that we, as a congregregation and a church, are responsible for the safety of our children. "

Johnson said the DVDs used in the workshop are "moving, but very educational."

"They actually use real victims and perpetrators," she said. "They interview perpetrators that say, 'This is how I found my victim.'"

She said she brings a local angle to the training as well, discussing how Natrona County authorities investigate claims of abuse, "from reporting it through the court process."

Johnson praised the flexibility and adaptability of the "Safeguarding God's Children" curriculum.

"It allows us to add things that are going on in the community that people have a lot of questions about," she said.

This year, for example, the workshop will address for the first time the problem of sexual predators on the Internet.

"We have an individual that works for the federal government, and he is a part of monitoring (Internet predators), so I invited him to come in and speak about that," Johnson said. "That is something that is entirely new."

Walsh stressed that all are welcome to attend Sunday's workshop.

"They don't have to be part of the church," he said. "They could be in a program working with kids, could be a parent or grandparent."

"We've put about 500 people through the program, and these are not just people in the Episcopal church, but people in communities," said Walsh.

Staff writer Kathleen St. John can be reached at 266-0586 or Kathleen.Stjohn@casperstartribune.net.

Workshop details

*WHAT: "Safeguarding God's Children" workshop

*WHEN: Sunday, 1:30 p.m. An additional workshop will be held in the fall.

*WHERE: St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 701 S. Wolcott St.

*COST: Free

*INFO: 234-0831 (weekdays)