Ethics and Integrity in Ministry
Contact Information
Contact: Ms. Emily Hurlimann
Location: Pastoral Center
P O Box 15405
Austin, TX 78761-5405
(512) 949-2447
On Jan. 1, 2002, the Catholic Diocese of Austin instated policies on Ethics and Integrity in Ministry (EIM) for all employees and those volunteers who minister to youth or vulnerable adults in the diocese. These policies were revised in August 2008. All clergy and paid staff, and all volunteers working with youth and vulnerable adults, at any parish or diocesan location, are required to complete an Application for Ministry AND are required to attend an EIM workshop every three years.
ETHICS AND INTEGRITY IN MINISTRY POLICIES
- Click here for a brief overview of our EIM policies, including 2008 policy revisions.
- Click here to download a complete copy of the policies - English PDF
- Oprima aquí para leer las políticas en Español - Español PDF
EIM PROCESS – how to become EIM compliant
There are three (3) steps required to become EIM compliant: 1) submit an EIM application (online or paper copy), which 2) generates a confidential, criminal background check, and 3) attend a 3 hour EIM Basic Workshop which teaches participants about boundaries, warning signs, appropriate interactions in our work with minors and vulnerable adults, how to respond to incidents and reviews diocesan EIM policies. The application is only submitted one time; the background check is automatically rerun every 3 years from the date of your application submission and does not require any additional action on your part. Workshop attendance is required every 3 years after the initial EIM Basic Workshop.
- Complete an Application for Ministry. The Applications for Ministry are different for Volunteers, Catholic School Educators, Other Employees and Priests/ Seminarians/Religious/Permanent Deacons, and should ideally be submitted prior to workshop attendance. Submitting an application permits the diocese to run a confidential background check on each applicant and creates a field to record your workshop attendance. The on-line application process is secure and confidential. If internet access is not available, your parish/school can provide a paper copy of the application or see below to print a paper copy) which you return to your parish/school to be confidentially entered into the database.
- Click here to begin (or continue) an Application for Ministry in eAppsDB
- Click here to print a paper copy of the Application for Ministry
- Oprima aqui para imprimir una copia de la forma de Solicitud para el Ministerio
- Workshop attendance is required within 60 days of submitting the application. To attend an EIM workshop, please register in advance by calling the phone number of the location you wish to attend so that adequate materials may be available. Due to the importance of this issue, once the workshop has begun, late arrivals may be refused entrance.
If you are a victim of sexual abuse and have concerns regarding your attendance at a workshop, please contact Emily Hurlimann at (512) 949-2447 to discuss an alternative workshop arrangement.
When you have completed the entire process, notify your parish/school or other location where you wish to serve; they will be able to verify you are in compliance with diocesan policies. Thank you for your service to our diocese and for your commitment to keep all God’s children safe.
EIM REFRESHER COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT
As of August 2008, all clergy and paid staff, and all volunteers working in service to youth and vulnerable adults at any parish or diocesan location, are required to attend an EIM workshop every three years. To fulfill this ‘refresher’ requirement you may attend either the EIM Basic Workshop or the EIM Refresher Workshop. NOTE: the Application for Ministry is submitted only one time. A background check is completed every 3 years from the date of your initial application submission; this is an automated process that does not require any additional action on your part. You may update your application as needed, but it cannot be re-submitted.
UPCOMING EIM BASIC WORKSHOPS
This 3 hr Basic Workshop is required for all new applicants within 60 days of EIM application submission. Those needing to attend a ‘refresher’ workshop may attend the EIM Basic Workshop (or the Refresher Workshop) to complete their refresher compliance requirement.
Contact the site directly to reserve your spot at the workshop (leave a message if needed, but you won’t receive a confirmation call). Once posted to the diocesan website, , workshops are not cancelled. Please allow plenty of travel time so you arrive on time – once the workshop begins you may not be allowed to enter or participate.
| Date | Time | Location | Phone |
| Sat, Feb 13, 2010 | 9 a.m. to noon | St. Joseph Parish, Bryan | 979-822-2721 |
| Sat, Feb 20, 2010 | 9 a.m. to noon | Emmaus Parish, Lakeway - En Español | 512-261-8500 |
| Tue, Feb 23, 2010 | 6 to 9 p.m. | St. Ann Parish, Somerville | 979-596-1966 |
| Wed, Feb 24, 2010 | 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. | St. Mary Catholic Center, College Station | 979-846-5717 |
UPCOMING EIM REFRESHER WORKSHOPS
This 1½ Refresher Workshop is offered for those who last attended a previous EIM workshop more than 3 years ago AND that data is already recorded in your eApps application. To verify that you qualify to attend a ‘refresher’, go to https://www.eappsdb.com/Login.asp?ORGZ_KEY=4 – if you don’t recall your User ID/Password, please use the Alternate Log In option to access your application. Place your cursor over Workshop Dates to find your previous workshop information.
REFRESHER E.I.M. Workshops, for Adults
Parish/School Name: St. Austin
City: Austin
Phone # for RSVP: 512-477-9471
Date of Workshop: 2-11-2010 Thursday
Time of Workshop: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Language of Workshop: English
Parish/School Name: St. Thomas More
City: Austin
Phone # for RSVP: 512-258-1944
Date of Workshop: 2-16-2010 Tuesday
Time of Workshop: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Language of Workshop: English
Parish/School Name: St. Austin
City: Austin
Phone # for RSVP: 512-477-9471
Date of Workshop: 2-22-2010 Monday
Time of Workshop: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Language of Workshop: English
Parish/School Name: Emmaus
City: Lakeway
Phone # for RSVP: 512-261-8500
Date of Workshop: 2-23-2010 Tuesday
Time of Workshop: 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Language of Workshop: English
Parish/School Name: St. Anthony Claret
City: Kyle
Phone # for RSVP: 512-268-5311
Date of Workshop: 3-21-2010 Sunday
Time of Workshop: 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Language of Workshop: English
Scheduling an EIM Basic Workshop:
Parish, school or other diocesan agency administrators wishing to host an EIM Basic Workshop at their location should download this form and follow the instructions or contact Colleen Schiller at (512) 949-2400, ext. 2446. Please review all the information at the bottom of the workshop request form prior to submitting your request. EIM Basic Workshops are available in Spanish and English. At this time, the new EIM Refresher Workshops are only being scheduled by our current pool of volunteer facilitators. Please contact Emily Hurlimann at (512) 949-2400, ext 2447 with questions. Click here to view sample bulletin announcements to let parishioners know of these workshops.
CALLED TO PROTECT FOR YOUTH
This interactive program for middle school and high school students helps young people understand their sacredness and how to prevent others from violating their emotional, physical and behavioral boundaries. CTPY is an education program for youth; it does not fulfill the EIM requirement for serving in ministry to minors. Please see pg 16 of the EIM policies for additional information.
Parish and school staff click here for an overview of the CTPY program and to request a session for your site.
Click here if you are a parent interested in learning more about this program.
CALLED TO PROTECT FOR CHILDREN
Called to Protect for Children is the safety education piece of our diocesan Ethics and Integrity in Ministry program designed specifically for elementary grade students K-5. CTPC focuses on understanding rules, appropriate touch, boundaries, how to respond to uncomfortable situations and introduces technology safety.
CTPC sequentially builds on developmentally appropriate topics each year from Kindergarten thru 5th grade. It has been approved by the Catholic Church and promotes our teachings regarding respect for all human life. Religious education and Catholic school teachers will facilitate these simple lesson plans with their students.
Parish and school staff click here for an overview of the CTPC program.
Click here if you are a parent interested in learning more about this program.
HOW TO REPORT ABUSE
To report abuse or any violation of the diocesan EIM policies, please download the Confidential Notice of Concern - PDF and follow the instructions on the form to submit it to the Diocese. (get Acrobat Reader) You may also contact the EIM office or the Vicar General at (512) 949-2400. Texas State law also requires that abuse and/or neglect of a minor must be reported to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services through their website or at 1-800-252-5400, and/or through local police.
If you, or someone you know, have experienced abuse by someone representing the Catholic Church, please contact the Coordinator of Pastoral Care for the Diocese of Austin at (512) 949-2400.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Click here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Ethics and Integrity in Ministry .