Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers
 
The following is a reprint from the Code of Pastoral Conduct For Priests, Deacons, Pastoral Ministers, Administrators, Staff and Volunteers. The Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers can be found on the Archdiocese of Detroit website at www.AODonline.org. Click on the Promise to Protect Pledge to Heal button (shown above) and then on Volunteer Code of Conduct.  
      
  Our children are the most important gifts God has entrusted to us. A volunteer must strictly follow the rules and guidelines in this Code of Conduct for Volunteers as a condition of providing services to the children and youth of our archdiocese. All staff, catechists and identifiable volunteers who work with children or youth have been given a copy of the Pastoral Code of Conduct.

A volunteer must:

  • Treat everyone with respect, loyalty, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity and consideration.
  • Avoid situations where he or she is alone with children and/or youth at Church activities.
  • Use positive reinforcement rather than criticism, competition or comparison when working with children and/or youth.
  • Refuse to accept expensive gifts from children, youth or their parents without prior written approval from the pastor or administrator.
  • Refrain from giving expensive gifts to children and/or youth without prior written approval from the parents or guardian and the pastor or administrator.
  • Report suspected abuse to the pastor, administrator or appropriate supervisor and the local Child Protection Services agency. Failure to report suspected abuse to civil authorities (by required reporters) is, according to the law, a misdemeanor.
  • Cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse of children and/or youth.

A volunteer must not:

  • Smoke or use tobacco products in the presence of children and/or youth.
  • Use, possess or be under the influence of alcohol at any time while volunteering. 0 Use, possess or be under the influence of illegal drugs at any time.
  • Pose any health risk to children and/or youth through fevers or other contagious
    situations.
  • Strike, spank, shake or slap children and/or youth.
  • Humiliate, ridicule, threaten or degrade children and/or youth. . 0 Touch a child and/or youth in a sexual or other inappropriate manner. 0 Use any discipline that frightens or humiliates children and/or youth.
  • Use profanity in the presence of children and/or youth.

A volunteer working with children and/or youth is subject to a thorough background check, including criminal history. Any action inconsistent with this Code of Pastoral Conduct or failure to take action mandated by this Code of Pastoral Conduct may result in removal as a volunteer with children and/or youth.

 

Last Updated April 02, 2006