The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church has partnered with Safe Gatherings a national leader in background checks and abuse prevention training.

About

The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference is committed to ensuring that we provide safe places of worship and fellowship to everyone we serve.  As part of that commitment, we are providing information on Safe Gatherings as a resource for you in this important area.

Safe Gatherings is an online abuse prevention program that screens and educates staff and volunteers to help prevent abuse of children, youth, and vulnerable adults in group settings. When employees and volunteers are trained to identify potential abusers, recognize the signs of abuse, and know how to handle reporting, they are better equipped to prevent abuse.

Upon successful completion of the Safe Gatherings application, background and reference checks, and online training program, each applicant will receive documentation of approval valid for three years and will have continued access to the online training program for one year.

The current price per applicant for the individual church program available through the Safe Gatherings website is $37. This includes processing of two electronic references, a national and current county of residence 7-year background check, national and state of residence Sex Offender Registry check, and the 1.5-hour online abuse prevention and boundary awareness training.  There is also an option to complete a driving record if the individual will be driving as part of their ministry. The cost for the driving record will vary depending upon the state the license was issued.

Details

Contact the Safe Gatherings team at contact@SafeGatherings.com or 888-241-8258 to provide the contact information for your church or group.

As soon as the church or group is set up within Safe Gatherings, your applicants will be able to follow the links below to begin their Safe Gatherings approval.

Click here to start the Safe Gatherings process – https://safegatherings.com/app/get-started
Click here to login to your Safe Gatherings application after you have completed your registration– https://safegatherings.com/app/login

When applicants follow the link to get started, they will need to select:

• Language Preference (English or Spanish),
• Type of Organization (Church or Faith-Based Organization),
• Denomination (Methodist), and
• State where their church is located.

In the next field, they will start typing any part of your organization name, ex: Good Shepherd”, and a list will appear in a dropdown menu where they will select the organization name where they are seeking approval to serve.

Individuals can login to their account at any time to check the status of their application.

Contact

Contact the Safe Gatherings team at contact@safegatherings.com or 888.241.8258 for additional information or with questions about the program.

Sample Policy -- Small Church

Sample Policy -- Large Church 

Safe Spaces Policy Update Webinar - May 2024

Reporting abuse in Kentucky

Child Abuse: Concerned citizens have a legal obligation to make a report to the Department of Community Based Services (DCBS) when there is reason to believe that a child is being abused, neglected, dependent, or may be the victim of human trafficking or female genital mutilation. Individuals can make a report by calling 1-877-595-2331. Staff is available to answer calls 24/7; this does include weekends and holidays. When in doubt, individuals should make the call and discuss their concerns with intake staff. The agency's centralized intake staff is trained to assess the information they are provided, ask follow up questions, and ensure the most appropriate screening decisions are made.

Adult Abuse: Any person having reasonable cause to suspect that an adult has suffered abuse, neglect or exploitation, is required report or cause reports to be made. Death of the adult does not relieve one of the responsibility to report the circumstances surrounding the death. DCBS will work with law enforcement and other agencies to investigate the report and provide needed protective services if accepted by the adult. To report adult abuse or neglect, contact 877-597-2331 or 877-KYSAFE1.

Non-emergency reports may also be made using the Kentucky Child/Adult Protective Services Online Reporting System. 

Reporting abuse in Tennessee

Child Abuse: Everyone in Tennessee is a mandated reporter under state law. Any person with reasonable cause to believe or knowledge of a child is being abused or neglected must, under the law, immediately report to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services or to local law enforcement (See Tenn. Code Ann. Section 37-1-403(a)(1)). The reporter can remain anonymous. Call the Child Abuse Hotline to report child abuse or neglect in the State of Tennessee 877-237-0004 or use secure site to report online.

Adult Abuse: Adult Protective Services staff investigate reports of abuse, neglect (including self-neglect) or financial exploitation of adults who are unable to protect themselves due to a physical or mental limitation. APS staff assess the need for protective services and provide services to reduce the identified risk to the adult. Report abuse: Call Toll Free 1-888-APS-TENN (1-888-277-8366) or use secure site to report online.

National Child Abuse Reporting Hotline

ChildLine and Abuse Registry Intake Unit, Call 800-932-0313 (TTD: 866-872-1677)