Critical Conversations

The Critical Conversations™ program is an educational training and prevention program that presents case studies for priests, deacons and lay ministers. This training differs from the Protecting God's Children® program in that there are separate and distinct case studies specifically designed for priests, deacons and lay ministers. It is a collaborative and groundbreaking effort of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Saint John Vianney Center in Pennsylvania, and the VIRTUS® Programs. It is based on the highly regarded Instruments of Hope and Healing Program that most religious have used in the United States.

This new program takes priests, deacons and lay ministers to a new level of understanding and education. It does not substitute for the fundamental understanding of child sexual abuse and abuse of vulnerable adults taught in the Protecting God’s Children trainings, but is a valuable next step in that training for priests, deacons and lay ministers. Protecting God's Children will always be "ground" floor and required initial training for any new priest, deacon, employee, lay minister and volunteer. However, Critical Conversations tests the fundamental and required competencies learned in these previous trainings and then takes priests, deacons and lay ministers to a new level of understanding conveyed via a distinct form of education. The focus in Critical Conversations is on unhealthy and healthy adult boundaries and the emerging role of technology and the Internet.

For more information, please contact Pat Neal at 888-847-8870 or pneal@virtus.org.

Critical Conversations Brochure

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