Ethics & Integrity in Ministry

Use these instructions to log in to your VIRTUS.org account to check your compliance or to create a first-time user account.
 
I am brand new to the EIM process

• • Welcome! Please go to VIRTUS.org and click “first-time registrant”. Select Austin (Diocese) as your organization in the dropdown menu.
  • Go through the registration process (appx. 5 minutes) and sign up for a live training workshop. You will see a list of workshops once you register. You need to attend a workshop within 30 days.
  • The live training workshop is about 3-hours long and trains you to spot and report abuse as well as how to establish healthy boundaries. A live training is required for all individuals new to the EIM process.

I had an existing EApps account

• • Great! If your old account had previous training history, it has been converted to VIRTUS Online.
  • Login to VIRTUS.org as an existing user. If you need help, click “I need login help,” reach out to your local site administrator, or contact the EIM Office (eim@austindiocese.org).
  • Once you are logged in, look at My Info to verify that all profile information is up-to-date, and look at Training History for your most recent workshop/training date (must be within the last 3 years to maintain compliance).
  • If you did not have an EIM workshop recorded in your account, your account was not converted, and you will start as a new user.
  • If you attended an EIM workshop more than 3 years ago it is expired, and you will be prompted to take the (appx. 70 minutes) online refresher training through VIRTUS Online. You must complete training prior to serving in ministry.
  • If your EIM compliance is current, you will not be prompted to do anything at this time. Two months prior to your training/background check expiration date, you will be prompted via email to log in to VIRTUS.org and complete the training/background authorization form to avoid a lapse in compliance.

Guidance and Good Practice

• • You will only do the 3-hour live training workshop one time. After that, you will take the online refresher every three years to maintain compliance. You will be prompted every 3 years via email to complete the refresher. 
  • You will also be prompted to consent to a background recheck every 3 years.
  • Always keep your email address and contact info current in your EIM account and check your email regularly to make sure you do not miss any prompts from VIRTUS.
  • EIM stands for Ethics and Integrity in Ministry. We are the safe environment department for the diocese.
  • If you ever have a question regarding EIM, please reach out! Our email is eim@austindiocese.org and our number is (512) 949-2447. 

 
Both the in-person and online training include frank discussions of sexual abuse.
If you have experienced sexual abuse and have concerns about viewing this training, please contact the EIM Office at (512) 949-2447 or EIM@austindiocese.org to discuss alternative training .



 

Ethics and Integrity in Ministry (EIM) Training is required for all volunteers of the parish who come in contact with minors or vulnerable adults. In reality, this means most, if not all, volunteers. The more people who take the training course, the safer we will be as a parish. It also can be useful information that helps parents protect their own children, and workshops designed for children of specific ages can help children protect themselves.

Online EIM training fulfills the EIM compliance/training requirement for applicants who have an existing EIM account and have previously attended an EIM Workshop.

New applicants, and those who have never attended an EIM Workshop, must attend an in-person EIM Workshop to fulfill their initial EIM compliance requirement.

Log in to your EIM account to find a list of EIM Workshops,  or contact your parish/school EIM site administrator for assistance.

• Completing the online EIM training updates/renews EIM compliance for up to 3 years.
• If you have difficulty opening a link or viewing a video, please change browsers. All parts of this training have been tested on Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

The online EIM training includes a frank discussion of sexual abuse. If you have experienced sexual abuse and have concerns about viewing this material, please contact the EIM Office at (512) 949-2447 or eim@austindiocese.org to discuss alternative training.

CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE TRAINING

• Catholic Charities Counseling Services

  “Providing high-quality mental health services to help individuals and families overcome life’s challenges.”
  Link: https://ccctx.org/counseling-services/
  Hours & Locations
  Office hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM; Tuesday: 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
  Appointments are 50 minutes in length and are scheduled weekly, biweekly, or as needed.
  How to Get Started
  Call us at 512.651.6150. Leave a voicemail with your name, phone number, email address, and a brief description of the type of mental health support you are seeking.
  On the day of your appointment, bring photo ID and a document with your current address with you.
  Cost
  We believe cost should not be a barrier to receiving mental health support. We are committed to ensuring our services are affordable. Fees will vary based on your individual circumstance. Please reach out to us to discuss your mental health needs. We will find a solution to ensure you get the support you deserve thanks to generous gifts from our community.
   

  St. Edward’s University Community Clinic

  Link: https://www.stedwards.edu/communityclinic
  About our services
  We are currently open to the Austin community to provide low-cost individual, relationship, and/or family counseling. We charge $15 for individuals and $20 for couples and families--if cost is an issue, we can work with you. Our counselors are student interns working towards finishing their counseling degrees under the supervision of licensed faculty. In-person and online services are being offered. Online services can be delivered to anyone who resides in Texas.
  
  Clinic Hours
  Fall Hours:
  • Monday 3 pm - 8 pm
  • Tuesday 1 pm - 6 pm
  • Wednesday 1 pm - 6 pm
  • Thursday 3 pm - 8 pm
  
  How to become a client
  Call us at (512) 428-1242 or send email us at counseling@stedwards.edu with your name, contact number, and the best time to reach you.
   

  Travis County Sheriff’s Office Victim Services Resources

  Offers resources for those affected by family violence, sexual assault, and death & grief.
  Link:  https://www.tcsheriff.org/services/victim-services/resources#H2811
  About Victim Services
  The Victim Services Unit is comprised of a Victim Services Director, a Social Services Program Coordinator and six Victim Services Specialists. Additionally, we benefit from of a large pool of trained volunteers who contribute their time and skills.
  We are here to provide services and support to individuals affected by crime and crisis circumstances to reduce the impact of trauma and enhance the ability for individuals to rebuild their lives.
  Services
  • Crisis intervention
  • Information on constitutional and/or statutory rights
  • Information on establishing/maintaining personal safety
  • Assistance with Crime Victim Compensation applications
  • Referrals to community agencies
  • Informational and emotional support throughout the criminal justice process

  For more information, please contact the Victim Services Unit at:
  tcsovs@traviscountytx.gov | 512-854-9709 from Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 
  Should you need to speak with Victim Services outside of normal business hours, please call 512-974-0845, Option 3, and request contact from the on-call representative.
   

  Victim/Survivor Support Groups and Monthly Presentations on Topics Pertaining to Victim/Survivors and Those Who Care for Them (click here)

  To register, email Paula Kaempffer, Outreach Coordinator for Restorative Justice and Abuse Prevention, Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, kaempfferp@archspm.org. Click here for more info on the support groups available. These support groups and presentations for survivors have been held for the past three years. Many survivors who attend these groups have experienced healing, care, affirmation, and support as they grow and become who they were created to be. The harm and damage to the human person from abuse is horrific. Survivors need and deserve all the compassion, concern, and loving kindness that we can give to them. Please consider joining one of these groups and also the presentations on the fourth Monday of every month. Past recordings of the presentations can be found here, under Special Presentations: Recordings of Past Presentations. 
  

  Podcasts

  • The Catholic Project is an initiative of The Catholic University of America that falls into three basic categories: education, research and events. Crisis Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church is a podcast series about the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church: its origins, characters, causes, and reforms.
   

  Documents and Articles

  • Pain Never Disappears from Unhealed Wounds, August 28, 2018, Nineteen Sixty-four is a research blog for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University edited by Mark M. Gray. CARA is a non-profit research center that conducts social scientific studies about the Catholic Church. Founded in 1964, CARA has three major dimensions to its mission: to increase the Catholic Church's self-understanding; to serve the applied research needs of Church decision-makers; and to advance scholarly research on religion, particularly Catholicism. Follow CARA on Twitter at caracatholic.
  • Separating Facts About Clergy Abuse From Fiction, August 23, 2018
  • Annual Report on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People
  • A 10-year Progress Report on the Charter, June 2012
  • The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States 1950-2010 (published 2011 by John Jay College of Criminal Justice)
  • The Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests and Deacons in the United States 1950-2002 (published 2004 by John Jay College of Criminal Justice)
  • Nature & Scope Supplementary Report, 2006

Report Abuse

Make a Report to Child Protective Services
Make a Report to Adult Protective Services
EIM Notice of Concern