Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate Training Job Training for CVPAs

1. Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate Training Job Training for CVPAs

2. Course Credit Please sign the Course Roster. Include your legal name, home address, phone number and date of birth.

3. The Vision of AYSO The Vision of AYSO is to provide world class youth soccer programs that enrich children’s lives.

4. Introduction Every child participating in an AYSO soccer program has a right to a safe, fair, fun, family-friendly, positive environment for experiencing the benefits of youth sports.

5. What is Safe Haven? • AYSO’s program to address the growing need for Child and Volunteer Protection in youth sports. • Creates a safe, fair, fun, family friendly environment - “safe haven” - for all.

6. Creating a Safe Haven The Safe Haven program supports the creation of a “safe haven” for all participants by: • Registering and Screening all Volunteers Requiring Training and Certification Providing Child and Volunteer Protection Guidelines • Promoting Safety and Injury Prevention

7. The Role of the CVPA The Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate is the Safe Haven Representative in the local Region, Area or Section.

8. Course Overview • CVPA’s Duties • Volunteer Screening • Volunteer Registration • Child & Volunteer Protection

9. CVPA Duties • Screen volunteers at the Regional level • Present volunteer list to Regional Board for approval • Ensure all approved volunteers are registered • Assign volunteers to positions in eAYSO • Work with RCA, RRA to ensure coaches, referees are trained and certified and that they receive annual Safe Haven refreshers. • Serve as Region contact for child abuse and volunteer protection issues

10. Quiz a Which of the following best describes the primary responsibility of the CVPA? • Screen and Register volunteers at the Region, Area or Section level. • Conduct Background checks. • Conduct Disciplinary Review Panels. • Teach AYSO’s Safe Haven to all new volunteers.

11. Volunteer Protection Congress passed the Volunteer Protection Act in 1997 to promote volunteerism and grant immunity from certain liabilities for volunteers who meet its requirements.

12. Volunteer Requirements For protection under the Volunteer Protection Act and applicable laws, AYSO requires all volunteers to: • Sign and submit a Volunteer Application every year, • Be authorized to do their job, • Act within the scope of their Job Descriptions and AYSO’s policies, procedures and guidelines, • Complete Safe Haven Training and • Be properly trained in their jobs.

13. Volunteer Screening AYSO, like many youth organizations today, asks adult volunteers to submit character references and agree to background checks in order to protect players, volunteers and Region resources.

14. “Youth sports treasurer accused of embezzlement; Corona man has been charged with embezzling $100,000 from a youth sports program that receives money from the city.” Volunteer Screening “Montgomery County police arrested a longtime soccer coach on Thursday and charged him with inappropriate contact with a juvenile six months ago.” “South Dakota (Soccer) — A 42 year-old adult man strikes the soccer referee, who happened to also be the town’s mayor, during a match between 11-year-old girls. The coach was sentenced to one year in jail, required to attend anger management courses and banned from all youth sports events for a year.”

15. Volunteer Applications • Review Volunteer Application for completeness • Verify Identify of person on the Application with government issued photo ID • Applications must be submitted without any changes to disclaimers, waivers and agreements represented on the form. • A new Application must be signed and dated each and every year. • Do not use old blank Volunteer applications

16. eSignature • Parents/Volunteers complete and eSign their Player Registration/Volunteer Applications online in eAYSO • eAYSO validates required fields • eSigned Player and Volunteer forms are stored electronically; Regions do not have to store copies. • eSigned volunteer forms are instantly available for background checking and do not have to be mailed to the AYSO National Office. • Every volunteer must eSign their application

17. Volunteer Applications New or Returning Volunteer Box • Required Fields: • Name • Social Security Number • Birth Date • Photo I.D. • Answer to Conviction Question and disclosure • Signature and Date • References required for new volunteers. • DO NOT accept the Application • if the application is missing • any of these fields, • or language is crossed out on either side of the form. eSignature confirmation Now accepting 5 types of photo I.D.

18. Confirmation email

19. Social Security Numbers • AYSO conducts background checks based on identifying information, including SSN. Without SSN: • we cannot perform national criminal background checks or • verify where the applicant has lived in order to run county-level record searches • AYSO’s National Board of Directors provides a memorandum on the requirement for SSN

20. Reference Checks • Check References for all new volunteers. • Identify yourself and state that “Volunteer would like to volunteer with the American Youth Soccer Organization here in City.” • Ask, “Would you recommend Volunteer to work with children in our non-profit organization?” “Why or Why not?” • Thank them for their time. • Do not discuss age, race or sex.

21. Flagged vsUn-Flagged Applications

22. Un-Flagged Applications • Most applications are not flagged; the applicant answered “no” to the conviction question and they eSigned their application. • After checking references (new volunteers), place on the list for approval by the Regional Board. • Register all approved volunteers in eAYSO.

23. Flagged Applications • Applications which are not eSigned in eAYSOwill be red flagged. • Red Flag prevents flagged applicant from being registeredand assigned a position. • Once the original hand-signed application is received by Safe Haven, the red flag is removed. • Do not allow flagged applicants to volunteer until cleared by Safe Haven.

24. Flagged Applications • Send original, hand-signed forms to National Office with a Control Sheet using Certified Return Receipt, UPS or Overnight service with a tracking number. • We do not want these forms, with volunteer personal identification information, lost or stolen.

25. Flagged Applications • Applications with a “yes” answer to the conviction question will beflagged in eAYSO • Red Flag prevents flagged applicant from being registered. • Cannot be assigned a position until cleared by Safe Haven and registered. • Do not allow flagged applicants to volunteer until cleared by Safe Haven.

26. Flagged Applications • Do not accept a handwritten flagged application without a complete disclosure including dates and locations of convictions. • Again, send all original hand-signed, flagged forms to the National Office with a Control Sheet immediately. • Flagged applications must be background checked in order to determine their volunteer eligibility.

27. Flagged Applications • Flagged Applicants given volunteer positions who cannot be cleared according to the AYSO National Background Check Policy, must be removed from service by the Region. • Volunteers removed because of a Safe Haven determination not entitled to due process at the Region level.

28. Flagged Applications • If the application cannot be approved: • Applicant must receive a letter via US Mail. • Applicant has the right to review Background Check and dispute any findings. • RC and CVPA will receive an e-mail from eAYSO/Safe Haven. • If the volunteer application is approved, the red flag will be removed and RC, CVPA will receive an e-mail from eAYSO/Safe Haven.

29. Flagged Applications • The Red Flag can mean any one of the following: • The application was not eSigned and the hand signed form has not been received by Safe Haven, • The applicant answered “yes” to the disclosure question and hasn’t been cleared by Safe Haven, • The application is missing information such as DOB or there’s a typo in the SSN, • The volunteer is disqualified.

30. Volunteer Status? Select “Region” > “CVPA” > “Search” Select “Region” > “CVPA” > “Search”

31. eAYSO CVPA Search CVPA/Safe Haven Notes

32. eAYSO CVPA Search

33. eAYSO CVPA Search CVPA/Safe Haven Notes

34. eAYSO CVPA Search

35. eAYSO CVPA Search

36. eAYSO CVPA Search CVPA/Safe Haven Notes

37. eAYSO CVPA Notes Safe Haven Notes track key facts and steps

38. eAYSO CVPA Notes Note Restricted Positions

39. Quiz c Which of the following is not true? • In 2014, every volunteer who can, must eSign their application. • A hand- signed application will be red-flagged until the application is received by Safe Haven. • A Red Flag means the applicant is a convicted criminal. • Red Flags can simply mean something is missing on the application.

40. National Screening • Background Checks conducted year-round • Federal law requires a signed application before performing background checks • Processing of a flagged application takes about 1 week from receipt at National Office – except during August and September. • eSigned applications can be immediately submitted for background checking.

41. Registered Sex Offenders • Sex Offender Searches conducted on all eAYSO Volunteers using DOJ Sex Offender Registry www.nsopr.gov. • Many States Have Online Sex Offender Registries: www.sexoffender.com • Other States provide searches at local Sheriff station.Every Region should check local sites for possible offenders near fields.

42. Targeted Background Checks Un-Flagged volunteers are background checked once a Membership Year and as soon as they are registered in eAYSO. Other targeted state and county searches are conducted year-round.

43. Background Check Policy • The AYSO National Background Check Policy is in the CVPA Manual & on www.ayso.org • Includes a partial Table of Convictions • Only National Safe Haven Dept is authorized to run criminal background checks and determine volunteer eligibility • Policy determines restrictions on volunteering based on risks associated with convictions.

44. Background Check Policy • Sex Crimes or Crimes against children require a lifetime ban from volunteering. • Crimes of violence = 20 year disqualification. • Other felonies = 10 year disqualification. • Many misdemeanor convictions require a restriction from coaching including DUIs. • Any theft or fraud related conviction requires a restriction from Board positions responsible for funds or personal information.

45. Background Check Policy • Make sure Volunteers understand they will be background checked. • Make National Policy available at Volunteer Recruiting and Registration events. • Inform Regional Commissioner, Regional Coach Administrator and Regional Referee Administrator of policy.

46. Question ? True Each year, a Region can choose whether or not to accept a volunteer. True or False? Volunteering is a privilege, not a right. Regions can simply say “Thank you, no thank you.” without giving any reasons that may invite an argument.

47. Application vs Registration • CVPAs must register accepted Volunteer applicants in eAYSO: • registering eSignedapplications submitted online, • by entering an application and registering a Volunteer from a hand-signed form*, • renewing an previous volunteer for the Membership Year from a hand-signed form* • Unaccepted volunteers stay in applicant status.

48. eAYSO Volunteer Registration Select “Region” > “Volunteer” > Registration

49. eAYSO Volunteer Registration Change to Previous to Renew Volunteer New! Red Flag, Yellow Post-it Notes Applicants NE – eSignature Incomplete Check Applicants; “Submit” to Register Add a New Volunteer or Youth Volunteer from forms

50. Registering vs Assigning • Register all unflagged volunteers in eAYSO approved by the Regional Board to volunteer. • Assign registered volunteers to specific positions in eAYSO.