Reporting Suspicions of Abuse
Staff and volunteers should have a detailed understanding of their responsibility to report child abuse and neglect. At your YSO (Youth-Serving…
Home / Reporting / Who Are Mandated Reporters?
Massachusetts law defines a number of professionals as mandated reporters (for the full list, see MGL Chapter 119, Section 51A).
*As of Jan 1, 2020
Note that the list of mandated reporters above identifies professionals and other paid staff employed by certain organizations in a variety of roles. However, there is nothing in the law that prevents anyone from making a report. So even if you don’t employ mandated reporters, your policies and procedures should acknowledge the role of statutorily mandated reporters as a model for all staff and volunteers to follow. You should also convey the expectation that all staff and volunteers who interact directly with children/youth are required to report any suspected child abuse or neglect, or any situations involving inappropriate activity with a child/youth, and will be trained in the procedures to do so. You’ll find more details on training structures and programs in Training.
It’s also recommended that your Code of Conduct includes the requirement for all staff and volunteers to follow the reporting laws of the Commonwealth and the organization, and that their signature acknowledges that they understand the penalties if they fail to do so—up to and including dismissal. Non-mandated reporters are protected by law in the same way as mandated reporters.
Reporting
Staff and volunteers should have a detailed understanding of their responsibility to report child abuse and neglect. At your YSO (Youth-Serving…
Screening & Hiring
Criminal background checks are an important tool in your screening and selection process—and you should ensure that you’re aware of any federal,…
Reporting
Thinking of children or youth as capable of sexually abusing other children or youth can be difficult to consider and challenging to address. In…
Screening & Hiring
Your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) should create protocols for the application, interviewing, and screening process. Each step of the process…
Screening & Hiring
Additional screening and hiring measures should be implemented based on the specific needs, responsibilities, and risks of your Youth-Serving…
Screening & Hiring
If a criminal record is discovered, its existence alone does not necessarily automatically disqualify a candidate from employment or volunteer…
Screening & Hiring
Start with Basic Screening It is very important that all applicants who provide direct services and who are seeking positions of trust—either…
Screening & Hiring
Finding and retaining a qualified and diverse workforce is one of the greatest challenges for youth-serving organizations like yours. Given the…
Code of Conduct
Leadership at your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) should implement the Code of Conduct by including it in many aspects of the organization. The…
Monitoring Behavior
Develop a culture of child safety at your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) using your Monitoring Behavior protocol that includes leadership-driven…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
Learning Center Registration
Sign up for an account and start your learning experience.
Free Online Assessment
Let us help you find out where to start.