CMSM 2025 Safeguarding Ministry Conference| Bethany Center in Lutz, FL
Conference: October 13-16
Retreat: October 16-17
The Continuum of Safeguarding Ministry Today: Prevention, Protection, Response
Join us for the 21st annual Safeguarding Ministry Conference as we focus on the continuum of safeguarding ministry.
While the abuse of children has a robust apparatus for prevention, protection, and response, adult misconduct continues to be an area where policy, procedure, intervention, and best practices need to be developed by men’s religious communities. This year, all sections of the Safeguarding Ministry Conference will focus on adult misconduct in some way, without neglecting the core competencies of protecting children.
We will hear from partners in safeguarding ministry, sharpen our responses to all types of abuse, discover new best practices, and deepen our awareness of emerging forms of misconduct.
The conference will feature plenaries, breakouts, a panel, and the opportunity to pray together, network, and engage in a deep dialogue with other leaders of religious communities and safeguarding ministers. We will again have the optional Safeguarding Retreat this year.
Join us to pray, learn, build new skills, and support each other in this ministry that continues to be challenging. We look forward to welcoming you and learning from your experience in safeguarding ministry!
Lodging & Travel
Lodging
- The Bethany Center in Lutz, FL, has limited lodging. All rooms are single occupancy, with a queen bed, linens, and private bath. If you are interested in staying at the retreat center, register early to ensure you get a room.
- There also are several nearby hotels once the Center is full. If you are not staying at Bethany Center, choose “Commuter” when registering.
- The Residence Inn Tampa Suncoast Parkway at NorthPointe Village offers a special rate for individuals who are attending Bethany Center events
Airport
- The nearest airport is Tampa International Airport.
- The Bethany Center is a short drive away by rental car or Uber.
Online Workshop
For those who cannot travel to Lutz, we are offering a limited virtual conference:
- The same plenary sessions as the in-person conference
- A reduced number of breakout sessions
- No panel discussion or retreat
Cancellation policy
Refunds will be given for cancellations made by September 12, 2025, less a $100 non-refundable cancellation fee. No refunds will be available after that time.
We look forward to seeing you. If you have questions, please contact Greta David, Director of Communications, at gdavid@cmsm.org or (240) 394-1851.
Schedule
Arrivals 12pm to 5pm
12:00 pm: Optional Lunch for Early Arrivals
5:00 pm: Introduction & Welcome
5:15 pm: Evening Prayer
5:30 pm: Reception
6:00 pm: Dinner
8:00 am: Breakfast
9:00 am: Morning Prayer
9:15 am: Welcome & Announcements
9:30 am: CMSM Introduction – Fr. Frank Donio, SAC
9:45 am: Safeguarding Ministry Updates – Dcn. Steven DeMartino
10:15am: Praesidium – Trends and Implementation of Revised Standards – Kiran Rupani and Adriana Dominguez
11:00 am: Break
11:15 am: Mass
12:00 pm: Lunch
1:00 pm: Updates from USCCB CYP/Charter – Dcn. Bernie Nojadera
1:30 pm: Developing Adult Misconduct Policy and Procedure: Research, Alignment, and Implementation – Panelists coming soon!
2:30 pm: Break
3:00 pm: Prevent, Protect, Respond: One Community’s Story
3:45 pm: Small Group Discussion
4:30 pm: Wrap-up
4:45 pm: Evening Prayer
5:00 pm: Reception
6:00 pm: Dinner
The second day of the Workshop will feature diverse skills-building breakout sessions. Topics include:
- Victim/Survivor Assistance Coordinators (core and new frontiers) – Kristin Austin
- Allegation Notification and Investigation for Abuse of Minors and Adult Misconduct – Mike Riley
- Canonical Process in Adult Misconduct – Amy Jill Strickland
- Leadership and Safeguarding – Fr. Frank Donio, SAC
- Review Boards – Tom Artz
- Boundaries and Adult Misconduct – James Coupe
- Implementing Safeguarding Ministry Systems in Religious Life – Nikki Hittle
- Monitoring and Supervision: Engaging Members on Safety Plans – Paul Ashton
Each breakout except Leadership and Safeguarding will be offered twice, with two of the breakouts offered as hybrid options. More information on the breakout schedule coming soon!
Schedule:
8:00 am – Breakfast
8:45 am: Morning Prayer
9:00 am – Announcements/Schedule Review
9:15 am – Breakout Session 1
10:30 am – Break
10:45 am – Breakout Session 2
12:00 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm – Breakout Session 3
2:15 pm – Break
2:30 pm – Breakout Session 4
3:45 pm – Wrap-up
4:15 pm – Break
4:45 pm – Evening Prayer & Mass
Speakers
Tom Artz, PhD
Society of the Divine Word, Director of Safe Environment
Thomas Artz served in the provincial office for the Society of the Divine Word Chicago Province for 17 years. He retired in 2020 but continues as the Director of Safe Environment. He has served on six Review Boards, attended 13 CMSM Safeguarding workshops and other training programs. He has made presentations on Review Boards at several previous CMSM workshops. He served on the Praesidium committee that revised the accreditation standards in 2020. He is married and has two teenage sons.
Tom Artz, PhD
Society of the Divine Word
Paul Ashton, Psy.D., D.Min.
Dr. Ashton presents workshops, courses, retreats and training seminars in Catholic dioceses across the country. His professional ministry enfolds adult education and praxis, and has included several teaching, counseling and administrative positions in schools and parishes. He also serves as a consultant to diocesan Bishops and religious community superiors
His work in the area of child sexual abuse prevention and healing includes training facilitators, developing and implementing curricula and retreat programs, counseling, and support group facilitation development through the VIRTUS programs for over 23 years. He is the author of numerous articles and educational support materials, and a book entitled Etched in Hope through ACTA Publications of Chicago.
He works with victims/survivors/thrivers of sexual abuse in the area of recovery and healing. In addition, he works with priests/religious offenders whose ministry is restricted and living a life of prayer and penance.
Paul is the founder of OPEN HEARTS HIV/AIDS Ministry and has supervised support, bereavement and trauma groups for over 38 years. Dr. Ashton holds a B.A. in religious studies, an M.A. in clinical pastoral counseling, a D.Min. in counseling and marriage and family therapy and a Psy.D. in psychology. He lives and has a private practice in Boston and West Palm Beach.
Paul Ashton, PsyD, DMin
Kristin Austin, LCSW-C, CCTP
Society of Jesus, Secretary of Safeguarding
Kristin Austin has worked for the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) since 2008, where she serves as Secretary of Safeguarding after previously serving as both Regional Operations Manager and Victim/Survivor Assistance Coordinator. After attending Saint Joseph’s University for undergrad, she volunteered for a year in Tacoma, WA and later earned a Master’s degree from the University of Maryland. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who previously worked in Employee Assistance (EAP) and provided individual therapy. She enjoys volunteering at her son’s school, though it is much different from her former ministry volunteering at a hospice and in prison. Kristin is also a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and currently serves as Victim/Survivor Assistance Coordinator for seven different member institutes of CMSM.
Kristin Austin, LCSW-C, CCTP
Society of Jesus
James Coupe, PsyD
Saint John Vianney Center, Clinical Director
Dr. James Coupe serves as the Clinical Director at the Saint John Vianney Center where he oversees the evaluation and treatment programs. As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Coupe sees individuals in psychotherapy as well as conducts psychological evaluations as a member of the Saint John Vianney Center inter-disciplinary assessment team. He has been with the Saint John Vianney Center since 2007, previously serving as a psychologist for the addictions program.
Dr. Coupe holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Widener University. Additionally, he holds three Master’s Degrees: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Criminal Justice (MA), and Psychology (MA). He is an undergraduate alumnus of Moravian College. In addition to his private practice, he has previously been the clinical supervisor of a forensic residential program.
Dr. Coupe has presented at several professional conferences on topics including: helping psychotherapists manage their own reactions in clinical service; clinical treatment of forensic populations; assisting vicars in dealing with difficult clergy; and, personality disorders amongst the clergy. Additionally, he has engaged clergy groups in discussions about stress management and debriefings following traumatic events.
His clinical interests include: personality disorders, psychological testing, and emotional intelligence.
James Coupe, PsyD
Saint John Vianney Center
Deacon Steven DeMartino
Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Director of Safeguarding Initiatives
Deacon Steven is the Director of Priest Wellness for the Archdiocese of New York and the Director of Safeguarding initiatives for the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. In addition, he is active in Parish ministry, consultation to leadership teams of Religious Institutes, Seminary teaching, and retreat work. Deacon Steven’s training centers on behavioral health and governance leadership.
Deacon Steven DeMartino
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Adriana Dominguez, JD
Praesidium
Adriana Dominguez supports numerous youth and vulnerable adult serving organizations from a variety of industries to help them develop, implement, and maintain abuse prevention initiatives and frameworks. Dominguez oversees a significant amount of Praesidium’s international work and collaborates closely with our Praesidium Chile office. Dominguez has also been working closely with religious groups since she joined Praesidium in 2015. As a licensed attorney in the state of Texas, Dominguez brings to Praesidium her experience of working with several immigration nonprofit organizations, specifically on cases involving asylum and unaccompanied minors, and at a family law firm. Dominguez graduated with honors from Villanova University, obtaining bachelor’s degrees in political science and Spanish language and literature. She received her Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Adriana Dominguez
Praesidium
Fr. Frank Donio, SAC, DMin
Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Executive Director
Fr. Frank Donio, SAC, D.Min. is the Executive Director of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and a member of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottine Fathers and Brothers). He is also the Founding Director of the Catholic Apostolate Center. Fr. Frank is former Provincial Rector of the Immaculate Conception Province of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate. Fr. Frank writes and presents on evangelization, co-responsibility and collaboration in ministry and apostolate, pastoral planning, Church leadership and management, and Catholic and Pallottine spirituality. He holds a Doctor of Ministry in Adult Spiritual Formation from The Catholic University of America (CUA), as well as a Bachelor of Arts in History (summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa) and a Master of Arts in Church History from CUA. He also holds a Master of Divinity from Washington Theological Union and a Master of Science in Church Management from Villanova University School of Business.
Fr. Frank Donio, SAC, DMin
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Jeff Henrich
Guest House
Jeff Henrich is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Guest House, an inpatient residential treatment center catering to Catholic clergy and religious individuals. With over three decades of comprehensive clinical practice experience, Jeff has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in various capacities, particularly in grant-funded programs for chronic relapsing alcoholics. Before assuming his current role, he served as the Executive Director of the Guest House Men’s program, showcasing his dedication and commitment to the organization’s mission. Jeff earned an economics degree from Macalester College and a master’s in counseling from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. He is a licensed advanced alcohol and drug counselor.
Jeff Henrich
Guest House
Nikki Hittle
Director of Safe Environment, Legionaries of Christ North American Territory
Nikki was born in Columbus, Georgia. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in 2000 from the University of Montana with certification in teaching grades Kindergarten-8th, a Master of Social Work (MSW) in 2008 from Eastern Washington University with certification in school social work, and educational leadership training and principal certification with Washington State University in 2012.
As an educator and social worker for 20 years, she has worked in diverse communities teaching at the elementary and middle school levels, as a social worker in high schools, and as a principal at the elementary school level. Nikki transferred her gifts and expertise to the non-profit sector focusing on developing trainings in trauma informed/sensitive practices and visionary leadership for building collaborative and positive communities providing safe environments for all.
Nikki is the Director of Safe Environment for the Legionaries of Christ North American Territory since 2020. In December 2022, she was awarded the distinguished Praesidium Guardian Certification after completing an intensive workshop, educational modules, and impact project. Currently, Nikki is focused on reimagining the safe environment model from a response driven approach to one focused on prevention and early intervention by emphasizing priest wellness and collaborative efforts for ongoing formation.
Nikki Hittle
Legionaries of Christ
Fr. Thomas Hoar, SSE
Society of St. Edmund
Father Tom Hoar, SSE, entered the Society of St. Edmund in 1971 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1978. He holds a PhD in Humanities Salve Regina University and a PhD in Student Development and Higher Education Administration from Michigan State University. Father Tom has been a trustee of his alma mater, St. Michael’s College, and in 2015 became a member of the Board of Advisors for the Collegiate Recovery Program at Texas Tech University. Father Tom came to St. Edmund’s Retreat in Mystic, CT, in 1993 and continues to reside here. He has been President since 2002 and in his time here has established the Sacred Art Institute and the St. Maximillian Kolbe Recovery Residence. Father Tom is also Chaplain of the US Naval Submarine Base in Groton, CT.
Fr. Dorsey originally graduated from Christian Brothers College in Memphis with a degree in accounting. After joining Glenmary he studied at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and received a master of arts degree in theology. He did further graduate studies and received a licentiate in sacred theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.
Fr. Thomas Hoar, SSE
St. Edmund’s Retreat
Deacon Bernie Nojadera, LCSW
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection, Executive Director
Dcn. Bernie Nojadera has served in the Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection since 2011. Formerly, he served as Director of the Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults with the Diocese of San Jose, California, from 2002-2011. He has a bachelor of arts degree from St. Joseph College, Mountain View, California; a master of social work degree specializing in health and mental health services from San Jose State University; and a master of arts in theology from St. Patrick’s Seminary and University, Menlo Park, California. He has been a member of the San Jose Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the County of Santa Clara Interfaith Clergy Task Force on the Prevention of Elder Abuse, and the County of Santa Clara Task Force on Suicide Prevention. He enjoys offering national/international workshops/training on safe environment/victim accompaniment, safeguarding, HRO (high reliability organization) principles, and topics on leadership and communication. He is married and has two adult children.
Deacon Bernie Nojadera, LCSW
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Br. Ignatius Perkins OP, PhD, RN
Bro. Ignatius Perkins, OP, PhD, RN, a Dominican Friar, serves as Coordinator of the Safeguarding Program, Dominican Friars, Eastern Province and Professor of Nursing in the Department of Nursing at Providence College in Providence, RI. He holds Master’s and Doctoral degrees in nursing and education from the Catholic University of America, Spalding University and Fellowships in the American Academy of Nursing, the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education, the New York Academy of Medicine, the Royal Society of Medicine, and the National Catholic Bioethics Center. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in primary care and clinical bioethics at Georgetown University under the mentorship of Dr. Edmund Pellegrino where he is currently serves as an Affiliated Scholar in the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics. With sixty years’ experience in nursing practice and education, and health care ethics,
he is well published and is known for his advocacy in helping clinicians, vulnerable members of society – the poor, homeless, elderly, victims and survivors of abuse, and the terminally ill, in protecting and defending their dignity, freedom, and human flourishing using Pellegrino’s Healing Relationship Model in research, clinical practice, presentations and publications. A members of several professional organizations in nursing, medicine and health care ethics he is the recipient of many awards and honors, the National League for Nursing presented him with the Presidential Leadership Award in 2021.
Br. Ignatius Perkins OP, PhD, RN
The Dominican Friars
Michael Riley, MSW, MBA, LPC
MHR Advising
Riley began working with children who had experienced physical and sexual abuse in 1992 as a chaplain in a residential treatment center run by Catholic Charities of Fort Worth. This experience led him to abandon theological studies to first pursue pastoral counseling and ultimately to receive a master’s in social work from Boston University. He practiced social work in the juvenile justice system as well as in psychiatric facilities for several years before returning to Catholic Charities in 2001 as Director of the St. Joseph’s Trust – a public health initiative in conjunction with the Diocese of Fort Worth. In 2007, he began working with Praesidium, the leader in sexual abuse prevention where he conducted training, led investigations, and managed site visits with religious and social service agencies all around the world. He maintains a private therapy practice where he sees children and families impacted by physical and sexual abuse, neglect, violence, poverty, and substance use. He specialize in working with children who have experienced abuse as well as with perpetrators of physical and sexual abuse.
In addition to being a licensed professional counselor and a licensed private investigator, he has a master’s in business administration from the University of Texas Arlington and has taught social work practice and policy at the university level.
Michael Riley, MSW, MBA, LPC
MHR Advising
Kiran Rupani, MPH
Kiran Rupani works with a variety of clients to oversee Praesidium’s Accreditation program to ensure organizations have implemented the highest level of standards for consumer protection. Rupani has also worked with Praesidium’s health care clients to ensure patient safety. Prior to her work at Praesidium, Rupani worked in community health improvement to identify and understand health disparities for multiple counties across North Texas. She received her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Texas Christian University and her master’s degree in public health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
Kiran Rupani, MPH
Praesidium
David Shellenberger, RN, BSN
Saint John Vianney Center
David Shellenberger, RN, BSN, serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Saint John Vianney Center. In this role, he works to increase awareness of the Center’s prevention and educational services, as well as its assessment and behavioral health treatment programs.
David served as Chief Operating Officer at SJVC since 2014 and has worked at the center since 2008. Previously, he was the Chief Nursing Officer responsible for all clinical practice and medical care performed by the nursing department. Past positions also included Infection Control and Patient Safety Officer and Director of the Complex Extended Stay Program. David helped develop the weight management and wellness program at the Saint John Vianney Center which assists residents with weight loss and healthy living through diet, education, treatment, and emotional and spiritual support. David also provides workshops for SJVC as part of our outreach services. Topics include Stress Management, Health, Wellness and Weight Management.
He has over 15 years of administrative experience in various health care settings including Beaumont at Bryn Mawr in Bryn Mawr, PA, and HCR Manor Care in Pottstown, PA.
David received his BSN from York College of Pennsylvania and maintains his RN license through the State of Pennsylvania.
David Shellenberger, RN, BSN
Saint John Vianney Center
Amy Jill Strickland, JCL
Amy Strickland is a graduate of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC (M.A., Theology) and St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario (JCL). For more than two decades, she has worked with dioceses and religious communities relative to clergy misconduct issues. This springs from her presence as a canonist in the Archdiocese of Boston at the time of the “Spotlight” series in the Boston Globe, which led her to taking the lead in assisting the Archbishop in working with priests and deacons facing misconduct claims/admissions. Since that time, she has given presentations to groups on the subject throughout North America.
Amy Jill Strickland, JCL
Sponsors
We welcome inquiries from organizations that offer services and programs that meet members’ needs. If you are interested, please send your information, including a link to your website and brief information about the services you provide, to Chris Pierno.
Sponsorship details will be added as they are confirmed!