The Catholic Standard and Times

National Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention Month

Child and youth protection office gets first director

By CHRISTIE L. CHICOINE
CS&T Staff Writer

Cardinal Justin Rigali has appointed Karen K. Becker, 49, as the first director of the Archdiocese’s Office for Child and Youth Protection.

Becker was most recently the director of Family Services for Catholic Social Services (CSS) of the Philadelphia Archdiocese. She has worked for CSS for 27 years.

Becker has served as a part-time coordinator of the archdiocesan Victims’ Assistance Program since it was established in June 2002.

“I am most pleased to appoint Ms. Becker to this newly created position,” Cardinal Justin Rigali said. “She has demonstrated dedication to the Church and professionalism in doing work that is extremely important.

“I recognize the need to evaluate how we help those who have suffered sexual abuse when they were minors and to strengthen our programs.

“Because of the depth of Ms. Becker’s social services background and her commitment to caring for those who need help, I am confident that she will find ways to enhance our existing services for victims of sexual abuse as well as our prevention programs.”

Becker’s appointment became effective Monday, April 10. Taking the reins as director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection this month was most appropriate, as April has been designated by the U.S. Congress as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Becker’s successor as director of Family Services for CSS will be announced at a later date.

“I feel very proud of the confidence placed in me,” Becker said of her new appointment. “I’m hopeful and anxious because I know how important it is to the Archdiocese to reach out to victims.

“I’m happy to do the work,” she added. “It’s important work. I’m looking forward to being able to do the work full-time. The establishment of the position is, indeed, a sign that Cardinal Rigali has placed a high priority on the prevention of child abuse and sexual assault in our facilities, in our parishes, by our clergy and others who work with and for us,” Becker added.
In her new position, she will oversee both the Archdiocese’s Safe Environment and the Victims’ Assistance programs. She will also work in tandem with the Archdiocesan Review Board, and with Mary Achilles, who is the Victims’ Advocate for the Archdiocese.

“I am excited about Karen’s appointment as the new director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection,” Achilles said. “Her appointment says to me that the Archdiocese is seeking to place more emphasis on outreach to victims and on prevention efforts.”

Achilles was hired as Victims’ Advocate for the Archdiocese this past January by Cardinal Rigali. Her job includes enhancing existing services and finding new ways to reach out to victims of clergy sexual abuse. Prior to her appointment as Victims’ Advocate for the Archdiocese, Achilles served for 10 years as the first Victim Advocate for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
An office for victims’ assistance was created by the Archdiocese nearly four years ago, as the first point of contact for those making reports of sexual abuse of minors.

The Archdiocesan Review Board was established in October the same year to function as a confidential consultative body to the Archbishop, advising his office in the assessment of allegations of abuse against priests or other employees of the Archdiocese, as well as their suitability for ministry as result of such charges, and reviewing archdiocesan policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

“They all are related,” Becker said of the work of the various programs and the review board.

In her work for the Archdiocese, Becker has had numerous opportunities to work with families, older adults and young people — work that will be helpful in her new role.

“Provision of services to victims of abuse are going to be offered in a way that, we hope, engages them, their families and their loved ones in a way that fosters healing,” she said.

Becker said two priorities of her office are: “to continue to build on preventions and safe environment programs, and to provide comprehensive services to victims — making more attempts to reach out to victims we [either] haven’t heard from or haven’t heard a lot from — and striving to provide as caring and open a process as possible.”

To help meet those goals, she envisions increasing the number of her staff members in order to provide increased assistance and services to victims.
Prevention and healing are at the heart of all aspects of the work, according to Becker.

A wife and mother of three children, ages 21, 18 and 17, Becker holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work.

She began her 27-year-career with the Archdiocese as a caseworker in CSS.
“I feel like I’ve grown up at Catholic Social Services,” she said. “The work at Catholic Social Services means a great deal to me. It will always mean a great deal to me. I’ve always been very, very proud to be associated with it.”
But Becker isn’t going far away. Her new office will also be in the Archdiocesan Office Center. The work in her new post will keep her in close connection with Catholic Social Services, she added.

“I want very much for victims to feel as though they can call. I’m really committed also to making sure that the laity, and people who work tirelessly in our parishes, feel like they have the support … to do the work that they need to do.

“I’m honored to be asked, and also awed by the responsibility, and prayerfully feeling, ‘Yes, I can do the job.’”

For more information, contact Karen K. Becker, director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection, at (215) 587-3880, or (888) 800-8780.

CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine can be reached at (215) 587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.