YMCA of the Pines Chief Operating Officer Greg Keresztury has been appointed a Certified Praesidium Guardian (CPG) by a national leader in risk management of sexual abuse in vulnerable populations.
Keresztury will join a prestigious group of professionals at Praesidium to advocate a culture of safety with risk-management practices to prevent sexual abuse. To his credit, Keresztury met the requirements in areas of education and knowledge. He completed an immersive workshop experience amounting to 20 hours of learning discussion and application of the skills rooted in Praesidium’s safety equation.
Keresztury also completed the post-workshop Impact Project, where he demonstrated his abuse prevention knowledge by putting it into practice. The project is specific to each guardian and his or her organization and is reviewed by a Praesidium consultant.
“It’s an honor to complete the training and to take on this responsibility on behalf of YMCA of the Pines,” Keresztury noted.
According to the California-based Child Abuse Prevention and Protection Center, sexual abuse statistics are staggering. One in three girls is sexually abused before the age of 18 and one in five boys is assaulted by the same age. Thirty percent of cases are never reported. And 90% of sexually abused kids know their perpetrator.
Over the last 30 years, Praesidium has reviewed more than 4,000 cases of abuse within organizations to determine the root causes of the crime in those settings. The company employs more than 50 individuals, including licensed social workers; lawyers; health-care researchers; and other experts, according to its website.
YMCA of the Pines CEO Mark Dibble said that with the Praesidium certification, “Greg (Keresztury) will be certified for three years, during which he will work continuously on creating a safe environment and demonstrating his commitment to protecting those in the organization’s care from abuse.
“The CPG certification was created to recognize individuals who are dedicated to the prevention of sexual abuse in vulnerable populations,” Dibble added.
As part of the certification process, Keresztury demonstrated knowledge on how to respond effectively if an allegation or incident occurs, and how to ensure that YMCA of the Pines stays current and consistent in its abuse prevention practices.
“By becoming a Certified Praesidium Guardian,” he remarked, “I take on that responsibility within the organization along with my leadership team and feel more equipped to do so after going through the related training.”
His role, ultimately, is to make sure “that we do what we say we’re going to do,” Keresztury said.
