For Immediate Release: Nikki Hittle, Safe Environment Director for the Legionaries of Christ, Earns Certified Praesidium Guardian (CPG) Designation

Committing to the highest standards in sexual abuse prevention Atlanta, GA, June 19, 2023 –the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ announced today that Nikki Hittle has been deemed a Certified Praesidium Guardian (CPG) by Praesidium, a national leader in risk management of sexual abuse of vulnerable populations. Ms. Hittle joins a community of professionals who have demonstrated that they are committed to creating a culture of safety through risk management and best practices in sexual abuse prevention.

The CPG certification was created to recognize individuals who are dedicated to the prevention of sexual abuse of vulnerable populations. To attain certification, Ms. Hittle successfully completed a robust certification process, where she became proficient in best practices in organizational abuse prevention that includes specific steps to prevent incidents of abuse.

Ms. Hittle also demonstrated her knowledge on how to respond effectively if an allegation or incident occurs, and how to ensure that the Legionaries of Christ stay current and consistent in the implementation of abuse prevention best practices.

To become a Certified Praesidium Guardian, Ms. Hittle met requirements in three areas:

• Education – Completed pre-workshop assignment that included six hours of online training
• Experience – Attended an immersive workshop experience, either virtually or in-person, amounting to 20 hours of learning, discussion, and application of abuse risk management skills rooted in Praesidium’s Safety Equation.™
• Knowledge – Completed a post-workshop Impact Project where Ms. Hittle demonstrated her abuse prevention knowledge by putting it into practice in a tangible with the Legionaries of Christ. The Impact Project is specific to each Guardian and their organization and is reviewed by an expert Praesidium Consultant.

Nikki Hittle will be certified for a period of three years, and during this time will continuously work towards creating a safe environment and demonstrating her commitment to protecting those in her care from abuse.

Praesidium and the Legionaries of Christ are proud of Ms. Hittle and her efforts toward enhancing the culture of safety within the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ and for all those they minister to. Her continued work has helped remind the whole of Regnum Christi, staff, friends, and benefactors of our commitment to child abuse prevention and that everyone has the responsibility to protect those in their care. She is an excellent resource for our organization and the surrounding community in sexual abuse prevention.

About the Legionaries of Christ

Driven by the desire of Jesus’ heart to set the world ablaze, the religious priests of the Legionaries of Christ support each other and work in communion with other Regnum Christi members in their mission to form apostles, people who let the love of Christ the King transform their hearts, their families and their world.

The Legionaries of Christ are a Roman Catholic religious congregation of priests and seminarians, and part of the Regnum Christi Federation. They live in communities, and make vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

The formation of a Legionary is a deep and transformative process that spans an average of 14 years, leading up to his priestly ordination. He is formed to be both contemplative and apostolic.

Legionaries go out as missionaries in today’s world. With great charity, joy, and zeal, they invite people into the adventure of living for Christ and transforming the culture around them. Each year they impact thousands of lives through youth work, education, parishes, missions, the sacraments, and spiritual direction.

About Praesidium

Praesidium specializes in preventing sexual abuse in organizations that serve youth and vulnerable adults. Over a period in excess of 30 years, the company has reviewed over 4,000 cases of abuse within organizations to determine the root causes of sexual abuse within organizational settings. Praesidium employs more than 50 staff, including licensed social workers, lawyers, health care researchers, and other experts. The company has served over 5,000 clients with a broad range of products and services to aid organizations in preventing abuse, including online and instructor–led trainings, organizational risk assessments, model policies, and background checks. Having trained more than one million people online and hundreds of thousands in person, Praesidium is the largest and most comprehensive sexual abuse risk management firm globally.

For more information about the Certified Praesidium Guardian program, please visit www.praesidiuminc.com or email pginfo@praesidiuminc.com

Press Inquiries:

Gail Gore
Director of Communications
Email: ggore@arcol.org
Phone: (770) 309-6957