Jeff Hohlen serves as the Safe Environment Director and Victim Assistance Coordinator for the Diocese of Lincoln. Raised on a small farm in Juniata, Neb., as a Missouri Synod Lutheran, Jeff attended a parochial school and came to Lincoln in 1987 to walk-on for the Cornhusker football team. He is a married father of seven. The Register asked him to share information about his work for the diocese.
In 2018, in the wake of the Ted McCarrick scandal and other instances that came to light, things looked pretty dire for the Catholic Church. Is that what you thought?
Absolutely not. This type of abuse is not specific to the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, it is in every facet of society. Sexual abuse, or other forms of abuse against our children, and adults, is absolutely real.
Sometimes that is difficult for people to accept, but abuse has happened in the Lincoln Diocese. That’s what makes Safe Environment work so important. With your help, through watching and learning from the safe environment training videos, and completing the background checks, we are trying, as a loving and caring unit, to prevent any kind of harm to our children, and to adults. If issues of concern or reports of improper behavior of adults – or children – are not brought forward, the problems can’t be addressed.
When did you start working for the Diocese of Lincoln, and what experience did you bring to the position?
I started as Victim Assistance and Safe Environment Coordinator for the Diocese of Lincoln in January of 2019. Prior to this, I worked for 14 years for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Police Department, and one year with the Dean of Students office at UNL.
As a Sergeant in Special Services, I conducted both criminal investigations and threat assessments. I was responsible for training UNL faculty, staff and students, and I provided consultation to other universities in the development of threat assessment programs, and for specific threat or risk assessment cases.
I have extensive experience in creating safe environments and communicating with victims of abuse and exploitation.
What are your main duties now as Safe Environment Director?
My main objective is to make sure the children of the Diocese of Lincoln have a safe and nurturing environment in which to learn. This is achieved by everyone who has contact with our youth completing the safe environment training and background check.
How does training accomplish safety?
Through this, I know that most people will have the knowledge of the diocese’s expectations for proper interaction with our youth. They will also have the courage and strength to report anything that raises a suspicion or concern. Bringing concerns to light is how problems are investigated. Abuse can be ended, or even prevented, if improper interactions are reported.
How has the training gone over with people?
Most people have been extremely understanding of the steps we take as a diocese to make sure our children are as safe as possible. They understand that through this training, the diocese is trying to express that any type of mistreatment to our youth will not be tolerated by anyone. The transparency of my communication to anyone who contacts my office supports this.
If anyone has any questions about the process, they can contact me.
Tell us about being Victim Assistance Coordinator. What does that look like?
My role as the Victim Assistance Coordinator is to provide support to anyone who has experienced abuse. This support is completely confidential. I am here to listen, and to provide you with the tools to walk through healing . I can also refer people for counseling, if needed.
The diocese has been in partnership with the Archdiocese of Omaha and the Diocese of Grand Island in providing retreats for those who have experienced any kind of abuse. These are to set up a base understanding of how to continue moving forward through abuse, with the help of retreat staff, and God's love.
What progress has been made, and what do we still have to improve?
Priests, clergy, teachers, staff, and volunteers are reporting concerning behavior so that issues can be addressed and stopped. The only way to stop abuse is by communication. Without open and timely communication, abuse to our children and youth can’t be stopped.
We, as a diocesan community, have to understand exactly what appropriate interaction with our youth is; there are adults who still don’t understand this. If there is any confusion, please contact me, an administrator of the school, or priests of the parish, and they will help explain what the diocese’s expectations are.
Also, while we prefer timely reporting so we can stop problems as soon as possible, I want people to know, if any abuse happened in your past, please, still come forward.
What do you wish people knew about your work?
Always, always, always err on the side of caution, and on the side of our youth, and report any kind of concerns you may have on the website, on the hotline, to school or parish administrators, or to myself. It is OK to communicate legitimate concerns. Each and every report to this office will be investigated to make sure everyone is safe. Remember that abuse can take on many forms: physical, sexual, and mental abuse.
This type of abuse also happens with our adults, so please know that everyone deserves to be safe—students, priests, teachers, staff and parents.
I want everyone to know that my passion is keeping everyone safe and free from abuse. Anyone who has suffered abuse knows that it is devastating and life-changing. So please, help me in my mission to prevent this from happening, by understanding how to interact with youth and to report anything that raises suspicion or concern.
