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Administrators: how to get yourself trained and screened

Summary

In Safe Pathways, being an administrator and being a screened, trained volunteer are two separate things, on purpose. Your administrator account lets you run Safe Pathways for your church. It does not, on its own, make you a screened and trained volunteer. If you also serve in a ministry role, you complete training and screening through your own volunteer account, the same as anyone else. This article explains why, and how to set yourself up.

Who this is for

  • Church Administrators who also serve in a ministry role
  • Anyone setting up screening for an administrator who serves

Before you begin

Your administrator account is created under Settings, on the Administrators tab. That account is what lets you manage your church: assign pathways, review references, order Police Checks, and run reports.

Serving as a volunteer is a different role, so Safe Pathways keeps it on a separate account. There are good reasons for this. The two roles are different hats, and the same person does not always wear both. Some churches appoint a volunteer as an administrator only for a season, for example to handle the influx of summer camp volunteers, and that person is a serving volunteer first and an administrator second. Keeping the accounts separate keeps each person’s screening record accurate to the role they actually serve in.

So if you serve in any ministry role, being an administrator is not enough. You also need a volunteer account, and you complete training and screening through it.

The two accounts can share one email address, because email is only how Safe Pathways notifies you. They are told apart by username, so you will have one username for your administrator account and a different one for your volunteer account. [VERIFY: confirm the exact sign-in behaviour when both accounts share an email address, so the article can state precisely how you choose which account you are signing in to.]

Steps to get yourself trained and screened

1. Confirm you have an administrator account

Your administrator account is added under Settings, on the Administrators tab. If you are reading this from inside Safe Pathways as an administrator, you already have one. For more on administrator accounts and roles, see Admin team.

2. Check whether you already have a volunteer record

Open Community and search for your name. If you appear there as a volunteer, you already have a volunteer record and can skip to step 4. [VERIFY: confirm whether being added as an administrator also creates a volunteer record, or whether the two are always separate, so this step can tell the reader exactly what to expect.]

3. Add yourself as a volunteer when you assign a pathway

If you do not have a volunteer record, you create one through the Assign Pathways screen. Go to Assign Pathways. If your name appears in the list, select it. If it does not, choose Add Person Manually and enter your name and email. You can use the same email you use as an administrator; it is only how you are notified. Your volunteer username will be different from your administrator username. For the full assigning flow, see Assigning Pathways.

4. Assign yourself a pathway

Choose the pathway that matches the role you serve in. The Intro pathway is included automatically, so you do not need to add it separately.

5. Complete your training and screening like any volunteer

Sign in with your volunteer account and work through it the same way every volunteer does: complete your pathway, sign your church’s policy, add your references, and complete your Police Check. The volunteer guides walk through each part: Videos and Quizzes: how training works, How to: Add your references, and Screening status: what Pending means.

What happens next

Once you finish, your volunteer account shows as trained and screened, and moves toward Authorized Adult status the same as any volunteer. From then on you keep two logins: your administrator account for running your church’s account, and your volunteer account for your own training and screening. Both can use the same email for notifications.

Frequently asked questions

Why can’t my administrator account just count as trained and screened?

  • Being an administrator and serving as a volunteer are different roles. Not every administrator serves, and some volunteers become administrators only for a season. Keeping the accounts separate keeps each person’s screening record accurate to the role they serve in.

Can I use the same email for both accounts?

  • Yes. Email is only how Safe Pathways notifies you. Your two accounts are told apart by username, not by email.

Which username do I sign in with?

  • Use your administrator username to administer your church, and your volunteer username to complete your own training and screening. [VERIFY: confirm exact behaviour when both share an email.]

Will I be billed for my own volunteer account?

  • A Volunteer Account is used when a pathway is assigned, so assigning a pathway to yourself counts the same as assigning one to any volunteer. See Billing and Volunteer Accounts. [VERIFY: confirm this is the intended billing behaviour for an administrator who is also a volunteer.]

I was appointed administrator just for the summer. What happens to my volunteer training?

  • Your volunteer account and its training history stay with you, whether or not you currently hold an administrator account.

Notes

  • An administrator account and a volunteer account are separate by design.
  • If you serve in a ministry role, you need a volunteer account in addition to your administrator account.
  • The two accounts can share one email; they are distinguished by username.
  • You create your volunteer account through the Assign Pathways screen, then complete training and screening like any volunteer.

Last reviewed

June 16, 2026