Levels of screening
Organizations providing care or services to children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities should adopt a screening policy. The three-part decisionmaking model discussed later in this report is a useful guide for organizations in developing such a policy.
Issues appropriate for a screening policy include:
- Statements on minimum required screening standards.
Guidelines on when more extensive screening practices should be used.
Provisional hiring policies.
Guidelines on how to assess background screening information once it is received.
Maintenance and dissemination of background screening records.
Standards for working with vulnerable populations.
Applicants should be advised of the organization's screening policy. Reviewing this policy annually -- and as new information on available mechanisms arises -- is also appropriate.
All applicants who are seeking a position to work or volunteer with children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities should be screened at a basic level. Basic screening includes:
- A comprehensive application form with a signed statement.
A thorough personal interview that examines an applicant's past employment or volunteer experience and explores other indicators of potential problem behavior.
Reference checks with past employers (or appropriate reference checks for volunteers and young adults) and personal contacts.
Each applicant's references should be checked completely. In addition, a confirmation of education status may be appropriate.
Additional screening practices may also be warranted. Thorough consideration of all relevant factors will assist an organization in determining whether additional screening is warranted for some or all of its workers. The decisionmaking model can guide organizations in making this determination. Organizations using additional screening mechanisms (e.g., personality or psychological testing, criminal records checks) are advised to do so in conjunction with basic screening practices and with a full understanding of the limitations of each of the screening practices used.
Results of screening
Once screening information is received, it is important to have strategies for dealing with the information, especially when the screening process has yielded questions about the applicant. An organization's strategies for dealing with screening results should be set forth clearly in written policies.
To the extent possible, the hiring or placement of an applicant should be delayed until the screening process is completed. If this is not possible, the applicant, pending completion of the screening process, should be restricted to supervised situations or situations in which one other worker is present. The applicant should never be alone with vulnerable individuals. In addition, the organization is advised to retain the right to terminate the worker or volunteer if the screening yields adverse information or reveals that incorrect information was provided by the applicant. As a minimum standard, automatic disqualification of a potential worker or volunteer is appropriate when the screening results indicate that the individual, as an adult, perpetrated any crime involving a child or a dependent adult, regardless of how long ago the incident occurred, or any violent crime within the past 10 years.
It is recommended that disqualification for all other crimes and/or questionable behavior be discretionary, with incidents evaluated on the basis of consultation with appropriate professionals and the following factors:
- The relationship between the incident and the type of employment or service that the applicant will provide.
The applicant's employment or volunteer history before and after the incident.
The applicant's efforts and success at rehabilitation.
The likelihood that the incident would prevent the applicant from performing his or her responsibilities in a manner consistent with the safety and welfare of the consumers served by the agency.
The circumstances and/or factors indicating the incident is likely to be repeated.
The nature, severity, number, and consequences of the incidents disclosed.
The circumstances surrounding each incident, including contributing societal or environmental conditions.
The age of the individual at the time of the incident.
The amount of time elapsed since the incident occurred.
| OJJDP Summary: Guidelines for the Screening of Persons Working with Children, the Elderly, and Individuals with Disabilities in Need of Support, April 1998 |