Kiwanis Staff Training Administering your Clubs’ Background Screening Process

Welcome and Introduction Welcome to the Background Screening Training session. In this session you will be familiarized with the background screening process. At the end of the session you will be able to 1) Submit your chapter’s screening application. 2) Disseminate, collect, and submit, and ultimately destroy the screening consent forms. 3) Sign in to your online account to retrieve the screening results. The background screening process is a highly sensitive, private, and confidential process. The person in charge of administering this process MUST 1) Take the duties of this position very seriously. 2) Safeguard the information collected on the consent forms and the results that are returned via the on line program. 3) Agree to adhere to all of the state and federal regulations regarding the sensitive, private, and confidential nature of the process. 4) Commit to a high level of confidentiality and integrity with regard to the performance of their duties.

 October 2009 Background Screening and Security Solutions, LLC, provides its first of 4 presentations requested by Kiwanis at the Wesleyan College Conference.  The presentation focused on the responsibilities of Kiwanis in protecting its children, volunteers, and reputation.  Kiwanis requests the development of a tailored background screening program for the state of Georgia.  February Board Meeting voted for sub-committee to recommend a program for your vote at May 2010 meeting.  Sub-Committee met on April 14,  Members: Debbie Brilling, Bob Pinckney, Clay Snellings were appointed as committee members.  Working with Carl Diaz and Janice Walters-Taylor of Background Screening and Security Solutions, LLC, the Program was designed, developed, and tested over the next 6 months  Program Design and Processes were finalized and sanctioned by the Committee for launch October 1. Board Appointed Committee: A History of Development

Kiwanis requirements of screening company  Establish guidelines to maintain the security of the applicant information.  Applications are faxed to a secure fax-to-encrypted program.  Paper copies of consent forms are returned to applicants.  Consent copies at the screening company stored electronically in protected RAID storage.  Company is SAS-70 compliant (Industry Standard for Data Security.)  Ensure screening practices meet established requirements as they apply to persons working and volunteering with children.  Establish consistency of screening practice and standards.  Limit the need for persons to undergo multiple or duplicate screening processes by having applications already on file for the three year re-screening requirement. Responsibilities in establishing a secure program

 66% of American nonprofits have background screening programs  78% have specialized screening programs for volunteers  A recent audit of background screenings found more than 189,000 individuals with at least 1 criminal conviction had tried to volunteer or work for a non-profit  More than 2,700 of those were registered sex offenders  UNPLEASANT STATISTICS  1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys have been subjected to some form of sexual abuse by age 18.  In the U.S a child is abused every 13 seconds.  Estimated 60 million survivors of sexual abuse in the United States – today!  46% of child molesters are non-family members who are known by their victims.  42% of current offenders have a prior criminal history with a past conviction for violent crime. A National Survey of Nonprofit Volunteer Screening Practices found:

All new members to a Kiwanis Club. Any club member who works with children. Club Designate will have Fax number and address to order report from Screening Company. Screening Company keeps the report details. The District Committee would receive an exception report. Any “NO” result is reported to District Committee A Pre-Adverse Action letter is sent to the Member, along with a copy of their report and a copy of the FTC guidelines. The applicant can then contact Screening Company to discuss content of the report confidentially. If still a No,- Adverse Action Letter is sent. Who will be screened and how?

What does “working with children” mean?  Any event where children under the age of 18 are present, and not within 1000’ of any event where children are present.  GA District of Kiwanis will align its policy with the following Georgia Sex Offender Law as it applies to events or places where children are present.  Georgia Sex Offender Law states:  No sex offender may live, work, or loiter within 1,000 feet of any school, childcare facility, school bus stop, or place where minors congregate.

Screening Parameters What is Being Review Convictions that Cause Ineligibility for Membership Conviction(s) within the past ten years A criminal history background that would cause a member to be ineligible for Membership would include, but not be limited to, a felony or misdemeanor conviction that is not of physical nature or involving moral turpitude. See Appendix 1. B. Conviction(s) with no time limit A criminal history background that would cause a member to be ineligible for Membership would include, but not be limited to, conviction at any time of: a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude; a felony conviction or registration of a physical nature; or a felony related to larceny or theft. See Appendix 2. Note 1: Any conviction legally reversed or overturned by the proper authorities shall not be considered when evaluating the background check. Note 2: Appendix 1 and 2 do not contain or constitute the full breadth of convictions.

Provide your information and authorization for a screening. See sample consent form at (Sample consent form also contained on next slide) Note – information is protected by the Privacy Act and the Federal Credit Reporting Act. Designated chapter screening representative will be held to all applicable state and federal privacy practices for the safeguarding of applicant screening requests and results. The designated party (district committee) will receive the results of the research. Cost is $5.00 per report and will be billed directly to the club, and may or may not be requested for reimbursement by members. It’s a Simple Process

Topic One – Setting Up Your Club For Background Screening - Submitting your Clubs’ Application - Select a Screening Coordinator to process your applications for your club. The background screening agreement is available at Print application, complete page 1 and Appendix B. Fax those two pages only to or After you have submitted your application and you have been notified that it has been received, a Consent and Authorization Form will be sent to you for printing and distribution as well as a user name and password in order to access the results website. Call if you have questions.

Topic Two – Handling and Submitting the Consent Forms Once your application has been submitted and you have received your confirmation, you are free to print the Consent form from Print the necessary number of copies for dissemination to your Kiwanis Chapter. Screening Candidates need to complete ALL blocks and sign the top part of the application. Screening coordinator needs to collect the form(s), sign and date the bottom of each, and forward the form(s) to BSASSLLC by fax to or Application should be retained in a secure location until the final screening results are received and the consent forms have been reconciled against the monthly invoice for services. The application should then be returned to the applicant or destroyed.

Topic Two – Retrieving Results from BSASS LLC website Type the following web address in the URL block of your browser: Sign in with the user name and password that was provided to you when you signed up for the screening services. From the home page click on the link for last 30 days. Make sure that the selection on the right hand side of the screen says Meets Requirements View – hit GO. There will be three options in the Meets Requirements. 1) Yes – Applicant has pass the screening process. 2) Review – The Board Appointed Committee is reviewing the application. 3) No – with Comments FINAL - The Board Appointed Committee has rejected the application. When you have verified that the applicant has one of the three statuses above you are assured that the application is in process. The application should be retained until the monthly invoice has been received, reconciled, and the application should then be returned to the applicant or destroyed.

Topic Three – Billing and Account Payment Procedures At the end of each month your chapter will receive, via based on the information received in your application, an invoice for all of the screenings performed in that month. The invoice should be reconciled against the screening applications for the month, and then application consent form should then be destroyed. The invoice is due upon receipt and should be submitted for processing and payment at the earliest opportunity. It is the decision of each individual club to absorb the fees or collect from the members for the screenings. Please make your checks: Payable to Background Screening & Security Solutions, LLC And mail to Post Office Box 2285, Blairsville GA Address any questions to the following: Telephone: Fax:

Appendix 1 Appendix 1: Possession of Contraband Disorderly conduct (F) Domestic violence Drug or paraphernalia DUI – three (3) or more incidents (Habitual Violator) Extortion Forgery/repeated insufficient funds check-writing Lewdness and indecent exposure Misdemeanor drug or paraphernalia Misdemeanor of a concealed weapon Prostitution Resisting arrest with violence Exhibiting weapons or firearms at school events, property or Within 1,000 feet of a school Trespassing (F) Vehicular homicide Welfare and unemployment fraud Identity theft Forgery

Appendix 2 Abuse, aggravated abuse, or neglect of an elderly person or disabled adult Adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation of aged persons or disabled adults Aggravated assault Aggravated battery Arson Battery Carjacking Child abuse, aggravated child abuse, or neglect of a child Contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child Driving while under the influence of alcohol – After three (3) or more incidents (After having been declared a Habitual Violator) Exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult False imprisonment Home-invasion robbery Incest Kidnapping Leading, taking, enticing or removing a minor beyond the state limits or concealing the location of a minor with criminal intent pending dependency proceedings or proceedings concerning alleged abuse or neglect of a minor Luring or enticing a child Manslaughter, aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult, or aggravated manslaughter of a child Homicide Obscenity (as defined in O.C.G.A § to §16– ) Possessing an electric weapon or device, destructive device, or other weapon at a school-sponsored event or on school property Robbery (Strong Arm or Armed) Sexual activity with or solicitation of a child by a person in familial or custodial authority Sexual battery Sexual misconduct Unlawful sexual activity Voyeurism Battery, if the victim of the offense was a minor Concealed weapon Coordinating the commission of theft in excess of $500 Dealing in stolen property Larceny and grand larceny