Background Screening FAQ
To ensure the safety and well being of all participants at Great River Greening events, we require Volunteer Supervisors to go through a criminal background screening.
To help you through this process, see our Frequently Asked Questions below:
How do I create a background check?
Great River Greening will invite you via e-mail to create an account with Verified Volunteers and complete a background screening application. If you cannot complete the form yourself online, Verified Volunteers has the option of completing an Authorization to Obtain Volunteer Background Report form and Great River Greening will file your form for you (see resources at the bottom of this page).You will be notified when your background check is complete as well as if you have any ‘negative’ results that may impact your involvement as a Volunteer Supervisor. You also have the option of receiving a paper copy of your background check. Click here to watch a video for more information on how to complete a Verified Volunteers background check.
Which volunteers are required to have their background screened?
All Volunteer Supervisors, both recurring and new to the team, are required to complete background screening, as they may be placed in a position to be left alone with youth or other vulnerable populations.
What is the cost?
The total cost to for each individual background check is $17. Great River Greening will cover this fee by default, however since GRG is a non-profit organization and this background screening protocol is not funded by an external grant, we ask that Volunteer Supervisors contribute what they can. This will help support this beneficial protocol for the incredibly important Volunteer Supervisor team and keep the program thriving. Upon completion of your online background screening application, you will have the opportunity to write in any amount you wish to contribute, up to the total cost of the background check.
Who sees the results? Who sees the information?
A select few Great River Greening staff can review information in results; the primary manager is the Volunteer Events Manager, secondary manager is the Community Outreach Coordinator. Unless you have Great River Greening order your background check on your behalf (using an Authorization to Obtain Volunteer Background Report form), Great River Greening does not have access to your raw information (address, past names, etc.).
Why has GRG added background screening?
Great River Greening’s Volunteer Supervisor Team has had no known issues in this realm of liability or concerns of volunteer conduct. We’ve chosen to begin the process of background screening all Volunteer Supervisors in 2019 because it showcases another reason for our partners and other volunteers to trust Great River Greening and you, our kind and knowledgeable Volunteer Supervisors.Background screening volunteers and staff who have the potential to work unsupervised with vulnerable populations (like youth, the elderly, adults with disabilities, etc.) is a common best practice in the educational and volunteer realm. In the past, we’ve had multiple requests from partners that all volunteers and staff participating in a specific event be background checked. We’ve even gone so far as to use the one-time background screening of a partner organization in order to hold an event.After implementing this protocol, the pool of schools and youth groups that participate in our Field Learning for Teens program and public events will widen and feel safer and supported when working with GRG volunteers and staff.
I’ve already done this recently with another group. Do I have to do it again?
Potentially. If you have completed the same background check with another organization as is required by Great River Greening AND it was completed through the same company as GRG uses (Verified Volunteers/Sterling Solutions), then you may not have to have another check completed. Otherwise, yes, a new background check will be required. See: Verified Volunteers Fast Pass.
What would constitute as a disqualification?
Something ‘negative’ coming up in a record does not necessarily mean a volunteer cannot volunteer with Great River Greening. A volunteer will always be given the opportunity to dispute the record with the record holder prior to any formal decision being made.
However, a prospective Volunteer Supervisor will be automatically disqualified if they have been convicted of, plead guilty to, has deferred adjudication for, or has plead no contest to one of the following crimes under the laws of any State within the United States, the United States or any nation:
– crimes against children
– felony offenses against persons
– felony offenses against the family
– crimes defined as public indecency
– crimes using weapons
– arson
– any violent crime or felony drug-related offense other than those identified below
– classification as a Registered Sex Offender
– residing on the same premises as a Registered Sex Offender
The decision whether to allow participation shall be within the exclusive and absolute control of Great River Greening for first offense DWI, DUI, or possession of a controlled substance under two ounces, and crimes against property (theft, fraud, embezzlement, forgery, etc.). The date of disposition, severity, and final disposition will be some of the factors considered in making a determination. For all other criminal offenses (except traffic violations classified as petty misdemeanors), Great River Greening will review the applicant’s situation on a case-by-case basis.
If a current Volunteer Supervisor is charged with a disqualifying criminal offense, involvement with Great River Greening as a Volunteer Supervisor will be temporarily suspended pending disposition of the case.
When do I need to complete it by?
A cleared background check will be required to participate as a Volunteer Supervisor starting April 1, 2020.
How frequently do I need to do this screening?
For all Volunteer Supervisors with continuous volunteer service, background screenings need to be completed once every two years. If there is a break in volunteer service longer than this, a new background check should be performed once service is renewed.
How long will it take to get my results?
The results should be sent to you within 48 hours. Great River Greening will only reach out to you directly if there are potentially disqualifying results to be discussed.
What is involved with the screening?
Great River Greening is working with Verified Volunteers (under Sterling Talent Solutions). Verified Volunteers will collect and store all data associated with the background screenings – GRG will not store any data internally. Data collected: Full name, social security number, date of birth, contact information, and current address. For further privacy information, see the Verified Volunteers and Great River Greening privacy policies under the Resources section below.
What is searched? Social Security Trace, Nationwide Criminal Database Search with primary source validation, Department of Justice National Sex Offender Registry (Dru Sjodin/NSOPW), Government Sanctions/Watch List (OFAC), current county/state of residence, and Nationwide Database Search.
What do I do if I find something wrong in my record?
Contact Verified Volunteers within 10 days of receiving your background check. They will then put you in contact with the necessary agency that the discrepancy came from, and from there you can work with the agency to contest the results. It will be your responsibility to challenge the report received from the agency and to arrange for any corrections, if necessary.