Basics

• Some staff or volunteer roles require a background check as a part of the application and screening process. You can store background check information on these individuals in MinistryPlatform.
• The Background Checks page is found in the People Lists folder. Ensure only appropriate users have one of the background check or administrator roles to view this information.
• You can enable a default Process so that returned Background Checks can be reviewed and determine if it is approved so an approval email can be sent to a staff member.
• Different Background Check Types ("packages") might exist.
  • If you do not have an integration set up, or you added the Background Check manually from a workflow outside of MP, choose Manual.
  • Be sure to add a value to the "Expiring Soon Days" field on the Background Check Types table to empower volunteer managers using Qualifications and Requirements.
  • The best practice is that only Background Checks should be in the Background Checks table. However, if you have historical non-background "checks" records on this page, set their respective Background Check Type record to Is Background Check = False so that they are ignored by Background Check specific routines.
• The latest Background Check details display on the Participant record for easy searching and view creation, while allowing limited Users to access the actual Background Check page.
• You can remove a Background Check for someone by deleting the Background Check record. This does not affect their Contact or Participant record (other than removing the Background Check information).
  
• Want to combine Background Checks with the power of a fingerprint scan? You can do that! Keep reading for setup tips and tricks.

Integrations

An integration can be set up with the following vendors:

• Active Screening Faith
• Protect My Ministry
• BIS
• Verified First

Integration Notes

• Churches with any of our integrations can use the Background Check Request Tool to send out background check requests. Churches with the Active Screening Faith or Protect My Ministry integration can also leverage the Background Check Request Portal page.
• Background Check results will be returned and updated in their respective Background Check Request records. Checks will come back All Clear as Undefined, then require someone to review the report and set All Clear to Yes or No (unless you integrated with PMM and set up adjudication rules with them).
• If you have the PORTAL DownloadBGCheckReports Config Setting set to True, the completed Background Check will be downloaded and attached to the Background Check record. The completed Background Check can also be accessed via the Report URL.
• If your package includes MVR details, these are not added to the Background Check record but are available in the report linked (see Report URL) in the Background Check record. They can be recorded in a custom field or table manually if desired.
• If your package includes Credit Check details, these are not added to the Background Check record but are available in the report linked (see Report URL) to the Background Check record. They can be recorded in a custom field or table manually if desired.

Video Topics: Working with Background Checks

0:49 - Background Checks and Group Roles
1:28 - View - Background Check Needed 
1:53 - Security Roles Pertaining to Background Checks
2:46 - Ways to Add Background Checks
4:20 - Reports Related to Background Checks

Initial Setup

In order to use Background Checks, a SPoC should ensure a few items are set up properly.

• Provide Security Roles to appropriate users. To do so, go to Administration > Security Roles and add Users in the Users sub-page of the appropriate Security Roles. The following roles come with your instance of MinistryPlatform. You may want to copy and edit them as appropriate for your environment:
  • Administrators: full rights to Background Checks.
  • Full Rights No Stewardship: full rights to Background Checks.
  • Background Checks Full Rights: full rights to Background Checks.
  • Background Checks Read Rights: read-only rights to Background Checks.
  • Staff Quick Add: by default, this Security Role does not include Quick Add rights to Background Checks, but you may wish to enable this feature so that staff can use Quick Add to manually create background check records.
  • Note: If you want to allow users to access the "Background Check Tool" add that tool to the appropriate security role via the "Tools" tab.
• Set your expiration timeframe. For views to calculate correctly, you need to indicate the number of months background checks are valid before a renewal/re-check is needed. To do so, go to Administration > Configuration Settings and update the COMMON MonthsTillBackgroundCheckExpires.
• Indicate which Group Roles require background checks. To do so, go to Church Structure > Group Roles and edit the desired Group Roles to be Background Check Required=True.
• Optional: Set up a background check integration.

Adding Background Checks

Depending on your Security Role, you have two options for manually adding Background Checks:

Option 1: New Record

1. Go to People Lists > Background Checks.
2. Click New.

Option 2: Background Check Request Tool

1. Go to Contacts, Background Checks, or Participants page.
2. Launch the Background Check Request Tool.

In either case, here are the Background Check fields you encounter when adding a Background Check:

The following views are available on the Background Checks page. Note that any view related to expiration calculates based on the expiration time frame indicated by a SPoC in the Initial Setup.

• About to Expire: These background checks are about to expire and there is not a more recent one on file for these individuals.  Their background check is within one month of expiration.* The individuals may or may not still be serving.
• Clear: These background check records were returned without issue or the issue is so minor that the person is still clear to serve.
• Expired Still Serving: These background checks are expired and the individuals are still serving in some capacity.
• Not Clear: These background check records were returned with an issue that disqualifies the person from service.
• Pending: These background checks have not been updated to indicate if the result was clear or not clear.
• Required: About to Expire: These individuals are serving currently in a Group Role that requires a background check. Their background check is within one month of expiration.*
• Required: Expired: These individuals are serving currently in a Group Role that requires a background check. Their background check has expired.
• Required: Valid: These individuals are serving currently in a Group Role that requires a background check. Their background check is still valid.
• Valid Still Serving: These individuals are currently serving in some capacity. Their current Group Roles may or may not require a background check, but this doesn't matter since they do have a valid background check on file.
• Submitted Data Mismatch (Protect My Ministry/Secure Search Integration only): Helps reconcile information from the Background Check to the Contact record.

*One month is the window provided in the standard system view. Your church may have edited the view for a different, custom window.

Background Check Reports

• Selected Background Checks: This report is on over 30 pages in MinistryPlatform. Select individual records on any page where individuals are listed in MinistryPlatform. Launch this report to determine whether those selected individuals have a background check.
• Selected contact reports: There are many reports that are commonly present on MinistryPlatform pages that reflect a direct or indirect link to the Contact record. These include labels, mail merge, directories, phone list and more. These reports are available on the Background Checks page and can be used with a selection of Background Check records.
• Selected Contact Group Involvement: This report is available from over 30 pages. It can list every Group in which a selected person is currently participating.  The Group record under that person's name on the report is color coded if a background check is required for the role they are performing in the Group. There is a filter to locate individuals who serve in a background check required role and even those whose background check has expired.

Background Check Renewals

At this time automation is not set up to renew background checks; however, there are several Views listed above that can assist in the facilitation of renewals. Use the Views to locate individuals who need checks, and then use the Background Check Request Tool to invite them to fill out the form, just like you would for an initial Background Check. 

Live Scan

Live Scan provides another option for obtaining a background check. While there is no Live Scan integration, you can track Live Scan checks in the Platform. Here's how:

• Add a new Background Check Type:
  1. Lookup Values > Background Check Types.
  2. Tap the "+" symbol to add a new Background Check Type.
  3. Add at least the following information:
     
     • Background Check Type: Live Scan.
     • Description: A note about the Live Scan service you're using.
     • Months Til Expires: Set this to a large number so the Live Scan does not show as "Expired" on Qualifications and Compliance views. We recommend something like 9999.
  4. Save.
• Manually add each Live Scan with the Background Check Type of "Live Scan":
  1. Contacts > Background Checks.
  2. Tap the "+" symbol to add a new Background Check.
  3. Add the information you received from the Live Scan.
  4. Select "Live Scan" as the Background Check Type.
  5. Save.

Important State-Specific Requirements

California
California customers cannot use Statewide Criminal background checks without County. You must use a county-aware background check.

Georgia
Effective 3/26/2019, the Georgia Crime Information Center has updated its requirements for consent forms that are required to process Georgia Statewide searches such that the phrase “Criminal Background Check” must be included on the release. If your church performs background checks on residents of Georgia, please make sure to update your BackgroundCheck_Terms.htm file accordingly.