Volunteers are an important part of running your summer camps and programs, but are you screening them properly to make sure you’re keeping your community safe? Background Investigation Bureau (BIB) is partnered with the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) to help park and recreation agencies screen better. NRPA members will gain immediate peace of mind knowing that your volunteers and employees are being well-vetted using some of the most powerful and advanced background checks available.
The recommended guideline for comprehensive background screening or background check includes:
- Address Trace
- County Criminal Record Check
- Criminal Record Database
- National Sex Offender Registry
- Timely Results
- Complimentary Consultation
A person should be disqualified and prohibited from serving as a volunteer if that person has been found guilty of the following crimes:
- Sex offenses
- Felonies
- Misdemeanors
BIB can help you implement a safe environment for the volunteer, your staff and your community. It offers a web-based, turnkey platform for screening volunteers. Volunteers enter their own data, removing paper forms from the process. Secure Volunteer manages who has been screened and when, facilitates the approval process, provides a professional-grade screen and supplies approved volunteers with ID cards. NRPA members receive exclusive pricing on BIB’s Secure Volunteer background screenings!
To read the entire Recommended Guidelines for Credentialing Volunteers and to learn more about taking advantage of your NRPA member discount through BIB, visit www.nrpa.org/BIB.
A few things to keep in mind to help prevent risk:
What is your background check costing you? Budgets are already lean, and not all background checks are the same. Selecting background checks based on the lowest cost can lead to a low-quality screen. The best approach is to ask, “Are we getting the best quality screen for a fair price?” Also, NRPA Members receive exclusive pricing on BIB's Secure Volunteer background screenings!
How healthy is your data? Most information received by states is through county records. Ideally, the information would be correct and complete; however, in many cases the records are either missing data or inaccurate. You’ll need to assess what screening methods you are using to get the best data from every state relevant to your applicants.
Are you getting the full story? Inaccuracies in reports can’t provide the detail you need when making a hiring decision or preventing a dangerous person from becoming a volunteer. When records are missing or pertinent information from a record is missing, such as final dispositions, it becomes challenging to make effective hiring decisions. Making sure you’re getting the best data possible from as many sources as possible ensures you’re getting the full story.
What is the turnaround time? While the majority of quality background checks are completed in less than 72 hours, most delays experienced are related to jurisdictions being searched. For example, a court runner is physically going to a court house. While this is a highly effective process, it can lead to longer turnaround times because of court access hours, staff or technology available. It’s important for you to know of any jurisdictions you may be accessing regularly that could drive common delays.
If you’d like more information on how your agency can develop the best background screening methodology visit www.bib.com.
