dan and bridget guerrero wednesday, january 28, 2015
TRANSCRIPT
Onboarding Volunteers:
A Balancing ActDan and Bridget Guerrero
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Introductions
Speaker introductionsYou!Logistics
Opening Exercise Analyzing your organization’s needs The process
◦ Application◦ Orientation / Personal Interviews◦ Database checks (background, credit, license, etc)◦ Reference checks
Teen volunteers Volunteers violating policy while supporting
your organization
Agenda
You are the Volunteer Manager for a small, nonprofit nursing care center for the elderly and disabled. You don’t have policies (other than an informal interview) for bringing in volunteers. One day, Jeff, 30, stops in to ask about volunteering. You
block him into the schedule as he seems to be a great guy. Over the next 2 months, 2 residents fearfully confide in you
that Jeff has threatened them when they confronted him about taking their loose cash/change from their rooms.
Jeff’s had a ‘reasonable’ answer each time. Yesterday, a resident’s son brought in a copy of the
resident’s credit card bill, showing charges for Apple products totaling $1,000.00, made from the facility (when Jeff was on volunteer duty two weeks earlier). ◦ The son stated the resident was fearful of Jeff, and afraid
to tell staff she thought Jeff made the charges.
Exercise
**Note: Most states require checkson programs they regulate.
It is estimated that 2.1 million older Americans are victims of abuse each year and approximately 80-90% of those cases go unreported.
With your table mates, spend 5 minutes discussing what youwould have done over the previous 2 months, and what you should do now.
You will have an opportunity to share with the larger seminar.
Disruption at facility with police investigation
Potentially expensive lawsuit(s) against the organization
Emotionally distressed patients Loss of trust by patients and their families Loss of other volunteers / potential
volunteers PR problem for facility and it’s affiliates
What was the impact of not screening this volunteer?
We all need a plan!
What are your current, written policies on screening volunteers?
Are the policies multi-dimensional? Do these adequately support your needs?
◦ Vols drive clients? Motor vehicle registration checks◦ Vols formally teach or train? Professional license
verification◦ Access to your financial records? Credit checks◦ Working with vulnerable population? Criminal history
checks Who sets the requirements for your volunteers?
Analyzing Your Organization’s Needs
CCS
policy
What’s Required Adult Program Children and Youth Programs **
Family Programs
Completed Application x x xReferences x (2) x (3) x (3)WSP Criminal Registry Check (WATCH)
x x x
National Sex Offender Registry Check (www.nsopr.gov or www.familywatchdog.us)
x x
Employee and Volunteer Disclosure Statement
x x x
HIPAA for Volunteers x x xSexual Abuse Prevention Flyer
x x x
Volunteer Service Agreement
x x x
Volunteer Job Description x x x
Volunteer Registration
Essential Documents Quick Reference Matrix
Individual Volunteers
Volunteers with unsupervised access to youth may have even more requirements- ex. FBI fingerprint (National CriminalHistory Check)
Free text answerblocks are great
Are the responsesappropriate?
Intent YTP Examples:
◦ “I love watching kids” guy
◦ - “Loose cannon”
Application
- Excerpt from YTP’s online volunteer application
The interview will give you a sense of the applicant’s personality, living environment, hobbies, preferences and strengths.
Trust your intuition. Both verbal and non-verbal communication will be helpful in determining a possible match or the appropriateness of the potential volunteer.
Rushing through this interview is a disservice to the organization, the volunteer and the quality of the match.
Find interview techniques at:https://www.energizeinc.com/art/guidelines-using-questions-conversation
Question- How does cultural competency play a part in this process?
Orientation / Personal Interview
Understand the profiles of those who may pursue volunteer opportunities for the wrong reasons:◦ Anyone seeking personal gain (for the wrong
reasons)◦ Those seeking entry to vulnerable populations
they wouldn’t otherwise have access to:◦ Sexual predators◦ Those who violate elderly◦ Those who violate challenged populations
Know the signs:
National criminal history database check (NCIC)◦ Fingerprint based
State or County criminal background check◦ Washington State Patrol (WSP)
Commercial background checks◦ Cannot search FBI’s NCIC◦ “Open Source” checks◦ Responses may vary from provider to provider
Types of Criminal History Checks
Criminal records originate at the local level and are “reported up” to the state periodically
There is no ‘perfect’ check◦ Offenders can have records expunged◦ Offenders often use aliases◦ Offenders will frequently move from state to state◦ Federal crimes are not registered in county or state
databases◦ Juvenile offenses are often sealed
https://www.privacyrights.org/volunteer-background-checks-without-giving-up-privacy
Criminal History Checks
1. Does your organization use the Washington State Patrol’s WATCH database to perform criminal history checks?
2. Does your organization contract with a proprietary background check company? If so, please share.
3. Has your organization migrated from one type of check to another? Why? Observations?
Quick Survey
Sex offender registry◦ County sheriffs forward offender register up to
Washington Assn of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs ◦ You can search by name for offenders◦ Sex offenders are in the registry for life
If an offender moves and does not report to the county sheriff in which they reside, public records/databases will not be updated.◦ Approximately 30% of offenders are absconders◦ 3 Levels- Though Level I offenders are characterized
as unlikely to offend again, your organization needs to discuss your threshold.
Sex Offender Checks
National and Local
NSOPW.GOVSearch by name all 50 statesUpdated by jurisdiction at different rates
WA Assn of Sheriffs & P. Chiefswww.icrimewatch.netSearch for offenders by name/addressUpdated dailyInfo fed to NSOPW
Sex offenses Felonies involving violence All felonies other than violence or sex within
the last 10 years Misdemeanor offenses involving violence Misdemeanor drug or alcohol offenses
within 5 years Any other misdemeanor within 5 years that
would be considered a potential danger to children
CCS Recommended criteria for exclusion
Your organization should consider creating policy on:◦ Volunteers who serve for many years- experts
recommend 2-5 year recheck◦ Volunteers who leave and return (ex. CCS policy):
If they’ve been away >6 months: no requirement 6 mo – 2 yrs: new background <2 years: new orientation, one reference and new
background check
Frequency of checks
Question for audience- Who has a built in feature in their volunteer database that alerts you to conduct a new background check?
Sharing opportunity
CCS solicits in writing & follows up with phone checks.
Telephone conversations allow more flexibility:◦ Listen for nervousness◦ Tone of voice◦ Hesitation
(CCS Reference Check handout)
Reference Checks
Running third-party background checks on minors falls under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), just as they would for any other applicant or employee; therefore, careful understanding of the nature of a minor’s consent is necessary for nonprofits to be protected.
Under the law, minors cannot approve consent as they cannot enter legally binding agreements
Maturity is lacking in understanding the obligations of a legal contract
Your organization should require parental or legal guardian’s consent to any checks
Teen volunteers
Majority of juvenile criminal records are sealed until 18
Credit checks unavailable for those >18 Can do motor vehicle checks, employment
and education verification checks So, increase vigilance in those checks you
can confirm
Limitations on teen checks
Volunteers have rights, too
Your organization should have a policy on providing volunteers copies of derogatory findings that arise during onboarding
Are you safeguarding personal / confidential findings?
What’s your privacy and data security policy?◦ CCS YTP removed the requirement for individuals
to provide SSNs
Volunteers have rights, too
Some volunteers are well intentioned, but not performing well, or not a great fit for the role
For those volunteers, follow the “5 Re” plan:◦ Re-enforce◦ Reassign◦ Re-train◦ Re-vitalize◦ Refer◦ Retire
The “Bad Fit” volunteer
Be swift, but deliberate◦ Though uncommon, individuals will sue nonprofits
Have a policy in place:◦ Ask the volunteer not to come to the nonprofit until the
case has been evaluated◦ Investigate the facts◦ Document the findings◦ Meet the volunteer-
Be specific Don’t negotiate Send follow up letter (may include positive thanks, but will also
communicate termination)◦ Communicate the removal to other staff members, while
maintaining confidentiality (where needed) Notify law enforcement
Removing a Volunteer who Commits a Serious Violation
Refusing a potential volunteer or firing a volunteer can be very unpleasant
In living with the “Mission First” concept, you can always make the right decisions. We always focus on the “safety and best interest of our xxxxx” ◦ Where “XXXXX” are your children, your clients,
your animals, etc
Mission first
Why does your organization need to screen volunteers?◦ To improve program quality and safety◦ To comply with legal requirements◦ To better match volunteers◦ To reduce risk / limit liability
We have a moral, legal and ethical responsibilities to our clients- have a sound plan
Using a “comprehensive” approach to onboarding volunteers is critical
Wrap up
https://www.privacyrights.org/volunteer-background-checks-without-giving-up-privacy
http://volunteer.ca/content/screening-10-steps
http://www.praesidiuminc.com/backgroundcheck/nine_things_you_need_to_know_about_background_checks.pdf
https://www.energizeinc.com/how_tos_volunteer_management/screening
Electronic Resources
