Reason for doing, to cover ministry neglect: Each worker should be screened both paid and volunteer. Before you proceed with the process you should have each individual that is to be screened sign a background and criminal check release form. We have suggestions for this on our site under the Sexual Misconduct Safeguard Strategies page. If you have questions on this, please contact us. 

For your protection and the protection of your workers, we are suggesting that all paid employees and people who as volunteers in the course of their ministry work are inclined to work with people one on one, are screened--preferably a national screening. If your organization prefers to go further, as some have, that is your preference as an organization. If you have questions on this, please feel free to contact us.

Please remember accusations can be more damaging to your ministry leave many in pain.

Here are today's cultural sobering statistics for accusations of
sexual misconduct regarding religious organizational risks:
1. 25% of Children with each other age 18 and under.
   Your organization is at risk for neglect of the proper
   adult/child supervision ratio. The proper ratio is
   one to twenty, with a minimum of two people supervising, ages 19
   or older.
2. 10% of Volunteer workers. Your organization is at risk
   for neglect of background and criminal checks.
3. 65% of Paid staff, of which 38% are clergy. Your
   organization is at risk for the neglect of background and
   criminal checks. 

Doing background checks and screening workers using ScreenNow from ChoicePoint offers public record and identification information to assist employers in conducting background checks on potential employees and volunteers. With ScreenNow, an online service offered by ChoicePoint, GuideOne clients can register new accounts, order products, conduct background checks, and receive reports in minutes. We recommend doing National background checks as opposed to state ones, since they are usually more complete. This is a best efforts procedure as there are none that can say they are 100 % fool proof. At best doing this procedure shows the court, should an issue present itself that you did your best effort to cover the neglect of not properly checking individuals out before placing them into a ministry leadership position.

To set up a ScreenNow account:  Go to the website at www.ScreenNow.com. Once there, GuideOne policyholders can complete the ScreenNow Subscriber Application and Service Agreement by clicking the Sign Up Now words in the middle, on the  ScreenNow home page. Click here to view the setup page https://www.employment.screennow.com/cgi-bin/public/pub_subscriber_application  Please note that you only need to fill in items that are noted in RED. You should available your ministry 501c3 number, or a scanned or ability to fax a copy of your articles of organization, and a credit card. The $175 setup fee has been paid by GuideOne; they also are providing a discounted rate for each background screening applied for.

The discount code:  GuideOne clients will need to enter the discount Promotion code in the first box (call us for code). Once you have submitted the application with the Promotion code, you will receive an e-mail response for some within forty-eight hours or for most up to 7 to 10 days, some may take longer.  The returned email from ScreenNow will give you an account number, user ID, and password to begin using the ScreenNow online services.

For best results:  We strongly recommend that the person doing the background checks for your ministry do a practice one on themselves after they have completed the setup so that they are able to better know what happens and are able to answer possible questions that may arise concerning the procedure. 

The results you will get: When a submission for a background is submitted a response is usually returned in seconds on your computer screen for review of any known criminal activity.  This can be printed off but we recommend for privacy liability reasons that you do not print it off. The response can be viewed for up to 30 days then it is achived and can be retrieved as needed at no charge by hitting the achieve button and entering identifying data for the individual in question. 

For ScreenNow assistance for GuideOne Clients: The toll-free number is: (866) 277-8003.

It is very important to understand  that safeguards are critical today as noted also in I Thess. 5:22: Abstain from all appearance of evil. (KJV) This is the very best advise for your ministry risk management as noted in God's word.

last updated 04/03/07