Background Screening
Information For
Contact Information
Valerie Brinkley, Coordinator
Background Screening
Office of the General CounselÂ
Background Screening Unit
doeanetwork@elderaffairs.org
Telephone: (850) 414-2093
FAX: (850) 617-6595Â
(850) 414-2093
(850) 414-2124
(850) 414-2329 (Ombudsman Only)Â
Analyst Available Mon-Fri
8:00am – 5:00pmÂ
Screening Information
Evidence of screening (Eligibility Statement) must be retained in the personnel files for those Direct Service Personnel Candidates screened. Candidate screening may be retained either by the Area on Agencies on Aging, Lead Agencies, Local Services Providers, and Providers that contract directly or indirectly with the Department.Â
A Provider subject to screening by a specified agency must register with the clearinghouse and maintain the employment status of all employees within the clearinghouse. Initial employment status and any changes in status must be reported within 10 business days.Â
All candidates required to be screened must be screened and eligible before they are hired to work in a position that provides direct contact with vulnerable persons. However, an employer may hire an employee to a position that requires background screening before the employee completes the screening process for training and orientation purposes. The employee may not have direct contact with vulnerable persons until the screening process is completed and the employee demonstrates that he or she exhibits no behaviors that warrant the denial or termination of employment.Â
If an employer/provider becomes aware that an employee/contractor has been arrested for a disqualifying offense, the employer/provider must remove the employee/contractor from contact with any vulnerable person that places the employee/contractor in a role that requires background screening until the arrest is resolved in a way that the employer/provider determines that the employee/contractor is still eligible for employment/contracting under this Agency.Â
Level 2 screening records are confidential and may not be shared with anyone other than the individual that was screened. If additional information is needed, DOEA will contact the person screened through non-certified mail, based on the address submitted to FDLE, which will delay the processing of the screening. The employer should contact the person screened if delays exist. Please be advised that it can take between 24 to 72 business hours for the Livescan service vendor to transmit the fingerprints to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).Â
Please note the Background Screening Unit average processing times for reviewing these screenings is 5 to 7 business days once the results are received from FDLE.Â
Who Should be Screened
|
Provider Type |
Employees and Contractors Providing Personal Care/Services |
Employees that have access to client property, funds or living areas |
Volunteer who work less than 20 hours a month, but have a Disqualifying Offense(s), however, are not on either website: Dru Sjodin or the Career Offender |
|
Administrator Adult day care workers/Adult day health care workers Aide AmeriCorps Assessor Case Aide Case Manager Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Child Day Care Worker Chore Worker Coach Companion Counselor Driver Educator/Trainer e-Heap Specialist Escort Executive Administrator Home Health Aide Home Repair Worker Homemaker Installer Intern Legal Assistant Licensed Health Care Professional LPN, RN, ARNP Meal Deliverer Medication Management Counseling Nutrition Educator Ombudsman Outreach Worker Relief SCSEP – Assistant Project Director SCSEP – Employment Specialist SCSEP – Project Director SCSEP – Site Participant SHINE Shopping Aide Sitter Therapist Volunteer |
Level 2Â |
Level 2Â |
Level 2Â |
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Clearinghouse Overview
Welcome to the Department of Elder Affairs (Department) Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) site, dedicated to providing up-to-date Clearinghouse information. Â
The Department is one of seven state agencies that uses the statewide screening database Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse provides a single data source administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for background screening results for persons screened for candidacy as an employee/independent contractor or volunteer that provides service to children, the elderly and disabled individuals. The Clearinghouse allows the results of criminal history checks to be shared among participating agencies, reducing duplication and costs. The Clearinghouse provides numerous benefits to our Area on Agencies on Aging, Lead Agencies, Local Services Providers, and Providers that contract directly or indirectly with the Department. Â
- Department of Elder Affairs,Â
- Agency of Health Care Administration,Â
- Department of Health,
- Department of Children and Families,Â
- Department of Education -Vocational Rehabilitation,Â
- Agency for Person with Disabilities, andÂ
- Department of Juvenile Justice.
As of September 15, 2015, all DOEA providers are required to use the Clearinghouse for level 2 background screening.Â
As of July 1, 2024, all OPPG Contracts/Direct Services Providers are required to register with the Clearinghouse as a Provider. To register, email:Â doeanetwork@elderaffairs.orgÂ
Accessing the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse
Forms
- Applicant Demographic Request Form
- Privacy Policy Acknowledgement
- DOEA – Revised Attestation of Compliance – Applicant – Form 236
- DOEA Background Screening New Created Attestation of Compliance – Relative of Client – Form 237
- DOEA Background Screening Updated Attestation of Compliance – Employer – Form 235
- Attestation of Compliance – Clearinghouse Agency Security Policy Form 238
GuidesÂ
All existing guides have been placed within the Clearinghouse Help tool functions and can be accessed through the https://crw.flclearinghouse.com. 
Videos
All Videos are embedded within the Clearinghouse Help tool function and can be accessed through the https://crw.flclearinghouse.com. 
- Accessing the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse
- Background Screening Clearinghouse: Introduction
- Background Screening Clearinghouse: Individual Profile and Search
- Background Screening Clearinghouse: Initiate a New Screening
- Background Screening Clearinghouse: Add or Edit Employment History
- Background Screening Clearinghouse: Initiate an Agency Review
- Background Screening Clearinghouse: Initiate a Resubmission
- Clearinghouse Renewal in Clearinghouse Results Website V2 03 22 2018
Clearinghouse Portal LoginÂ
Exemption from Disqualification
In accordance with section 435.07, Florida Statutes, persons disqualified from employment may be granted an exemption from disqualification. The granting of an exemption does not change an individual’s criminal history. It only provides eligibility for employment. An individual seeking an exemption must demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that an exemption from disqualification should be granted. The application will be reviewed, and a decision made once all relevant documentation, listed in the Exemption Form Instructions below, has been received. A person is not eligible to apply for an Exemption from Disqualification until:
- At least 3 years have elapsed since the applicant for exemption has completed or been lawfully released from confinement, supervision or nonmonetary condition imposed by the court for all disqualifying felonies;Â
- The applicant for the exemption has completed or been lawfully released from confinement, supervision or nonmonetary condition imposed by the court for all misdemeanors prohibited under any of the statutes cited in this chapter or under similar statutes of other jurisdictions;Â
- The applicant has paid the court-ordered amount in full for any fee, fine, fund, lien, civil judgment, application, cost of prosecution, trust or restitution as part of the judgment and sentence for any disqualifying felony or misdemeanor;
- Persons designated as sexual predators, sexual offenders or career offenders are not eligible for an Exemption from Disqualification
Inquiries regarding an exemption request or a Level 2 should be directed to:
State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs
Background Screening Unit
4040 Esplanade Way, Suite 335U
Tallahassee, FL 32399-7000
FAX (850) 617-6595
(850) 414-2093
For Frequently Asked Questions regarding Exemption Disqualification, please see the link below:
Background Screening – FAQs: Exemption from Disqualification Process