Background Screening

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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). 

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.