Background Screenings for Program Staff | Division of Licensing and Background Checks

Program Staff Screenings

In the interest of professionalism, public trust and safety for families and individuals, Utah code requires that all persons associated with a licensed facility (owner, director, governing body, employee, agent, provider, contractor or volunteer) who has or will have direct access to children and/or vulnerable adults must pass a criminal background screening. Until the Office of Licensing has approved the screening, an applicant shall have no direct access to a child or vulnerable adult.

DACS

We have transtioned to DACS (Direct Access Clearance System), a completely online background screening system. Training materials and other information related to DACS can be found here.

Click here to access DACS.

Process & Instructions for New Screenings

Application

As a new employee of a DHS licensed agency or DHS contracted agency your background screening process will be fully automated in the Direct Access Clearance System (DACS). Each agency is responsible to identify a minimum of two “Background Screening Agents” to be responsible for training and completing all of the agency’s background screening applications in DACS, payments, and all communications with OL regarding background screenings.

Each employee will meet with an authorized agency screening agent to complete their online background clearance application. This meeting requires the screening agent to verify the applicant’s identification and enter information contained on the identification into DACS.
- If there are criminal or abuse/neglect history items to disclose, you are asked to do so in either an uploaded document via your screening agent or if you choose not to share details with them, you may submit directly to OL at cbsunit@utah.gov, please be sure to place the DACS application number and your name and dob on your email or we will not know whose application to link the disclosure to.
Screening agent will submit payment for the online application processing. This payment authorizes a subscription to the FBI’s “Rap Back” System which continually monitors all fingerprint based criminal records in real time.
- If the applicant already has a RapBack subscription in DACS, the system will allow the screening agent to link to that application without paying new fees.
Screening agent will require a disclosure form to be signed and uploaded into DACS in order for OL to conduct continual monitoring of the RapBack criminal database and all regional and state databases as statutorily required for that applicant’s employment or affiliation with a licensee.
DACS will generate a fingerprint authorization form, which will be printed by the screening agent and provided to the applicant to take to the live scan fingerprinting location (list of locations may additionally generated through DACS as needed). This form must be presented to the live scan agent AFTER DACS application is submitted in order for the prints to be linked to the applicant in DACS. Live scan operator will sign and return a copy of the form to be uploaded into DACS by the screening agent.
- Only agencies with OL administrative approval and a documented exception to live scan fingerprinting will be allowed to submit hard card prints rolled at a public safety office.

Monitoring/New Charges

OL will process this original clearance and continually monitor this clearance unless the screening agent separates that employee due to termination of their employment with the agency. No renewals will be required for as long as the applicant is actively employed in a licensed DHS or DHS contracted agency. No hard copies of clearances will be required of programs, as all clearance information will be maintained in the DACS program. Each screening agent has permissions to link a cleared application to as many sites under that licensed organization as will be applicable for that applicant. OL staff will check site rosters for ongoing screening compliance.
In the event that a new fingerprint based criminal offense is detected, OL will be alerted and will change the employment status to “supervised only” until the disposition is achieved. OL Rule R501-14 outlines how OL makes employment determinations.
- Charges will be fairly assessed by the Office of Licensing as described in state law
- A licensed program shall not be provided the details of any applicant’s screenings nor can they disclose screening results except as authorized by Utah or federal law
Prints will remain active for 60 days to allow for re-employment in a licensed setting. After 60 days if not linked to another licensed setting, the RapBack subscription will be closed and a new DACS application will be necessary to re-open for employment in a DHS licensed agency.

Timeframe

Questions

You can find more information on background screenings in Administrative Rule R501-14, State Law 62A-2-120, and DACS tutorials and training materials for screening agents.

Please direct inquiries about fingerprinting, Utah criminal records (including expungement or correction procedures) to:

Utah Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI)

(801) 965-4445

3888 West 5400 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-8280

www.publicsafety.utah.gov

Request a Status Update

Screening applications typically take three weeks to process. However, if your application has been submitted for longer than three weeks, you can request a status update by emailing cbsunit@utah.gov.

Request a Conditional Approval

You may be eligible to request a conditional clearance per R501-14-7-2 if:

You do not reside in a foster home; and
You have been under review with the Office of Licensing for more than 10 business days

The following information is required in order to request a conditional approval:

Your full name
The last 4 digits of your social security number, and;
The date the application was submitted to the Office

If you meet the above criteria, you may request a conditional approval here.