Background check

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work degree at SKC are required to submit a state and federal background check prior to full acceptance into the Social Work Program. Successful applicants will be accepted provisionally until the background check has been completed. Background checks are required by most agencies where students complete their internship and find employment after graduation. Students who have not completed the process will not be placed for internship during their senior year of studies and thus will not be able to complete the program.

Criminal history and Child Protective Services background that may prevent a student from gaining employment in the field of social work and complete the Social Work Program studies include, but are not limited to the following:

• Criminal convictions that involve harming a child in any way, including physical and sexual assault.
• Criminal conviction of causing bodily injury to a family member, partner, or other.
• Criminal convictions that involve child endangerment.
• Criminal convictions that involve the death of a child.
• Child Protective Services history that includes substantiation of any type of child abuse and/or neglect.
• Felony convictions involving illegal drug production, manufacture, or distribution.
• Felony convictions that are less than five years old.
• Evidence of criminal activity and/or convictions during the time of enrollment in the BSW Program.
• Knowingly withholding information of prior criminal convictions.

Procedure

• Upon provisional acceptance into the Social Work Program, the fingerprinting card and instructions will be mailed to successful applicants. If a previously accepted student has not completed the process or the Criminal Records and Identification Services rejected the original submission, he/she must obtain the fingerprinting card at the Social Work Department office.
• Complete the fingerprinting process. Local tribal and county law enforcement offices provide this service free of charge. Also, SKC may provide this service during the registration. Please check with the Admissions Office for days and times the fingerprinting is offered at SKC.
• Return the completed fingerprinting card to the Social Work Department Field Education Director on the day of registration.
• The department will submit the card(s) to the Criminal Records and Identification Services in Helena.
• A one-time charge of $34 for the background check will appear on your SKC bill.
• If you have a background check, including state and federal, that is less than a year old AND the agency that requested the check will share the results with SKC, a copy of the results may be sent directly to: Department Chair, Social Work Department, Salish Kootenai College, P.O. Box 70, Pablo, MT 59855.
• Another background check is required if the previous one is more than 2 years old prior to the time of internship placement.

Policy for use

• After receipt of the background check, every application will be reviewed individually and approved by the following guidelines:
• If the student has no record for both the state and federal check, the Field Education Director and Social Work Department Chair approve the candidate for full acceptance into the Social Work Program.
• If a report is returned indicating criminal record, the Social Work Department Chair will assemble a panel to review the report. Considerations of all offenses will include severity, frequency, and how recently the offense occurred.
• Questionable offenses more than one year old require clearance from both the Field Education Director and Social Work Department Chair. Approval may require a meeting with the candidate. Depending on the offense, the candidate may be required to meet with the Academic Vice President, and may be denied acceptance into the program.
• Questionable offenses less than one year old require a meeting with the Field Education Director, Social Work Department Chair, and the candidate. This may include offenses that come to the attention of the Social Work Department through means other than the background check. An example would be a court report in the newspaper showing an offense occurred after the background check was submitted. The candidate may be required to postpone internship placement until one calendar year has passed without further offenses, or may be denied placement. If the student is allowed to reapply for placement, the candidate will be required to submit a new background check not more than 45 days before the placement is to begin.
• After the internship has started, any candidate may be removed from their assignment if an offense occurs during the quarter in which they are enrolled. As a minimum, candidates are required to report offenses to the Social Work Department Chair. The Field Education Director and Social Work Department Chair will determine the need for a meeting to discuss the circumstances of the offense.
• If a recommendation is made to disallow a student to continue in the Social Work Program, appeal may be presented to the Salish Kootenai College Academic Vice President for final evaluation. In addition, the Field Education Director and Social Work Department Chair may request the Academic Vice President to review any case.
• Storage and use of background checks:

Background checks are kept in the Social Work Department Office in a file separate from the rest of a candidate’s educational records. These checks are shared only according to the conditions of the Consent/Release Form, by written request of the candidate, or in accordance with an appropriate legal request. The candidate acknowledges and gives approval for SKC to share the results of the background check with any agency where the candidate may be placed as part of their program of study. If the candidate wishes the background check to be shared outside of these conditions, they must make a written request stating the name and address of the party to whom they want the background information sent. Candidates may view their background check by making arrangements with the Social Work Department Field Education Director.

Other behavioral expectations