Background Checks

Substantial Contact is used to refer to volunteer activities where the adult works in direct contact with youth on a regular and ongoing basis as a part of the ministry, or in which there is a potential for contact with youth outside the sight or hearing of other responsible adults. 

No.  Background checks conducted by any other organization, including the federal government, do not satisfy the background check requirements of the Policy.  Background checks are not able to be shared between organizations and we must conduct our own to ensure that everyone with contact to children has a record free of concerns.

Generally, you will receive the forms from your parish, school or other diocesan organization's liaison to the Office of Child Protection.  The liaison can also assist you with instructions on how to ensure the forms are filled out correctly, including helping you locate a notary public which is required for one document.  Copies of most forms are also available for download here.  Upon completion of the forms, they should be returned to the liaison of your parish, school or diocesan organization.  If you do not know who your liaison is, you can review a list of parishes and schools and their current liaison here @Linkliaison.

Background check forms and information must be shared with investigating agencies to conduct the research of the background check.  Forms are mailed to the Virginia State Police, the FBI and the Virginia Department of Social Services.  Additionally, information is shared with Southeastern Security Consultants, Inc. for a comprehensive court records search. The results of background checks are received by the Office for the Protection of Children/Young People.  The information is retained and viewable only by staff members as designated by the bishop.  Great care is taken to ensure the protection of the private information of each applicant for employment or volunteer service during each phase of the background check.  Documents containing sensitive information are destroyed by shredding by diocesan staff at the end of the process.

Any conviction of an applicant for a "barrier crime," as defined statutorily by the Commonwealth of Virginia, or any founded case of child abuse/neglect as reported by the Virginia Department of Social Services.  Any additional criminal history data, or other derogatory information recovered by the background check process will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but would not generally result in disqualification.

No.  All volunteers with substantial contact with children must complete the background check process, but being eligible for hire in the United States is not a condition of our background check process.