Background Screening

Florida Law requires background screenings for direct service providers who work with Agency clients to ensure the health and well-being of individuals served.

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) is one of seven state agencies that use "The Clearinghouse" statewide background screening database.  The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to provide a single data source for background screening for state and contract providers, owners, licensees, employees, volunteers, mentors, and interns.

The Clearinghouse allows the results of state and national fingerprint-based criminal history checks on persons qualified as care providers to be shared among specific agencies, thereby reducing duplicative screenings for individuals requiring screening across multiple state agencies.

Per section 435.12, Florida Statutes, APD Providers must register all employees and initiate all criminal history checks through the Clearinghouse prior to sending an individual for fingerprinting to a Livescan Service Provider.

Under section 393.0655, Florida Statutes, all individuals required to be screened must be screened and eligible before they are hired to work in a position that requires a Level 2 background screening.

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 only. The employee may not have direct contact with vulnerable persons until the screening process is completed.