Background record and reference checks are an opportunity to corroborate the information provided by allied health care candidates, whether in behavioral and mental health or medical healthcare settings. These checks can reveal information mistakenly or intentionally omitted. These reports foster a safe workplace and are a risk management tool that can reduce the chances of making a bad hire. Here are convincing reasons to run a background check and a reference check on your behavioral and mental health staff:
- Provide a safe workplace for employees and patients
- Hire the most qualified people
- Minimize exposure from employee liability
- Encourage honesty in the application process.
- Minimize uncertainty in the hiring process
Why Background Checks and Reference Checks Are Critical
Background checks and reference checks help create a reliable way for you to verify the claims made by job applicants. When the job market is tough, people may be more apt to exaggerate their accomplishments. These checks can help to validate honesty and job competence. Because you are responsible for your employees, patients, and visitors’ safety, these checks are essential. Background checks and reference checks are good for workplace safety and can help you hire allied health care employees intelligently by being more informed.
Common Background Checks for Allied Health Care Professionals
There are a variety of background checks offered for checking the background of employees. A few of the most important checks for those seeking positions in allied health care, whether in behavioral health and mental health or medical healthcare, include the following:
- National criminal search. This search taps databases to locate criminal records on a national level. This criminal search checks millions of records across thousands of databases.
- National sex offender search. This search is a simple but critical part of a mental health care background check. There are more than 500,000 registered sex offenders in the United States. Considering that mental health care practitioners come into regular contact with children and vulnerable adults, the sex offender search on each applicant is essential.
- State and local database searches. These searches are often done in conjunction with state and local regulators, who maintain databases of professionals within the state or local jurisdiction that are certified, licensed, and approved or disqualified from working in the state in their profession.
- Identity verification. These checks ensure that applicants are not misrepresenting who they are. They also guarantee that subsequent background check inquiries are evaluating the correct individual.
- Drug screening. This screening is extremely important in mental health care. Mental health care workers have access to powerful prescription drugs, which means employers must know if an applicant has a substance abuse history. The United States has a serious prescription drug abuse problem, so these screenings for all health care staff members ensure a safe environment for staff and patients alike.
- Employment and education verification. The majority of allied health care jobs require a postsecondary degree or, at a minimum technical training and on-the-job experience. Reference checks by professional supervisors and peers, education, and employment verification allow employers to ensure that their candidate has the correct degree and preparation for the job.
- Federal exclusion search. A federal exclusion search enables you to access a list of mental health care workers prohibited from receiving federal funds. This data is critical for organizations who participate in federally funded programs such as Medicare.
Arbor Associates has a stringent hiring and onboarding process to ensure that your staff and clients work only with qualified, credentialed employees. Our process includes various background and compliance checks to improve the safety of your workplace, your staff, and your clients by holding our field associates to high-quality standards.