Clarification of Background Checks Issue

[Gianni Truzzi]

SCNers:

I have been asked to clarify the Board's position about "background
checks."

The Board has NOT instituted a policy to begin background checks on
volunteers. We have discussed the issue, although not in depth, and a
policy has not yet been formally proposed.

The top priority that came out of our retreat last winter was that we
need to "invest in our volunteers." To that end, we have tried to shape
up our volunteer management program, to make it more organized and
provide our volunteers and committees with better support. Our aim is to
make the SCN volunteer experience satisfying, rewarding and safe.

By "background check," we mean requesting a report of public arrest
record from the Washington State Patrol, a service which we are led to
believe is free to non-profits, and requires the consent of the person
being checked. This is reasonable and prudent, and all diligent
volunteer operations do it.  A "positive" result would not necessarily
preclude a volunteer from service, but it would depend on the
circumstances.

This measure would be taken not just to protect the people we serve, but
it is for the benefit of all of our volunteers. I'm sure that most of us
that give our time would like to feel that at least minimal measures
have been done to protect our safety, that the person working alongside
us does not have a record of assault or is not a registered sex
offender.

This would certainly go into effect for all newly recruited volunteers.
It is not clear at this point what we would require of currently active
volunteers. You can be sure that all Board members would submit to the
same process.

Being more organized means keeping better records. To place a  volunteer
we need to track what a volunteer's skills are, their experience within
SCN, and keep tabs on their contentment. That requires that we keep a
file on every volunteer.

Unfortunately, we may also need to discipline or dismiss a volunteer.
That means that we need to also record problems, and warnings given.

Such a record would be "confidential" in that it would not be public,
but access would be limited to the volunteer manager(s) and the Board.
While a policy has not been formed, I anticipate that each volunteer
would be permitted to view his/her own file, and to include corrections
or rebuttals.

I hope this clarifies our intent. A policy has not been established, but
it is being discussed. Our interest is in ensuring that the SCN
volunteer experience is a positive one.

-- Gianni Truzzi
President, SCNA



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