Background Checks - Individual Providers

Who is the information intended for?

This information is intended for Consumer Direct Care Washington (CDWA), who will be running WA State background checks and National FBI fingerprint checks on their workers.  As of May 31, 2022, all individual providers transitioned to CDWA as the legal employer responsible for various administrative services for IPs, including background checks.  A potential IPs background check must be completed, and a fingerprint appointment scheduled (when applicable), before working with eligible Medicaid clients.

Acronyms or other definitions

• Applicant:The long-term care worker that completes the Background Check Authorization form.  
• BCCU: The Background Check Central Unit processes background checks for DSHS programs.
• BCS: The automated Background Check System used by the CDWA to submit checks and receive results.
• Long Term Care Worker: include all persons who provide paid, hands-on personal care services for the elderly or persons with disabilities.

Requirements

Applicants are required to pass a background check and have a fingerprint appointment scheduled (when applicable), prior to having unsupervised access to eligible Medicaid clients. A National FBI fingerprint background check must be completed within 120-days of when an applicant begins providing care to a vulnerable adult.  Applicants must also complete the Washington State name and date of birth background check every two years and anytime CDWA requires the applicant or IP to complete a background check, including a fingerprint check.

Online Background Check Authorization form (BAF)

Instruct the applicant to complete the online BAF using Google Chrome:  https://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/bcs/

• For applicants who cannot access the online BAF or need the BAF in another language they may complete a paper BAF. The applicant will complete and sign the paper form and give it back to CDWA to enter the applicant’s information into the BCS. 

Resource: BCS Online Authorization Form Guide - Instructions for applicants using the online Background Check Authorization form.  Applicants do not need a SAW account to complete the online form.

Obtain the Applicant’s Confirmation Code

Instruct the applicant to provide CDWA’s email address, cdwabackgroundcheck@consumerdirectcare.com,  when completing the online BAF so that their confirmation code will be emailed directly to CDWA.  Remind the applicant to also WRITE DOWN THEIR CONFIRMATION CODE!  They may also save/print the confirmation code, email it to the CDWA at cdwabackgroundcheck@consumerdirectcare.com, and email it to themselves. These options will be presented to the applicant on the online BAF before they exit.

The applicant may provide their confirmation code to the CDWA by: phone (866-214-9899), email cdwabackgroundcheck@consumerdirectcare.com, or in person. This is the only way CDWA can retrieve the completed BAF to submit it to BCCU. The applicant cannot obtain their confirmation code after exiting from the online form.

Resources for CDWA staff:

• Logging into BCS Using Secure Access Washington (SAW) - Instructions on how to log into your BCS account for the first time
• BCS Entity User Guide - Instructions on how to submit background checks, check the status and review the results

Get Applicant Results

CDWA will retrieve the applicant’s BAF by entering the applicant’s date of birth and confirmation code into BCS. Once retrieved, review the BAF and submit it to BCCU using BCS. Select fingerprint check if new hire and as needed (this includes both the Washington State name and date of birth check and the fingerprint check).

Obtain the results of the check in the BCS. The status of the submitted check will be available to CDWA in the working grid in BCS. Once the check is completed, CDWA can access the results in BCS.

Provide Applicant a Copy of Results 

CDWA must notify the applicant of the background check results and notify the applicant that they may have a copy of their results and criminal history record information that CDWA has access to. The applicant may also receive a copy of their results from BCCU by submitting an Applicant Request for a Copy of Background Check Information Form and emailing it to BCCU at bccuinquiry@dshs.wa.gov.

The applicant should KEEP THESE RESULTS IN A SAFE PLACE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

The applicant should review their results and verify the information is correct.

If the applicant believes any information is incorrect, they may contact BCCU at (360) 902-0299, bccuinquiry@dshs.wa.gov, or the agency that reported the information directly.

• WA State Patrol (360) 534-2000
• Department of Corrections (360) 725-8888
• Department of Health (360) 236-4700
• WA Courts- Contact the court that made the decision.

Sometimes the applicant will be able to provide written information to BCCU via an affidavit to clarify a self-disclosure or to send information from the courts or another entity to clarify or correct results. Please contact BCCU if you have questions.

If BCCU receives updated or corrected information, they may issue a corrected or updated Background Check Result. The updated result will be available in BCS to CDWA.

CDWA will review the applicant’s results and determine if the applicant can have unsupervised access to Medicaid clients. If CDWA decides to hire the applicant to work with Medicaid clients, they can be hired for a 120-day provisional hire period pending fingerprint results as long as the applicant passed the WA State check and has a fingerprint appointment scheduled.

Fingerprint Information

After reviewing the Interim (Washington State Name and Date of Birth), CDWA will determine if the applicant is able to move forward with the fingerprinting process and will provide the applicant with the fingerprint appointment and fingerprint notification forms printed out of BCS.

The applicant should make a fingerprint appointment RIGHT AWAY. The applicant must bring their fingerprint appointment form and valid picture ID to the nearest IdentoGO site for fingerprinting.

Applicants have the option of using law enforcement to complete fingerprints instead of using DSHS's fingerprint contractor, IdentoGO. Instructions on Submitting Fingerprint Hard Cards to BCCU. There may be a cost associated with this option.

Once the applicant’s fingerprints have been taken, they are sent to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). CDWA will receive a copy of the results in BCS when the process is completed. Check the status in the working grid in BCS for the status of the fingerprint results.

Based on the information in the Background Check Result you receive for the applicant, you must determine whether they are qualified, disqualified, or require a Character, Competence and Suitability review.

The law prohibits BCCU from including FBI criminal history results (RAP sheets) to non-governmental entities. To complete a Character Competence, and Suitability review when you receive a Review required result letter, the CDWA may request the RAP sheet from the LTC worker. If a LTC worker does not wish to share FBI results, you may not have enough information to hire them to work with Medicaid clients.

Send the applicant a copy of their results, if requested. The applicant will receive a copy of their results from BCCU, unless it in an Interim Result Letter or they have a No-Record letter. The applicant should KEEP THESE RESULTS IN A SAFE PLACE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

Fingerprint Rejects

The WSP may reject fingerprints for several reasons. They will notify BCCU and BCCU will notify CDWA (via BCS) when WSP or FBI rejects the applicant’s fingerprints.

If an applicant’s fingerprints are rejected, they should schedule an appointment for reprinting with fingerprint vendor, IdentoGO, RIGHT AWAY.

Note: WSP may reject fingerprints multiple times before they determine that they have the best prints they can get.

The applicant can go to the WSP office in Olympia to be printed and they will not reject fingerprints they take in-house.

Once prints are accepted by WSP, they will submit the best fingerprints to the FBI.

The FBI may reject fingerprints two times before they decide that they can only do a national name and date of birth check.

Resources

Visit the Background Check Central Unit website for any of the following information:

• Access to BCS
• Link to online Background Check Authorization form
• Training materials for BCS
• Turnaround times
• Request a copy of your background check

List of Disqualifying Convictions and Pending Charges WAC 388-113-0020