State Required Clearances
The following forms are live links, please follow the link to each page to complete online, read additional information, or print paper forms. Conference request that you stay up to date on all your state required clearances and please send a copy of each to the Harvest Conference Office as well as keeping one for your own records. Letters will be sent out 1-2 times a year from the Harvest Conference Office to inform you of what clearances you may need or that may be expiring. If you have any questions concerning clearances please email Jennifer at jenhimelsbaugh@yahoo.com.
Pennsylvania Required Clearances
Clearances are required for any employee or unpaid volunteer at a minimum of every 60 months (5 years) from the date of the oldest clearance. Clearances may be required more frequently based on licensure or employer requirements.
The required clearances include:
• Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance;
• Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check; and
• Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Criminal History Background Check
(required for all employees and some volunteers) When completing fingerprints you will be asked to provide a code, for paid employees use 1KG756; for unpaid volunteers use 1KG6ZJ.
For unpaid volunteers who have lived in Pa for 10 or more years a waiver maybe signed in place of getting the FBI fingerprints.
That form is available here: VOLUNTEER REQUEST FOR WAIVER
Staff/Volunteers members in contact with children must also complete a Mandated Reporter training:
https://www.socialwork.pitt.edu/researchtraining/child-welfare-programs/act-31-line-training/
Ohio Required Clearances
All that is required is a background check, state level if you have lived in Ohio more than 5 years or FBI if less than 5 years. Clearances can be obtained through the following resources:
Child Abuse and Neglect histories can be obtained through https://jfs.ohio.gov/ocf/childprotectiveservices.stm
FBI Fingerprinting & Criminal background check can be done through the Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation (BCI&I): Part of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, BCI&I offers WebCheck®, an Internet-based system for civilian background checks.
BCI&I charges $22 and $24 per transaction to perform a WebCheck; however, some participating agencies and vendors also offering WebCheck may charge additional fees for the services.
Visit http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Business/Services-for-Business/WebCheck for more details on Ohio’s WebCheck system or to set up an appointment to be fingerprinted.
In Ohio all clergy and volunteers working with children are still mandated reporters but certification is not required, if you would still like to have your certification or require those under you too anyway please use the following link. We have also created a form that we ask you to read over and have all clergy and volunteers sign off on to acknowledge their understanding that they are mandated reports.
Acknowledgement of Mandated Reporting Ohio
Staff/Volunteers members in contact with children must also complete a Mandated Reporter training:
https://www.socialwork.pitt.edu/researchtraining/child-welfare-programs/act-31-line-training/
West Virginia Required Clearances
To schedule a check for the State of WV you will need to follow the link to Idemia/Identogo https://uenroll.identogo.com/workflows/228QQN.
Once you are there, you can choose the “Schedule or Manage Appointment” option and follow the instructions for pre-enrolling/scheduling the applicant. This will result in a WV State Background check.
You need a FBI Background check as well, so you will have to add it to your services when you arrive at the fingerprinting location on the day of your appointment.
To perform a Protective Services check, you will need to fill out the information on the attached form. If at any time you need to check on the status, please call 304.558.7980.
When calling you need to refer to the Protective Services check. If you mention a background check you will be sent to WVCARES.
In addition to that the Conference ask all the Pastors to complete this 3hr training:
https://www.socialwork.pitt.edu/researchtraining/child-welfare-programs/act-31-line-training
Following the training please sign the acknowledgement and send us a copy of the certificate and acknowledge. Please note that you must have copies at the Conference office as well as at your church!