Programs

Background and Drug Screens - Affiliation Agreements

College wide policies for Background Check and Drug Screening must meet contractual requirements for each internship or clinical facility site (I/CFS) affiliation agreement. The affiliation agreement dictates the screening criteria needed. Students applying for internships or clinical facility site rotations must be notified in writing that they will be subject to background checks and drug screening. In the written document, students must sign that they understand if screening "information of concern" is found, they will not be allowed to commence their internship or clinical facility site rotation. Appeals must be submitted to the Dean. Departments will inform students that payment for screening is the students' responsibility. Pre-intern or clinical facility site rotation students will be given a department account number and directed to the website for CertifiedBackground.com. In summary, type and criteria of screenings are mandated by I/CFS affiliation agreements.

Results will be reported to the Associate Dean. The Dean and/or Associate Dean will report to department heads or their designee that screening results did or did not include information of concern. If information of concern exists, the department head notifies the student that they are not eligible to commence their internship or clinical facility site rotation until it is resolved following department policy. Appeals are submitted to the Dean.

• Background Check Procedures include the following. The department notifies the student that background checks for their intended internship or clinical facility site requires criteria as listed in the affiliation agreement. The student is directed to the website for CertifiedBackground.com and told that they must pay for the background check. All results will be available for the Associate Dean via CertifiedBackground.com website. The Dean and/or Associate Dean will inform the department head if information of concern exists. If information of concern exists, the student will not be allowed to commence their internship or clinical facility site rotation until it is resolved following department policy. Appeals are submitted to the Dean.
   
• Drug Screen Procedures include the following. The department notifies the student that a drug screen, at the student's expense, must be completed to meet I/CFS affiliation agreement criteria. Students are directed to the CertifiedBackground.com. web site. They are told that they must pay for the ten panel drug screen. All results will be available for the Associate Dean via CertifiedBackground.com website. The Dean and/or Associate Dean will inform the department head that there was or was not a positive finding. If a positive finding exists, the student will not be allowed to commence their internship or clinical facility site rotation until it is resolved following department policy. Appeals are submitted to the Dean.
   
• Confidentiality includes the following. During application to the professional programs or HLST practica, students will sign a waiver giving permission for their background and drug screen results to be sent to the COHS Dean/Associate Dean.

Records will be archived by CertifiedBackground.com. The Associate Dean will have access to electronic results. Hardcopy printing of results by the Associate Dean is available but not anticipated routinely. Records will be maintained in pursuant to ULM's record retention policy.