Screening

2 replies [Last post]
Fri, 07/16/2010 - 09:22
gesing5
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Joined: 06/10/2009

WE have a potential mentor who does not want to give us his social security number. He did fill it out for the FBI fingerprint b/c we mail that out and do not keep it in house. In addition to the FBI fingerprint screening we conduct a internet baised screen on our mentors at their match anniversary every year to satisfy our funders.
Has anyone had instances where a potential mentor was leary or refused to give thier social security number? And what did you do in those instances?

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Tue, 07/20/2010 - 09:09
#1
Michael Garringer
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Joined: 03/31/2009
Re: Screening

Unfortunately, this is one of those instances where a policy can draw a hard line that costs you a volunteer. I assume that one of the pieces of information a volunteer is required to give to participate in your program is their SSN. This is no different than any other piece of information. (Although you hear a lot of conspiracy-minded people lamenting the fact that the SSN has become a default tracking number for Americans, something it was never intended to do and a practice that has questionable legality -- the number really is supposed to be used for only one purpose and that's contributing and withdrawing funds from the SS system.)

You may want to assure this person about the fidelity of your record keeping. They may have been the victim of identity theft or something Assure them that no one will see that information except for the record check and that it will be kept securely locked away. If they still don't want to do it, they are breaking your safety policies and may have to get the boot. If they won't give you that info, what other info might they not be giving you?

__________________

Mike Garringer
Mentoring Forums Administrator

503-275-9747

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Tue, 07/27/2010 - 10:42
#2
Sarah Kremer
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Joined: 09/22/2009
Re: Screening

I would absolutely agree with Michael. We've had experiences with potential volunteers who have had experiences with identity theft and have decided that they do not want to share their identifying information, especially SSN's. Unfortunately, that is required for our fingerprint-based criminal history background check (both state - California - and federal). If any applicant is unwilling to fulfill what's required for our program, then they are ineligible to be accepted. We don't make it a judgment-based decision; the applicant has decided not to follow our guidelines.

Find out from your state what is required in terms of storing records containing sensitive information and be sure to share this information with applicants. For example, in California, we are required to shred the original form that is completed for the background check, but we do record that it was completed, the date it was received, and the response. That way, the volunteer knows his/her SSN is not stored in our office or in any of our records once we have received the background check results.

Sarah Kremer, Program Director
Friends for Youth's Mentoring Institute

__________________

Sarah Kremer, ATR-BC
Program Director, Mentoring Institute + Bay Area Mentoring
Friends for Youth, Inc.
tel: 650-559-0200
mail: 1741 Broadway, First Floor
Redwood City, CA 94063

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