Conducting a Background Check Before You Hire
After you identify an individual you wish to hire, it is good diligence to conduct a criminal background check. Criminal Background checks are encouraged and often required, depending on how you will pay your caregiver.
The Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) manages and administers the Commonwealth’s law enforcement information and criminal records systems. You may wish to request Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) on an individual whom you wish to hire. The CORI program is FREE for elders 60+ and people with disabilities. You may download a form online called, "On Behalf of Home Health Aide." For additional information, telephone the CORI board 617-660-4640.
You may also wish to obtain information about the Massachusetts Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC) or the Sex Offender Registry Board. Please note that these links will give you information only about acts committed in Massachusetts.
In addition to the above Massachusetts resources, you may also conduct some national checks:
Office of Inspector General U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services - Provides names of individuals who are excluded from working for federally-funded healthcare programs. To check if an individual is listed by the OIG, you only need to enter their name on the Exclusion Search page. Once you have established that a person is not on the OIG exclusion list, you still may wish to conduct a criminal or other background check.
FBI Criminal Background Check - You may also wish to conduct an FBI criminal check, which requires that the job applicant submit fingerprints. In most cases a local police department may take fingerprints from your worker and send them to the FBI. Click here for a list of locations (by state) where job candidates may get fingerprinted for FBI checks.
National Criminal Database reports information from a compilation of sources at the county, state and federal levels. Use caution when paying an online criminal data provider, as some lower priced providers may just give you a name and address history trace for their fee and not an actual criminal history search. Prices for criminal searches can range from $15 to over $100.
These suggestions are offered as a service to employers, and cannot be construed as legal advice. Rewarding Work cannot be held liable for any interactions between people who use this website.