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Background Screening

Table of Contents

Instructions | Descriptions | More Information | Screening Criteria | Background Screening Appeal | Screening Provider | International Screening Information | Pennsylvania Act 153 | Background Screening FAQs

Instructions

Please note the different instructions below for completing a USATF background screen based on whether you are adding a new background screen to the account, you are renewing a preexisting screen, or you are renewing a lapsed screen.

To add/complete a new USATF background screen, please follow these instructions:

  1. Log in to USATF Connect.
    1. *Note: if you have one or more accounts linked to your USATF Connect profile, please select your personal account.
  2. Click “View” Profile on your profile card.
  3. Access the Background Screening tab from the menu to the left.
  4. Click the dark blue/black “Add Background Screening” button in the upper right-hand corner of your page.
  5. Select “Background Screening” from the prompt on the next page.
  6. Select your primary role within the organization – if you have multiple roles, you only need to select one.
  7. Answer any remaining questions and click “Process Background Screen.” This will open your background screen application.
  8. Move through the application by clicking the “Next” buttons at the bottom of the page.  You’ll be prompted to complete rights, acknowledgments, and disclosure sections.
  9. When you are finished with all pages in the form, click “Add & Checkout” at the bottom.  You should be directed to your shopping cart to pay for your screen, if applicable.  If you are not immediately directed to your shopping cart, you can access your shopping cart by clicking the icon in the upper right-hand corner of your page.  Once your screen is paid for, it will be sent to USATF’s background screen provider, NCSI, for processing.

Your USATF background screen will remain in a “pending approval” state while it’s being processed by NCSI. Once your USATF background screen is fully processed by NCSI, you will be notified of the results via email and your USATF Connect profile will be updated accordingly.

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To renew a preexisting screen before its expiration, please follow these instructions:

  1. Log in to USATF Connect.
    1. *Note: if you have one or more accounts linked to your USATF Connect profile, please select your personal account.
  2. Click “View” on your profile card under “Members”.
  3. Access the Background Screening tab from the menu to the left.
  4. Find your background screen marked “Current” in the middle of the page.  Click on it to open it.  This will open your background screen application.
  5. You can move through the application by clicking the “Next” buttons at the bottom of the page.  You’ll be prompted to complete rights, acknowledgments, and disclosure sections.
  6. When you are finished with all pages in the form, click “Renew” at the bottom.  You should be directed to your shopping cart to pay for your screen.  If you are not immediately directed to your shopping cart, you can access your shopping cart by clicking the icon in the upper right-hand corner of your page.  Once your screen is paid for, it will be sent to USATF’s background screen provider, NCSI, for processing.

Your USATF background screen will remain in a “pending approval” state while it’s being processed by NCSI. Once your USATF background screen is fully processed by NCSI, you will be notified of the results via email and your USATF Connect profile will be updated accordingly.

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To renew a lapsed background screen, please follow these instructions:

  1. Log in to USATF Connect.
    1. *Note: if you have one or more accounts linked to your USATF Connect profile, please select your personal account.
  2. Click “View” on your profile card under “Members”.
  3. Access the Background Screening tab from the menu to the left.
  4. Find your background screen marked “Lapsed” in the middle of the page.  Click on it to open it.  This will open your background screen application.
  5. You can move through the application by clicking the “Next” buttons at the bottom of the page.  You’ll be prompted to complete rights, acknowledgments, and disclosure sections.
  6. When you are finished with all pages in the form, click “Add & Checkout” at the bottom.  You should be directed to your shopping cart to pay for your screen.  If you are not immediately directed to your shopping cart, you can access your shopping cart by clicking the icon in the upper right-hand corner of your page.  Once your screen is paid for, it will be sent to USATF’s background screen provider, NCSI, for processing.

Your USATF background screen will remain in a “pending approval” state while it’s being processed by NCSI. Once your USATF background screen is fully processed by NCSI, you will be notified of the results via email and your USATF Connect profile will be updated accordingly.

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Descriptions

Click here to view detailed descriptions for each type of background screen.

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More Information

Background Screen Provider

 National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI)

Screening Criteria

 See Below

Membership Requirement

 Yes

Price

 $22
Screen Length Two years (with an automatic re-check at the one-year mark)
Expiration Two years from the determination date (the date the screen was passed)
Applicable to Those members needing USATF 3-Step Safe Sport Compliance

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Screening Criteria

Flagged based on criterion

A reportable record or disclosure that contains a disposition or resolution of a criminal proceeding, other than an adjudication of not guilty[1], or the existence of pending charges, for any of the below criminal offenses will “flag” an applicant’s records for further review:

  • All felonies (any criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one (1) year; no time bar)
  • Any misdemeanors involving:
    • All sexual crimes, criminal offenses of a sexual nature to included but not limited to; rape, child molestation, sexual battery, lewd conduct, possession and distribution of child pornography, possession and distribution of obscene material, prostitution, indecent exposure, public indecency, and any sex offender registrant (any Participant that has been convicted of, received an imposition of a deferred sentence for, or any plea of guilty or no contest for any sexual crime, criminal offense of a sexual nature, and/or is a sex offender registrant must be reported to the U.S. Center for SafeSport);
    • Any drug related offenses;
    • Harm to a minor, including, but not limited to, offenses such as child abandonment, child endangerment/neglect/abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and DUI with a minor;
    • Violence against a person, force, or threat of force (including crimes involving deadly weapons and domestic violence);
    • Stalking, harassment, blackmail, violation of a protection order and/or threats;
    • Destruction of property, including arson, vandalism, and criminal mischief; and
    • Animal abuse, cruelty, or neglect

Any individual who has a “Flagged” finding will not be eligible to participate with USATF unless the individual successfully appeals such determination, as outlined herein.

Ineligible based on a criterion

Convictions for, disclosures of convictions for, and pending dispositions for any of the following crimes, and registrations or sanctions, or disclosures for any listed registrations or sanctions, will prompt a determination that an applicant is “ineligible” and does not meet the criminal background screening criteria:

  • Any felony involving violence against a person within the previous ten (10) years;
  • Any felony involving violent crimes involving weapons (including armed robbery and aggravated assault with a weapon) within the previous ten (10) years;
  • Any felony involving animal abuse, cruelty, or neglect;
  • Any felony or misdemeanor involving all sexual crimes and criminal offenses of a sexual nature to including, but not limited to: rape, child molestation, sexual battery, lewd conduct, possession or distribution of child pornography, possession and distribution of obscene material, and any sex offender registrant (excluding prostitution, indecent exposure, and public indecency);
  • Any felony or misdemeanor involving drug offenses including: drug distribution, intent to distribute, manufacturing, trafficking, or sale within the previous 7 years (excluding crimes for drug use or possession); and
  • Any felony or misdemeanor involving harm to a minor, including, but not limited to: offenses such as child abandonment, child endangerment/neglect/abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, providing alcohol to a minor, and DUI with a minor.
  • Any individual that discloses that they are not in good standing (sanctioned) with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

“Ineligible” determinations are not appealable.[2] Any individual who has an “Ineligible” determination will not be eligible to participate with USATF in any role that requires USATF 3-Step Safe Sport Compliance.

[1] For purposes of this policy, a “disposition or resolution of a criminal proceeding, other than an adjudication of not guilty” shall include, but is not limited to: an adjudication of guilt or admission to a criminal violation, a plea to the charge or a lesser included offense, a plea of no contest, any plea analogous to an Alford or Kennedy plea, the disposition of the proceeding through a diversionary program, deferred adjudication, deferred prosecution, disposition of supervision, conditional dismissal, juvenile delinquency adjudication, or similar arrangement, or the existence of an ongoing criminal investigation, a warrant for arrest, or any pending charges.

[2] Unless you are a USATF athlete as defined by the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.

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Background Screening Appeal

If your USATF background screen has been “Flagged” by USATF’s background screening provider, National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI), you may be eligible to appeal the decision to the USATF Background Screen Review Panel (“Review Panel”) prior to your status being marked “Ineligible” by completing this form. 

More information on USATF’s Review Panel, the appeal process, as well as USATF’s background screening criteria (including the criteria that determines whether a screen is “Flagged” or “Ineligible”) can be found in USATF’s Background Screening Policy.

You must fill out the form in its entirety, sign and date it, and return it to usatfsafesport@usatf.org within 21 calendar days from the date you received notice of your Flagged background screen by NCSI. If you fail to properly submit this form within the 21-calendar day period, you will no longer be eligible to appeal the “Flagged” determination and your USATF background screen will be marked “Ineligible”.

Criminal dispositions that led to an “Ineligible” background screen as originally determined by NCSI will not be appealable to the Review Panel[1].

Note: after you submit this form and while your appeal is pending with the Review Panel, you may not participate within USATF in a role that requires USATF 3-Step Safe Sport Compliance.

[1] Unless you are a USATF athlete as defined by the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.  Athletes may appeal either a “Flagged” or “Ineligible” background screening determination to USATF (or the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), if seeking access to an Olympic Training Center such as CVEATC, or those athletes who are selected to participate in an Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, Parapan American, Youth Olympic Games, or other international sport events as designated by the USOPC as further outlined in USATF’s Background Screening Policy).

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Screening Provider

USATF has selected the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) to conduct the background checks.  If you have any questions or problems, please call NCSI at (866) 996-7412 (Option 2) or by email at support@ncsisafe.com.

NCSI provides a comprehensive search with the assurance of the highest quality information available, and they work confidentially with each client.  NCSI screens for criminal convictions, sex offender registrations, and pending criminal cases. Screening includes identity verification, two independent multi-jurisdictional criminal database searches, multiple national watch lists including an OFAC terrorist database search, two sex offender registry database searches, and at least one county search of residency within the last seven years.

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International Screening Information

International background screening is required for those who currently live or have resided outside the United States for more than six (6) consecutive months during the last seven (7) years.  International screening costs will be borne by the applicant.  International background screens take roughly six (6) weeks for processing.

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Pennsylvania Act 153

Applicants who work with youth and reside or work in Pennsylvania, as determined during their background screen, will be directed to upload the required documents, per the Pennsylvania Act 153, using the Pennsylvania Document Repository Services (PA DRS) through NCSI.  The applicant will be required to pay the associated fee for this service. NCSI will maintain these records until their expiration. Completed background screen results will be reported to USATF as soon as applicants have completed the PA DRS requirements, if applicable.
 
Note: Refunds will not be distributed for the background screen. Please ensure you review all information prior to beginning the application.

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