question about the background checks?

[gcan]

One of our parents wants to be an assistant leader. However, he did a stint in a Mental Health facility when his wife took off with the kids 3 years ago, and then did a week in the county jail for nonpayment of child support. Now, depite how this all sounds he really is a great dad and would be a huge asset on camping trips.

What I'm looking for is to find out if he should even bother to put in an application? Would his 'past' make him ineligible?

[The Blancmange]

The application doesn't ask about mental health issues or commitments. As for the child support this is (at least in the states I am familiar with) a civil contempt proceeding rather than criminal. On their face, these things would not appear to be disqualifying. However, if I were the person conducting the check, I would at least want to know more about the commitment to be sure that there are no ongoing issues. There is a "catch-all" question at the end of the background questions where this would arguably fit.

[Lisabob]

Have a quiet word with your DE. What I was told a few years ago by my then-DE was that the background check only flags people with criminal histories, so the mental health issue probably would not surface at all. He also said that when something is flagged, that isn't necessarily an automatic disqualifier. Some things might be brought to the attention of the committee chair and the charter org., and determined to be small enough, or long enough ago, to be set aside.

 

Now I am not certain if what my former DE told me was a national policy, or merely the local interpretation. So it might be good to broach this as a hypothetical situation and see what your DE says.

 

Supposing that after you talk with your DE, you and the parent in question decide not to submit an adult app, the parent can probably still attend and be a great resource for you as "just" a parent instead of as a leader. Just be sure to have enough registered leaders to oversee things, too.

 

 

[nldscout]

Incarceration for non-payment of child support in NY and some other states will show on your criminal history. Just depends on how your state records it.

[eisely]

As I understand it, what BSA is most concerned about is violent crimes and crimes involving children. I don't have a clue about how BSA would consider something like this.

 

If Michael Vick can serve his time and get another chance at an NFL career, why should we keep a guy like this out of scouting if the facts as described are true?

 

Having said that, I would not put some adult who had been convicted of embezzlement or other finanical crimes in charge of the troop treasury.

[broken]

I always told folks to be honest on their application when it comes to have you ever been convicted question, national/local council does take it into consideration when you are open an honest. Trying to hide things is what raises red flags.