Caregiver Background Checks Overview

Wisconsin laws and regulations require certain entities to perform criminal background checks on persons who provide care to vulnerable adults and children or who have access to people who receive such care. The laws and regulations also allow those entities to pass along the responsibility for conducting criminal background checks to colleges, universities and technical schools who are providing interns or volunteers in clinical or field education programs. Some examples of regulated entities include, but are not limited to: hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, and day care centers.

Regulated entities have the ultimate responsibility for determining whether an intern or volunteer will be accepted for placement at their facilities. However, the University will not refer for placement any individuals who have any conviction(s) listed as a "Bar" or "Bar-with-rehabilitation." in the Department of Health and Family Services "Offenses Affecting Caregiver Eligibility" tables. The University will refer for placement and report all other findings to the regulated entity so that the entity can determine if the findings are "substantially related to the care of a client." If the entity determines that the findings are "substantially related," the entity may refuse to place the intern or volunteer.

Due to the impact theses laws and regulations may have on the ability of students to successfully complete required internships in their majors, all academic departments requiring internships at regulated entities must forewarn students accepted into their programs of the caregiver background check requirement.

For more details, visit the Department of Health and Family Services Caregiver Background Check Web Site or UW-Milwaukee's Caregiver Information Web Site.

 

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