Section 270.285  Selection and Screening

a)         Each APS provider agency utilizing volunteers to provide public awareness services to that agency or companion-type services to eligible adults under this Subpart shall create a Volunteer Plan, approved by the Department, to recruit, select, screen, train, appoint, assign, supervise and evaluate volunteers.

b)         The recruitment, selection, and screening of volunteer applicants shall be the responsibility of the APS provider agency.  Each volunteer applicant shall submit the required personal, professional and background information (see subsection (c)) on a form prescribed by the Department.

c)         The APS provider agency shall conduct a screening of each volunteer applicant.  This screening process may include, but is not limited to, personal interviews; reference checks; fingerprint checks; credit checks; medical and mental health checks; background checks; driving record checks; and reviews of professional disciplinary actions, criminal prosecutions, and police records. 

d)         The purpose of the screening process is solely to determine the suitability of the volunteer applicant to serve as an appointed volunteer.  The APS provider agency shall not seek any personal information on a volunteer applicant beyond that which is necessary to complete the screening process.  The screening process of the volunteer applicant shall be the same regardless of expected assignment of the individual volunteer.

e)         Each volunteer applicant shall be required to sign an authorization for the release of the information the APS provider agency has determined to be necessary to complete the screening process.  All such information gathered in the course of the background checks and reviews of volunteer candidates shall be held in the strictest confidence permitted by law.

f)         Upon the completion of the screening process, the APS provider agency shall notify the volunteer applicant whether he or she will be designated as a volunteer.  The APS provider agency shall also inform those volunteer applicants who are not so selected of the basis for the decision.  The decision of the APS provider agency is final. 

(Source:  Amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 2156, effective January 23, 2015)