COACHING BACKGROUND CLEARANCES

To stay compliant with state laws regarding background checks UDJAA uses Background Manager to manage the background clearance process. In order to coach for UDJAA, you must create an account with Background Manager. This is a free service. To begin your clearance process, go to backgroundmanager.com.

State Required Clearances

Pennsylvania recently enacted legislation requiring all coaches are background cleared prior to coaching. Clearances are valid for 60 months. Background Manager will give you advanced warning about expiring clearances. Please log on to the site and confirm that all of your state mandated clearances are up to date. 

If you have not coached with UDJAA in previous seasons, but have volunteered for another organization or school, you will need to set up a profile and upload clearances. 

Clearance Process

All coaches need two state clearances: one for criminal and one for child abuse clearance. If you have not been a resident of Pennsylvania for the past 10 years, you are required to have an FBI clearance (which checks other states for criminal acts). The FBI clearance has a cost of $22.60 and is the responsibility of the coach (consistent with virtually every other organization.)

To begin the clearance process at backgroundmanager.com, click "start background check". Use organization code: UDJAA15.  Enter information as prompted. If a volunteer already has a clearance certificate, they can upload it after they establish an account. If you do not upload an existing child welfare clearance, you will be prompted to click a link to obtain your child welfare clearance. Please use the link and the code that you will be provided when you obtain your clearance.  

If you have any questions regarding the website, please email service@backgroundmanager.comCoaches who are not cleared will not be allowed to coach a single game or practice. If you need FBI clearance, please start it immediately as it takes a couple of weeks. The other clearances are very quick.  

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal History Clearance

The commonwealth contracts with IDEMIAOpens In A New Window (also referred to as IdentoGo or MorphoTrust) for digital fingerprinting. You can register with IDEMIA and be fingerprinted at an IdentoGo site. The fingerprint-based background check is a multi-step process.

For questions about FBI clearances, contact the ChildLine Verification Unit at 717-783-6211 or 1-877-371-5422. For IDEMIA registration, processing, or billing questions, please contact IDEMIA/IdentoGo at 1-844-321-2101.

Cost: $22.60 — Volunteers


Fingerprinting Process

You can register for an appointment to be fingerprinted two ways:


When you register, please be ready to provide a service code. If you need assistance in determining the appropriate service code, please contact the Office of Children, Youth, and Families at RA-PWCPSLQuestions@pa.gov. Once the appropriate service code is obtained, provide the code to the volunteer or employee so they can register. Please note that the DHS Volunteer service code would include all volunteer services. It is titled "DHS" because it is a Department of Human Services Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) requirement.

All applicants will also need to refer to the list of acceptable identification documents. Applicants must present one of the identification documents at the Idemia fingerprinting locationOpens In A New Window.

Appointments are not required when you register, you may walk‐in during a location's posted hours of operation, but scheduling an appointment may lead to lesser/no wait times. In order to preregister for a FBI background check and/or find a fingerprinting location, applicants should access the IDEMIA websiteOpens In A New Window. It is strongly encouraged that the employee or volunteer contact the site prior to going there as the information on the IDEMIA website may differ from actual hours of operation.

Concussion Clearance

Per our insurance carrier, ALL COACHES MUST NOW BE TRAINED IN CONCUSSIONS.   Please go to the following website.  www.cdc.gov/HeadsUp/youthsports/training/index.html

On the right side of the screen, click "launch the course." It will not take very long.

Please send us a screenshot or PDF of the certificate via email is fine to background@udjaa.com. If you have the certificate from another organization, it will be sufficient if it's from 2020.

You will be required to obtain a certificate once per academic year. Again, this is a requirement of our insurance policy for coaches to be trained in recognizing a concussion and the proper steps to take.

Thank you

Questions may be addressed to: background@udjaa.com