Overview & Requirements

National Service Criminal History Checks (NSCHCs) are a screening procedure established by law intended to protect the beneficiaries of AmeriCorps programs. NSCHCs are one of the most important programmatic compliance components of AmeriCorps and all programs must develop robust policies and procedures for ensuring compliant member and required staff checks.

Creating a Truescreen Vendor Account

To begin the National Service Criminal History Check process, all AmeriCorps Texas programs must create an account in Truescreen and have the account mapped to OneStar for monitoring purposes. 

Conducting a Compliant Truescreen Check

Conducting and adjudicating checks within the Truescreen system is critical to ensuring member/staff eligibility, protecting beneficiary populations, and maintaining programmatic compliance. Programs will conduct all four components of the NSCHC: NSOPW, State of Service (Texas), FBI Fingerprint, and State of Residence (if applicable) checks through this vendor.

1. Verify the individual’s identity using an acceptable source (refer to your program’s approved NSCHC policy and procedure).

2. Under Report Level, order Texas + NSOPW+FBI Fingerprint check for each individual.

3. If the individual is applying from a state other than Texas, consult the NFF/Truescreen Waiver Table on the AmeriCorps website to determine if a State of Residence check is required.

4. If required, order State of Residence check by including the state in the Special Instructions text box.

5. After ordering checks, follow up with individuals to ensure they complete their portion.

Setting Up Member Applicant Accounts

Once your account has been created and the check has been ordered, you will next need the member applicant to:

• Create a Truescreen and Fieldprint account

• Complete their portion of the Truescreen Check

• Schedule a FBI Fingerprint appointment through Fieldprint

Adjudicating Truescreen Checks

• Review the results and adjudicate the checks in Truescreen after ALL check results have been returned (NSOPW, State of Service, FBI Fingerprint, and State of Residence, if applicable) 

• Using the Adjudicate This Case tab, program staff will select Pass (eligible) or Pre-Adverse (potentially ineligible) for work/service.

• At the time of adjudication, the staff member should indicate in the case note that the individual is cleared for work/service

• Checks are NOT considered complete until the program provides an Adjudication status and note

Documenting Truescreen Checks

• Truescreen Case Summary page with a green check mark and Pass beside Current Pass/Review Status.

• Adjudication History page (using the Adjudicate this Case link). The date the program adjudicated the checks listed under Action Date will be considered the date of adjudication for the NSCHCs, State Check(s), and the FBI check.

• At the end of each program year, download the AmeriCorps Monitoring Report, which is found in the Reporting tab of your Truescreen account. This report documents first and last name checked, which checks were completed, Truescreen’s adjudication recommendation of Pass or Review, and your adjudication decision and timing. It is recommended that programs save a locked copy of this report to prevent any unintentional edits.

Receiving a Review Status

If a Review status is returned in Truescreen for an FBI check, additional steps will be required for both the applicant and the program.

• Individuals MUST have an opportunity to challenge the findings of a Review status for FBI Fingerprint results.

• Applicants should obtain a second fingerprint-based check that allows the program to view the results and make a final eligibility determination.

• In addition, programs will need to retain the following additional documentation: 

- Evidence the program used in making eligibility determination 

- Contemporaneously dated memo to the file documenting the determination of the individual’s eligibility

- Review Status Memo

OneStar Resources

OneStar created several supplemental documents, designed to support a program in NSCHC compliance. The NSCHC Verification Form, designed to serve as a checklist for program staff and to reduce incidents of noncompliance should be completed for each member for each unique service term. Staff need only one NSCHC Verification Form for the time they are on the grant. The NSCHC Verification Form serves to document the following:

• Member/staff name and position title

• Start date for each term 

• Whether checks from a previous term are being used (break in service less than 180 days)

• The individual’s State of Residence (state where they were living at time of application)

• Whether a State of Residence check is required

• Confirmation that adequate Truescreen documentation has been retained

OneStar also created an NSCHC Policy & Procedures Checklist, intended to support new programs in establishing, documenting, and following procedures that ensure NSCHC compliance. 

Members under the age of 18 at the time they start service are not required to have NSCHCs. OneStar created an NSCHC Under 18 Memo for programs to keep in the member file documenting the lack of NSCHC.