All Walnut Avenue employees and volunteers over age 18 are required to pass a criminal background check.
Volunteers who are under age 18 do not do background checks: instead, you go through a separate interview process with the supervisor of your program. Contact the community engagement coordinator for more information.
What is a criminal background check?
A criminal background check involves the California Department of Justice (DOJ) providing Walnut Avenue with a report on any convictions a person may have received under criminal law. This is done with you being fingerprinted to verify your identity.
Except under rare circumstances, a minor’s record is typically sealed upon reaching age 18, so any convictions you may have received as a minor are unlikely to appear.
Criminal law is separate from civil (including family) law. If a conviction involves being prosecuted by the state, then it’s criminal law, but lawsuits which are brought against you by another person or non-prosecuting authority, such as a landlord or employer, are civil. This means that Walnut Avenue will not be notified of any cases related to divorce, custody, tenancy, or other civil cases (unless those cases led to a criminal conviction).
Having a legal criminal history is not a dealbreaker for volunteering.
Because criminal law covers a huge variety of behaviors ranging from non-violent to violent, and because the US legal system disproportionately impacts some demographics of people more than others, Walnut Avenue does not prohibit volunteering purely on the basis of having a criminal history. Disqualifying history includes:
Abuse, harm, or neglect towards another person of any age
Other harmful or exploitative behaviors relevant to the responsibilities of the volunteer position in which a volunteer candidate is interested
Walnut Avenue has no requirement regarding the recreational use of substances as long as a volunteer remains in compliance with our drug use policy, described in the Volunteer Handbook available on the volunteer page.
Background checks also include notification of future incidents.
A criminal background check provides an agency with a snapshot of any criminal arrests and convictions you may have experienced since age 18, but it also means that the agency will be notified of any future arrests. This means that if you’re arrested for a criminal act while actively volunteering with Walnut Avenue, Walnut Avenue will be notified.
Depending on the nature and severity of the alleged act, Walnut Avenue may choose to suspend your volunteership until the resolution of your case; for allegations of abuse or harm, we may terminate it entirely.
You do not need to be a US citizen or documented.
A criminal background check shouldn’t impact the status of someone who is undocumented unless the person has a warrant out for their arrest or there are standing deportation orders. That being said, immigration law is complicated and often changing: if you’re concerned about how a criminal background check will impact you based on your citizenship status, Walnut Avenue would recommend contacting an immigration agency or lawyer before proceeding.
Background checks are not transferable.
Unfortunately, if you’ve done a background check elsewhere, you can’t transfer it to Walnut Avenue. Each background check opens up a kind of ‘account’ between the company or organization and the Department of Justice, and no one else is allowed to ‘use’ that account. You will need to do a new background check with Walnut Avenue.
Background checks do not expire.
If you volunteer with us, leave, and then return, you will not need to redo a background check unless an administrator has requested that the DOJ close your account with us. Usually this is only done if we receive notification of an incident for someone no longer with us or if an exiting volunteer specifically requests that we do so.
Few people will have access to your background check information.
In California, only employees who are registered with the DOJ as a Custodian of Records may legally access your background check information. Currently, two staff persons have this status: the fiscal manager, who oversees employee information, and the community engagement coordinator, who oversees the volunteer programs. Your information is kept confidential.
There are two types of background checks.
Standard: for all general and adult-oriented services and programs.
Cost: $45
Non-reimbursable
This is valid for all volunteer programs and internships EXCEPT the Youth/SCY internship, Kids Club, Teen Group, or the Early Education Center.
Typical processing time: 5-10 business days
Youth: for all youth-related programs and internships.
Cost: $102
Reimbursable after 3 months of active service in a youth program, in good standing, and with a copy of the original payment receipt
This is valid for all volunteer programs, INCLUDING all youth services as well as the general and adult-oriented services.
If you’re not interested in working directly with children and youth under 18, you do not need to do this type of background check.
Typical processing time: up to 21 business days
We know that the fee can be a barrier.
If the cost of a background check would otherwise prevent you from participating with us, you can request a fee waiver application from Walnut Avenue. If approved, this fee waiver authorizes LiveScan to charge Walnut Avenue for your background check.
How to do a background check:
Meet with the community engagement coordinator for an orientation.
Inform the coordinator which program(s) you’re interested in so that they can email you the correct form. The standard and the youth background forms are different! Please check the file names to ensure you have the one required for your program(s).
Print the PDF form you received from the coordinator and bring it with you to any California LiveScan office. If you’ve been approved for a fee waiver, you will need to print the authorization letter that the coordinator sent you and bring that as well.
You will be fingerprinted and asked to pay the fee (or provide the authorization letter) during your visit. Save the payment receipt.
Wait for the coordinator’s email confirming that Walnut Avenue has received your background check results. This may take up to a month after your visit to LiveScan. If you don’t hear from the coordinator, please contact them.
Walnut Avenue recommends using LiveScan.
You can get fingerprinted for a background check at other places such as some post offices. However, different places will have different levels of reliability. We recommend using LiveScan, which has offices all throughout California that you can use; Santa Cruz has two, one on Cedar Street near downtown and one at Cabrillo College. You can use LiveScan’s website map to find the location most convenient for you.
Save your receipt.
Even LiveScan can make mistakes, however. Save your receipt as proof that you completed your visit and that, if Walnut Avenue fails to receive your results, it’s because of an issue with LiveScan and/or Walnut Avenue. You will also need your receipt if you do a youth background check and plan to ask for reimbursement after three months of service.
If you’re worried about losing it, you can request Walnut Avenue to save a copy of your receipt in your volunteer file.
Background checks take time to be processed.
A standard background check is typically completed within 5-10 business days. A youth background check can take up to 21 days. If you do not receive an email from the coordinator within one month of you going in to get fingerprinted, please contact the coordinator to double-check on the delay.
UPDATE ON PROCESSING TIMES: Due to a change in background check laws in April 2022, the Department of Justice is experiencing a backlog of background check requests. This may delay your own background check.
