The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) is the state agency that focuses solely on policies, programs, and services for people with mental health challenges, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or any combination of these. As Georgia’s public safety net, DBHDD operates six field offices and five hospitals throughout the state within three program areas: behavioral health, developmental disabilities and hospital services.

The main office for DBHDD is located in downtown Atlanta.

Job Description

Job Title:  Background Check Specialist

Pay Grade: J

Job Summary:

Conduct reviews of criminal history records for applicants for employment with DBHDD, DBHDD providers, and State Hospitals. Perform skilled data entry, file searches, maintenance and retrieval of criminal justice reports, and other related records. Perform complex record keeping and general clerical work. Information retrieved and released must be accurate and released only to authorized personnel.

Primary Responsibilities:

·       Review, process, and code criminal history record information and accurately apply the relevant policy toward making eligibility determinations.

• Securely request detailed, confidential, and/or legal information from applicants when needed.
• Create, store, and/or maintain reports, documentation, database files, logs, accounts, confidential/legal records, fingerprints records, etc. securely.
• Provide technical support to providers and applicants about the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s fingerprint registration process, criminal history record results, and individualized assessment process.
• Respond to questions regarding laws, procedures, and processes that govern local and national criminal background checks.
• Address complaints concerning criminal history record information and communicate them with Supervisor/Manager.

·       Communicate effectively with providers and other stakeholders, including other DBHDD offices and divisions.

·       Maintain working knowledge of all policies and provider manuals relevant to the work.

·       Represent DBHDD professionally during all interactions with providers and stakeholders.

·        Perform other related duties as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Four years professional experience working with a State, Federal, or Local Government Agency interpreting and analyzing criminal history record information through the Georgia Crime Information Center.
• Proficient in reading, interpreting, and analyzing legal, police, court terminology such as dispositions, results on rap sheets, sentencing, parole, probation, etc.
• Relevant working knowledge of federal and state regulations and laws pertaining to the storage and dissemination of criminal justice information.
• Ability to work under the pressure of performing multiple tasks with varying deadlines while maintaining high quality work.

·       Exceptional computer skills, including experience with Microsoft applications, especially Excel

·       Excellent written and verbal communication skills

·       Excellent customer service skills, including demonstrated ability to manage conflict professionally

·       Excellent time management skills and an ability to work independently under limited supervision

Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary & benefits, GA Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is part of a statewide initiative called Total Rewards that seeks to attract and retain employees by supplementing their base pay and benefits with programs designed to improve the quality of their work environment and lead to greater job satisfaction and work/life balance. Eligible employees are offered generous benefits, including health and dental insurance; retirement and savings plan options; and paid holidays, vacation and sick leave. For more information, visit https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/benefits

Employment Requirements
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our employees, individuals and communities we serve, certain positions within DBHDD may require evaluations, vaccinations, professional licensure and certifications. Licenses must be current and enable providers to practice within the State of Georgia.

The following are a listing of evaluations and vaccinations that may be required for employees, including those not involved with direct care:

• Drug Screening
• TB Evaluation
• Annual Influenza*

*Limited exemptions may be made for documented medical contraindications or religious beliefs that object to vaccinations.

DBHDD is an Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of DBHDD to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or e-mail. All qualified applicants will be considered but may not necessarily receive an interview. Selected applicants will be contacted by the hiring agency for next steps in the selection process.

This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified.

FOR THIS TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT, STATE LAW REQUIRES A NATIONAL AND STATE BACKGROUND CHECK AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT.