Criminal Background Checks and Drug Testing of Health Professions Program Students

Administrative Procedure 3.406

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) – Healthcare Worker Background Check Code and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations have established regulations that require Elgin Community College to conduct criminal background checks and drug testing of all students in the Health Professions Division who participate in clinical training. The College will comply fully with the IDPH and Joint Commission regulations governing criminal background checks and drug testing, and those requirements have been incorporated into this procedure. The results of all individual criminal background checks and drug testing will be kept in a secure location with controlled access. All individual test results will be considered confidential.

Criminal background checks and drug testing are required of all students accepted into a Health Professions program. Criminal background checks and drug tests must be completed no more than 45 days prior to the start of the semester in which students begin their Health Professions program. Results of criminal background checks and drug tests must be on file in the Health Professions Division office before beginning classes in the Health Professions Division. Students with a history of a felony or disqualifying offense, as defined on the IDPH website, without a waiver from IDPH and/or with a positive drug test for illegal substances will be denied admission and/or dismissed from the Health Professions Division.

Health Professions students may be required to complete additional criminal background checks and drug tests prior to or during clinical rotations if requested by the clinical agency.

In addition, students:

will be responsible for all costs associated with criminal background checks and drug tests (including repeat tests)
will be responsible for independently securing all criminal background checks and drug tests from a source identified by the Health Professions Division
will be responsible for independently contacting the IDPH to obtain additional information regarding their background check results and, if applicable, for requesting waivers for convictions that are not considered disqualifying offenses
must notify the Health Professions Division office when they have received waivers for convictions that are not considered disqualifying offenses at least four weeks prior to the start of classes; students who are not granted waivers at least four weeks prior to the start of classes must withdraw from their respective Health Professions programs
who leave the Health Professions Division for one or more semesters will be required to repeat their criminal background check and drug test upon re-admission
who refuse to be tested will be denied admission to the Health Professions Division
with a positive drug test will be referred to the Student Assistance Program at ECC
with a positive drug test may not reapply to a Health Professions program for a period of one year and must supply a letter from a professional source documenting successful rehabilitation
with a second positive drug test will be permanently dismissed from the Health Professions Division
whose drug test results are reported as dilute, must repeat the drug test within 24 hours of notification, or it will be considered a positive result; students with two-consecutive dilute drug tests will be considered to have a positive result
must have a drug test repeated annually while in the Health Professions Division, and may be required to submit to a random drug test if there is cause
who allegedly tamper with a drug test sample or falsify information pertaining to a drug test must repeat the drug test (collection will be witnessed) within 24 hours of notification
who refuse to repeat the drug test within the 24-hour time period will be denied admission to the Health Professions Division.

Reference Illinois Department of Public Health – Disqualifying Offenses