2019 Arizona Revised Statutes
Title 36 - Public Health and Safety
§ 36-425.03 Children's behavioral health programs; personnel; fingerprinting requirements; exemptions; definitions

36-425.03. Children's behavioral health programs; personnel; fingerprinting requirements; exemptions; definitions

A. Except as provided in subsections B, C and D of this section, children's behavioral health program personnel, including volunteers, shall submit the form prescribed in subsection E of this section to the employer and shall have a valid fingerprint clearance card issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1 or, within seven working days after employment or beginning volunteer work, shall apply for a fingerprint clearance card.

B. The following persons are exempt from the fingerprinting requirements of this section:

1. When under the direct visual supervision and in the presence of children's behavioral health program personnel who have a valid fingerprint clearance card:

(a) Except as provided in subsection C of this section, parents, foster parents, kinship foster care parents and guardians who participate in group activities that include their children who are receiving behavioral health services from a children's behavioral health program if they are not employees of the children's behavioral health program.

(b) A volunteer who provides services to children receiving behavioral health services.

(c) An employee or contractor who is eligible pursuant to section 41-1758.07, subsection C to petition the board of fingerprinting for a good cause exception and who provides documentation of having applied for a good cause exception pursuant to section 41-619.55 but who has not yet received a decision.

(d) A person who is not providing medical services, nursing services, behavioral health services, health-related services, home health services or supportive services and who is either not an employee or contractor or not on the premises on a regular basis.

2. Hospital medical staff members, employees, contractors and volunteers who are not present in an area of the hospital authorized by the department for providing children's behavioral health services.

C. A parent, foster parent, kinship foster care parent or guardian of a child who is receiving behavioral health services from a children's behavioral health program is not required to be fingerprinted or supervised for purposes of this section if the person is in the presence of or participating with only the person's own child.

D. Applicants and employees who are fingerprinted pursuant to section 15-512 or 15-534 are exempt from the fingerprinting requirements of subsection A of this section.

E. Children's behavioral health program personnel shall certify on forms that are provided by the department and notarized that they are not awaiting trial on or have never been convicted of or admitted in open court or pursuant to a plea agreement to committing any of the offenses listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B or C in this state or similar offenses in another state or jurisdiction.

F. Forms submitted pursuant to subsection E of this section are confidential.

G. Employers of children's behavioral health program personnel shall make documented, good faith efforts to contact previous employers of children's behavioral health program personnel to obtain information or recommendations that may be relevant to an individual's fitness for employment in a children's behavioral health program.

H. A person who is awaiting trial on or who has been convicted of or who has admitted in open court or pursuant to a plea agreement to committing a criminal offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B is prohibited from working in any capacity in a children's behavioral health program that requires or allows contact with children.

I. A person who is awaiting trial on or who has been convicted of or who has admitted in open court or pursuant to a plea agreement to committing a criminal offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection C shall not work in a children's behavioral health program in any capacity that requires or allows the employee to provide direct services to children unless the person has applied for and received the required fingerprint clearance card pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1.

J. The department of health services shall accept a certification submitted by a United States military base or a federally recognized Indian tribe that either:

1. Personnel who are employed or who will be employed and who provide services directly to children have not been convicted of, have not admitted committing or are not awaiting trial on any offense prescribed in subsection H of this section.

2. Personnel who are employed or who will be employed to provide services directly to children have been convicted of, have admitted committing or are awaiting trial on any offense prescribed in subsection I of this section if the personnel provide these services while under direct visual supervision.

K. The employer shall notify the department of public safety if the employer receives credible evidence that a person who possesses a valid fingerprint clearance card either:

1. Is arrested for or charged with an offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B.

2. Falsified information on the form required by subsection E of this section.

L. For the purposes of this section:

1. " Children's behavioral health program" means a program provided in a health care institution that is licensed by the department to provide children's behavioral health services.

2. " Children's behavioral health program personnel" means an owner, employee or volunteer who works at a children's behavioral health program.

3. " Direct visual supervision" means continuous visual oversight of the supervised person that does not require the supervisor to be in a superior organizational role to the person being supervised.