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ASHA Screening

Season Validity Update

 

At the July 15, 2017 ASHA Board Meeting, the following was approved and will appear in the next ASHA Handbook.

On August 1, 2016, USA Hockey began integrating NCSI background screenings into the USAH database and Registry. Screenings will be valid for two (2) seasons with April 1 chosen as the date to determine season validity in the following manner for Non-Official Background Screening:

  • All screenings cleared between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 will be valid for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons expiring on August 31, 2022.
  • All screenings cleared between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 will be valid for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons expiring on August 31, 2023.
  • All screenings cleared between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 will be valid for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons expiring on August 31, 2024.

4.2  ASHA Compliance Policy

        4.2.1  Screening and Abuse Policy

Background screening will be done in accordance with USA Hockey mandates.  ASHA has implemented a mandatory online background screening program in partnership with the USA Hockey Pacific District using the services of Sterling Infosystems, Inc.  

All individuals, including, but not limited to coaches, managers, locker room attendants, on-ice officials, and all others who have regular contact with youth USA Hockey participants are required to undergo a background screening through Sterling Infosystems, Inc. The screening is only good for TWO (2) years, and must be renewed every TWO (2) years.  The anniversary date for ASHA screening shall be September 1, of each year.  

Those individuals who are required to be screened for the first time or because their prior screening has expired must be screened either for the first time or again prior to assisting in or engaging in any USA Hockey activities - there is no grace period. Knowingly engaging in any activities which require one to be screened and cleared prior to so engaging shall subject the individual to possible discipline and a referral to the ASHA Discipline Committee for appropriate disciplinary actions, which may include, but is not limited to, a suspension for some appropriate period of time. 

The ASHA President, or his designee, shall review all screening reports, and shall serve as an initial screening of those reports which are characterized as “alerts” that may come back from Sterling Infosystems, and after this initial screen, those individuals whose reports are considered as an “alert” that remaining in question shall be submitted to an ASHA Screening Committee consisting of the ASHA President, the ASHA SafeSport Coordinator, and one more designee appointed by the ASHA President.  The ASHA Screening Committee may clear, disqualify or place limitations or conditions on an individual as a “conditional cleared screening”.  If an individual is deemed by the ASHA Screening Committee as “disqualified” and not cleared, thus deemed not suitable to participate USA Hockey activities, the ASHA President shall provide to the individual written notice of the Screening Committee’s determination and also shall provide: (1)  a copy of the screening report received from Sterling Infosystems; (2) and a Written Notice of the individual’s right to the ASHA Screening Committee’s decision to appeal the ASHA Discipline Committee, and their right to a hearing and to further appeal to USA Hockey.  That Notice shall advise the individual that if they are dissatisfied with the ASHA Screening’s Committee’s determination of disqualification, they must submit a written appeal to the ASHA Discipline Committee within 30 days of having received their Disqualification Notice Notice from the ASHA President, and they must include with said appeal the Written Disqualification Notice received from the ASHA President, the screening report, and a basis for overturning the ASHA Screening Committee’s decision.  The individual is entitled to a hearing before the ASHA Discipline Committee, but may waive said hearing in writing.  After a hearing, or waiver of same, and a decision by the ASHA Discipline Committee, if the individual is dissatisfied by the ASHA Discipline Committee’s decision, then, pursuant to USA Hockey By-Law 10, they have a right to appeal the decision to USA Hockey.  However, any decision made by the ASHA Screening Committee to disqualify an individual shall remain in effect until and unless that decision is overturned on appeal by the ASHA Discipline Committee or by USA Hockey.

For guidelines on the ASHA Screening and Abuse Policies, including disqualifying events, please see the USA Hockey website at: www.usahockey.com and also the most current written USA Hockey SafeSport Policy. The following policies are listed:

    a) Sexual Abuse

    b) Physical Abuse

    c) Emotional Abuse

    d) Bullying, Threats and Harassment

    e) Hazing

    f) Locker Room Policy

There will be a Screening Cleared List posted on the ASHA Web site of those individuals who are cleared to engage in USA Hockey activities, which list will be updated periodically.  If individual’s name does not appear on the list, or there has been no oral confirmation with either the ASHA President or ASHA SafeSport Coordinator that an individual has been cleared, then the individual shall be considered to not be cleared to engage in USA Hockey activities yet.

ASHA abides by the USA Hockey Policy and enforcement of the above guidelines.