Are Healthcare Workers Required to Report Juvenile Charges?
Just about everyone makes mistakes when they were young. Sometimes, those mistakes led to juvenile criminal charges. When starting over in adulthood, these charges may follow you to future employers and professional licensing boards, even if significant time has passed. You may feel nervous at the prospect and feel that your past harms your chance of obtaining a license
The LLF National Law Firm advocates for nurses, medical assistants, and other healthcare professionals nationwide. We can provide comprehensive representation and guidance if you are unsure about criminal background disclosures with employers or licensing boards. Call us at 888-535-3686 or fill out our online intake form to tell us about your case.
Most States Require Thorough Criminal Background Reports
You worked very hard to rehabilitate your life, get a fresh start, and find gainful employment in the healthcare field. Despite your efforts, are you obligated to report your juvenile criminal charges to your professional licensing board when they request a criminal background check?
In most cases, yes. However, while you may be required to report your juvenile charges in some cases, it does not necessarily mean that your chance of earning a nursing license or other professional license is immediately forfeit.
Every state has its own medical board, dental board, nursing board, and other professional licensing boards and authorities, in addition to state laws such as Nurse Practice Acts. Nearly all of them require some degree of disclosure of prior criminal charges.
For example, the Oregon State Board of Nursing requires all misdemeanors and felonies to be reported, with the exception of minor traffic violations. In Oregon and many other states, you must even report criminal charges that were dismissed. There is no differentiation between adult and juvenile charges, unless explicitly stated.
States like New York refer to this as “moral character requirements“, where they ask several questions regarding prior criminal charges and disciplinary history. The Office of the Professions wants to know if you were ever found guilty or pleaded guilty in any court, and that includes juvenile court.
A Second Chance on a Case-by-Case Basis
While state nursing boards and other professional licensing boards will request your juvenile and adult criminal records, prior criminal charges do not necessarily mean that you will be denied a license. Most professional licensing boards choose who to issue a license on a case-by-case basis.
If the board sees juvenile criminal charges that were followed by efforts to rehabilitate yourself, such as engaging in community service, seeking addiction counseling, pursuing education, and other means of rebuilding your life, they tend to view this favorably.
Seeking a fresh start in the healthcare profession is an honorable path. If you are unsure how to disclose your juvenile charges in your application or respond to an inquiry from your professional licensing board, you don’t have to go at it alone. The LLF National Law’s experienced Professional License Defense Team can assist with your application and board correspondence, and advocate for you at every step of the process. Call us today at 888-535-3686 or reach out via our online contact form.