Connecticut State Department of Public Health

Long-Term Care Background Search Program

Applicant Background Check Management System (ABCMS)
 
 
Pursuant to Public Act 19-116, Section 2 (effective October 1, 2019), the definition of a disqualifying offense under Section 19a—491c(a)(3) has been amended to include “a conviction of any crime described in section 53a-59a, 53a-60b, 53a-60c, 53a-61a, 53a-321, 53a-322 or 53a-323.”  The additional disqualifying offenses pertain to:  1st degree, 2nd degree, or 3rd degree assault of an elderly, blind, disabled, or pregnant person or a person with intellectual disability; 2nd degree assault with a firearm of an elderly, blind, disabled, or pregnant person or a person with intellectual disability; and 1st degree, 2nd degree, or 3rd degree abuse of an elderly, blind, or disabled person or a person with intellectual disability.

Background

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided funding to States including the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) for the National Background Check Program (NBCP).   The NBCP supports States in establishing a criminal background check program for long-term care facilities and providers.  The NBCP aims to protect vulnerable residents and clients who receive direct care and services within a long-term care setting.   In conjunction with this Federal initiative, Connecticut has enacted Section 19a-491c of the General Statutes, requiring state and national criminal history and patient abuse background searches for certain individuals in long-term care settings.

DPH has established a web-based portal referred to as the Applicant Background Check Management System (ABCMS).  The ABCMS supports the background check processes set forth within Section 19a-491c, which requires, in part, that newly-hired direct care employees of long-term care facilities obtain fingerprint-based criminal history records checks, as well as checks of several relevant registries, prior to employment. 

DPH has worked with CMS and the State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) to develop a web-based system to provide long-term care facilities and providers with a database to process the background checks.  DPH will oversee the ABCMS.  DESPP works with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to support this initiative. 

Please refer to the State of Connecticut’s General Statute Section 19a-491c for additional information.

            

Statutes and Regulations

Reports  

Resources
Communications and Forms

DPH has made revisions to the Disclosure Form.  Please use this revised Disclosure Form for all future applicants in the system.  This form replaces the previous version of the form.  If you have hard copies of the prior version of this Disclosure Form, please recycle and replace with this updated version.

When calling Connecticut troop locations to inquire about the availability of fingerprinting services, please indicate that this is for a DPH long-term care applicant needing to be fingerprinted as a part of the DPH long-term care background check program. Present the “Fingerprinting Authorization Form” to DESPP staff at time of the request, prior to fingerprinting.


ABCMS Video Tutorials

 

Please use the ABCMS Training Videos link, above, to access video tutorial chapters in each of the following topics:

  • How to Login to the ABCMS
  • How to Enter a New Applicant
  • How to View Determinations In-Process
  • How to View Determinations when Available
  • How to Enter an Application for an applicant already in the system
  • How to Utilize the "Flagged for Review" feature
  • How to Review Reports
  • Administrator Training  
 

Connecticut Interactive (CI)

 
Additional Resources
 

Contact Information

Connecticut Department of Public Health
Long-Term Care Background Search Program

410 Capitol Ave. MS# 12 LEG
P.O. Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308

Telephone #: (860) 509-8366
Fax #: (860) 707-1976
Email: dph.ABCMS@ct.gov