Background Checks

Thank you for participating as a PBEM Volunteer. Very shortly you will receive an instructional email from Sterling Volunteers for completing your basic background check. Some of the language you encounter in that process might be confusing, so to clarify:

You will be prompted to set up an account with Sterling. This enables you to view your background check results and optionally share them with other organizations that use Sterling, at no cost to you. You are not required to ‘set up security questions’. You will be required to enter your Social Security Number. This is used by Sterling only for automated address verification. The City never receives or stores your SSN, and cannot use it for any other purpose. You will see references to FCRA, the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This Federal law dictates the disclosures required for PBEM to obtain your consent. The name is misleading: We DO NOT check your credit, and we DO NOT report any findings to anyone outside the City of Portland government. Your credit rating is not relevant to your volunteer service, and cannot be viewed nor affected as part of this criminal background check.