Background Investigation Information

In accordance with Commissioned Corps Personnel Manual Subchapter CC23.3, INSTRUCTION 4, “Appointment Standards and Appointment Boards,” Section E.6, all candidates for appointment to the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service must have a satisfactory background investigation. If you are unsure of your background investigation status, review your electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) prior to contacting staff in the Office of Commissioned Corps Operations (OCCO) for assistance.

Once completed, a ‘certificate of investigation’ will be placed in your eOPF. To check for a certificate of investigation, please follow the instructions below:

Log into the ‘Secure Area’ of the Commissioned Corps Management Information System Web site (http://dcp.psc.gov), access your eOPF, and scroll down to the pink section. There are three kinds of documents in the pink section: (1) Personnel Orders; (2) Security Documents; and (3) Application Documents. Look in either the ‘Security Documents’ section or the ‘Application Documents’ section. If you see a CERTIFICATE OF INVESTIGATION, you do not need to do anything further; you have met the National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) background investigation requirement.

If you do not see a certificate of investigation, you may e-mail the Personnel Security Representative, CDR Theresa Minter, (Theresa.Minter@hhs.gov) to confirm that OCCO has verified with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) the existence of either: (1) a completed investigation; or (2) an investigation in progress.

OCCO is working to get a memo into your eOPF that will be titled “PENDING CERTIFICATE OF INVESTIGATION”. This will be used to verify that an investigation has begun and forms have been completed. If this document is in your eOPF, you do not need to contact CDR Minter. Certificates will not be placed in the eOPF until the investigation has been completed. Documents (certificate of investigation or similar document) which have been sent to OCCO will be forwarded to your eOPF as soon as the database is updated with your information.

If you recently submitted background investigation paperwork to begin an investigation, you will not see any documents in your eOPF until an ‘Investigations Scheduled Notice’ is received from OPM. This document verifies the receipt and acceptance by the investigators of the investigation paperwork. Investigations may take up to a year to complete before a certificate of investigation will be received. Once complete, the certificate of investigation will be reviewed and adjudicated before being placed into your eOPF.

The promotion coordinator, LCDR Camille Hawkins, is working closely with CDR Minter regarding security clearances and promotions. LCDR Hawkins has access to the data provided by CDR Minter and does not need to be contacted separately on security issues. Officers should be assured their promotions will not be adversely affected if they have complied with the background investigation process and paperwork.

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