Massachusetts business earns ICE IMAGE distinction
President and CEO of Right at Home, Gail Hanson and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Etre, of HSI Boston.
WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — A Massachusetts in-home health care business on Thursday became the latest in the state to become a partner in a nationwide program by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ensure a legal and more secure work force.
Officials with Home Care Choices, Inc., doing business as Right at Home of Westborough, and ICE formally agreed on Aug. 6 to partner in the "IMAGE" program. The "ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers" program partnership was signed during a ceremony held at Right at Home’s offices in Westborough.
IMAGE is a voluntary program that allows private industry to partner with ICE to reduce unauthorized employment and the use of fraudulent identity documents.
Right at Home of Westborough is a private duty homecare agency that provides in-home care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults in Eastern Worcester Country.
"By volunteering to become members of IMAGE, companies large and small can reduce unauthorized employment and the use of fraudulent identity documents," said Matthew Etre, special agent in charge of HSI Boston. "Businesses that join IMAGE also increase the reputation of their brand and their company."
As an IMAGE certified member, Right at Home is recognized as an exceptional employer and a role model in the business community. IMAGE certified employers, like Right at Home, are committed to hiring only authorized workers whose identity and eligibility to work in the United States is documented. Partnering with IMAGE provides Right at Home with the tools to ensure employees are who they represent themselves to be.
To qualify for IMAGE certification, a business must complete the following requirements:
- Enroll in employment eligibility verification programs, such as E-Verify and the Social Security Number Verification Service;
- Establish a written hiring and employment eligibility verification policy that includes internal Form I-9 audits annually;
- Undergo a Form I-9 employment eligibility verification audit conducted by ICE.
Right at Home is the only local private duty homecare agency in Massachusetts with the IMAGE distinction.
“Right at Home is proud to partner with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It is critical to me and to Right at Home, that we take every measure to ensure the safety and well-being of the clients and families we serve,” said President and CEO, Gail Hanson. “As of December 15, 2014, Massachusetts became an unlicensed state for private duty homecare leaving our most vulnerable population at risk. Right at Home is committed to taking this extra step in our hiring and background check process to ensure that our employees are who they claim to be and whose employment eligibility is verified. As a homecare services provider, solid back-end processes are essential for agency accountability and quality differentiation. ”
Right at Home of Westborough was founded in 2007 and has approximately 150 employees. Right at Home serves families in Westborough, Southborough, Northborough, Hopkinton, Holliston, Ashland, Milford, Franklin Shrewsbury, Worcester, and surrounding areas.
There are currently eight other businesses in Massachusetts that have partnered with ICE under this program
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