Complaint/Grievance Process

Lincoln County Health and Human Services Department, Behavioral Health Treatment, will provide a process for clients to resolve disagreements and express concerns regarding their treatment.

We value diversity and strive to not discriminate by reason of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital or lifestyle status, national origin, mental or physical handicap, or financial condition. We recognize that conflicts and misunderstandings can arise between consumer and agency staff about services and treatment priorities. Our goals are to encourage consumers to voice their concerns, and to create a respectful process that enables all parties involved to seek mutually accepted resolutions.

We value effective problem-solving and dispute resolution. Consumers have the right to express dissatisfaction without fear or retaliation.

These guidelines should be followed when conflicts or misunderstandings arise that are not able to be resolved in an informal manner.

1. Speak directly with the person involved, requesting a resolution of the problem.
2. If unable to resolve the problem directly with the person involved, put the grievance in writing and request a conference with the person's supervisor. A conference will be scheduled within five (5) working days of receipt of the written grievance. (A written complaint/grievance may be submitted by another person acting on your behalf.)
3. If the issue is related to a policy or procedure of the program, or if the problem has not been resolved, request a conference with the Division Manager.
4. A conference will be scheduled within five (5) working days of the request for it. A written description of the problem and the staff member's response will be generated if the problem is not resolvable at any of these steps.
5. Following the above steps, a person may request that the Director of the Human Services Department review the complaint. A conference will be arranged within ten (10) working days of the request and a response will be generated in writing if the problem is not resolved.
6. If the problem continues to be unresolved, a person may take the issue to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, requesting their review and assistance in addressing the problem.
7. A written complaint/grievance may be submitted by another person acting on behalf of the consumer.
8. Complaint forms are available at the reception desk, and will be mailed upon request.

If still no resolution is achieved, clients may bring their complaints to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners. Clients may also bring grievances directly to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights, Region X-MS510; 2901 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121; phone (206) 442-7483 (voice) or (206) 442-7486 (TTY). In the case of grievances with the W.I.C. program, direct grievances to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Western Region, 550 Kearney St., San Francisco, CA 94108.

It is the intention of Lincoln County Health and Human Services Department that all problems will be resolved to the extent possible at the earliest step in the process. Copies of processed grievance forms will be forwarded to the Quality Improvement Manager's office for continuous quality improvement.