OUR GRIEVANCE POLICY
Your right to be heard
- All Willow Grove Recovery clients are encouraged to freely express their opinions, grievances, needs and wants in group sessions, one-on-one sessions, or to any staff member. They may also be submitted by mail, email or telephone or via the online form managed by Willow Grove Recovery.
- All clients have the right to file an official grievance if they perceive that they are being mistreated in any manner.
- Grievance procedures are included in the Client Handbook (provided upon admission to the program). Willow Grove Recovery has available staff to listen to grievances and will direct the client to the appropriate staff member for further assistance. All staff have been trained on the grievance system as well as client rights.
- All grievances filed by clients shall be taken seriously and no client shall face retaliation in any form for exercising their right to file a grievance. No client shall face interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal.
How grievances are handled
- If a grievance requires immediate staff attention, the client is to report the grievance to their primary therapist who will recommend an action plan that includes notifying the Compliance Department of the grievance. If the primary therapist is unavailable, the report should be made to another leadership staff member, or directly to the Compliance Department.
- In the event the grievance cannot be resolved in the above stated procedure, the client has the right to submit the grievance to the Compliance Department. Within one business day of receiving the submission, the Director of Compliance or Executive Director (or designee) will respond to the client / client’s family member confirming receipt of the submission and provide a brief summary of next steps (whether or not the submission is a grievance or a complaint).
- If a meeting with the client is held, the interviewer shall gather specific details of the grievance to determine the cause(s) of the situation along with the names of any witnesses. These witnesses may also be interviewed to further substantiate or negate any allegations.
- Regardless of whether a meeting is held, the compliance department shall conduct a review of the client’s chart and any other documents or software that may be required to conduct a full investigation (e.g. policy review).
- Regardless of the content of the complaint, Willow Grove Recovery should aim for a written response with a summary of resolution to the client / client’s family member within 10 business days. If the grievance is considered to be a form of abuse, neglect or exploitation of a client, it shall be handled by the Clinical Director or the Administrator or their designee in accordance with the procedures outlined herein.
Review, appeals & accountability
- Grievances received anonymously and those submitted by family members will be handled in a similar manner as those received by identified persons.
- Clients have the right to appeal their grievances resolution within 5 business days of notification of result. Appeals will be processed with leadership.
- Logging and tracking: All grievance reports will be maintained by the Compliance Department along with details of all investigative actions and responses, including informing any required regulatory bodies, including but not limited to the client’s Health Plan.
- Analysis of trends: The Compliance Department and Quality Committee will review grievance reports at least annually to analyze trends and to identify opportunities for service improvement.
- Clients may also submit a grievance to the appropriate state agency, including their Health Plan, State Health Department, Medicaid, and Office for Civil Rights. Such contact information can be found below.
Additional complaint contacts
If you are not satisfied with the manner in which this office handles a complaint, you may submit a formal complaint to one of the following:
TN Health Facilities Commission
TN Health Facilities Commission complaint portal
Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, DC 20201
U.S Department of Health and Human Services Offices for Civil Rights
Please access the online Complaint Portal Assistant at:
Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal Assistant