|
DISABILITY ADVOCATES, INC. GRIEVANCE POLICY Albany NY I. A client Or Prospective client who is dissatisfied with a decision to deny assistance by Disability Advocates, Inc. ("DAI") or by the services rendered by DAI, may request that the Executive Director review the matter. Ile review is informal, and may be conducted as the Executive Director determines is appropriate. Ile review shall involve the Executive Director discussing the matter with the staff person involved, with the complaining party, and then a review of the file. There will be no formal hearing. The Executive Director shall advise the client of the decision, in writing, within 15 working days of receipt of the grievance. 2. A complaining party who is dissatisfied with the decision of the Executive Director may appeal to the Board of Directors of DAI by writing to the Chair, Board of Directors, at the offices of DAI. The request for review should include a signed authorization for release of all information in the case file to the Board and permission for DAI to discuss the basis for its action with the Board. All appeal letters shall be promptly forwarded to the Chair by the Executive Director. If the complaining party cannot submit a written appeal, the Executive Director shall direct a DAI staff member to reduce the appeal to brief written form. 3. The Chair shall designate a Board member to review the appeal and shall ensure that the appeal letter and a copy of the DAI file be provided to the reviewing member. Within 15 working days, the reviewing Board member shall either: (a) recommend further consideration by the entire Board at the next meeting of the Board, if there is Probable cause to believe that an inappropriate decision was made by the Executive Director, or (b) determine that the appeal does not warrant further consideration by the Board, in which case the complaining party shall be notified -in writing that the Board has declined to review the matter and no further review of the decision is available within DAI. 4. Any member of the Board involved in a review of a grievance shall maintain all information in strict confidence. 5. In addition to the procedures detailed above, any dissatisfied person may complain to the New York State Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled, which provides funding to DAI to protect and advocate pursuant to the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Amendments Act Of 1991 ("PAIMI"), 42 U.S.C. §10801; and, the Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights Act ("PAIR"), 29 U.S.C §794e. (Revised 4/96) |
| home |