Complaint/Grievance Process

Client Rights/Grievance Policy

Client Rights

The Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board provides for:

• The quick and objective resolution of concerns and complaints about services;
• The provision of services in a nondiscriminatory manner with respect for personal dignity, autonomy and privacy;
• Compliance with applicable rules in the Ohio Revised Code that pertain to client rights and grievance procedures.

All Board service providers are required to have policies and procedures that address client rights and grievance guidelines. In addition, all providers are required to have a Client Rights Officer available to assist consumers in understanding their rights and to resolve concerns or grievances at the agency.

The Board has a Client Rights Officer and back-up officer available to assist consumers in understanding their rights and resolving their concerns or grievances:

Client Rights Officer:
Kathleen Chaffee, PCC
Adult Services Director
Columbiana County MHRS Board
P.O. Box 500
Lisbon, Ohio 44432
(330) 424-0195
kchaffee@ccmhrsb.org

Back-Up Client Rights Officer:
Patricia Wagner, LPC
Quality Improvement Director
Columbiana County MHRS Board
P.O. Box 500
Lisbon, Ohio 44432
(330) 424-0195
wagconsult@earthlink.net

• A written copy of the Board's client rights and grievance guidelines is available upon request.
• Client rights and grievance activities are tracked at the Board and reported through the Quality Improvement process.
• Providers are required to submit a summary of all grievances and their outcomes quarterly and at the end of each Fiscal Year.

The following are the Client Rights pertinent to persons receiving services from the Board's mental health or drug and alcohol addiction service providers:

Ohio Department of Mental Health
Rule 5122:2-1-02 - Ohio Revised Code

• The right to be treated with consideration and respect for personal dignity, autonomy and privacy.
• The right to service in a respectful setting that offers the greatest possible freedom as defined in the treatment plan.
• The right to be kept up to date on current or suggested services, treatment or therapies, and alternatives.
• The right to accept or reject any service, treatment, or therapy after you have been given a full explanation of the risks and benefits.
• The right to a current, written, individualized service plan addressing mental and physical health, social and financial needs, and describing who will provide these services and how they will be provided in a way that meets your needs.
• The right to active and informed participation in all areas of the service plan, including the plan's writing, review, and rewriting to meet your needs.
• The right to freedom from too much or unnecessary medication.
• The right to freedom from restraints or seclusion.
• The right to participate in any service that meets your needs, even if you refuse other services. You have this right even if you have left this or other services in the past. If you are in need of several services that are given at the same time, and therefore you can't receive a service you want because of the time conflict, this problem must be discussed with you and written in your service plan.
• The right to be informed of and to refuse any unusual or dangerous treatment procedures.
• The right to be told about and to refuse to be observed through one-way mirrors, photographed or taped (audio or visual).
• The right, at your expense, to consult with independent medical or mental health staff or a private attorney.
• The right to absolute confidentiality unless court-ordered, or if you sign a Release of Information form permitting disclosure of all or part of your records.
• The right to see all parts of your records, including psychiatric and medical records. Access can be restricted only for clear treatment reasons, meaning that reading the records will cause you severe emotional damage resulting in the immediate risk of dangerous behavior toward yourself or someone else. Only specific parts of the chart can be restricted, with the reasons clearly documented in your service plan. However, you may give permission to any person you choose (friend, family member, advocate) to look at all parts of your records.
• The right to advance notice if a service is to be discontinued, and to be actively involved in planning to meet your needs when the service is discontinued.
• The right to have a clear explanation when any services are denied.
• The right not to be discriminated against in the provision of services on the basis of religion, race, color, creed, sex, national origin, age, lifestyle, physical or mental disability, developmental disability, or inability to pay.
• The right to know the cost of services.
• The right to be fully informed of all client rights.
• The right to exercise any and all rights without being threatened or punished in any way, including being denied services.
• The right to file a grievance.
• The right to have oral and written instructions for filing a grievance.

Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services
Rule 3793:2-1-07, Ohio Revised Code

• The right to be treated with consideration and respect for personal dignity, autonomy, and privacy.
• The right to service in a setting that offers the greatest possible freedom.
• The right to be informed of one's own condition.
• The right to be informed of proposed services, treatments, therapies, and alternatives.
• The right to give consent to or to refuse any service, treatment, or therapy.
• The right to receive a copy of one's own individualized treatment plan.
• The right to participate in the development, review, and revision of one's own individualized treatment plan.
• The right of freedom from unnecessary or excessive medication.
• The right of freedom from unnecessary physical restraint or seclusion.
• The right to participate in any appropriate and available service, regardless of refusal of one or more other services, unless there is a valid and specific necessity which precludes and/or requires the client's participation in other services.
• The right to be informed of and the right to refuse any unusual or dangerous treatment procedures.
• The right to be advised of and the right to refuse observation by others and by techniques such as one-way vision mirrors, tape recorders, video recorders, televisions, movies, or photographs.
• The right to consult with an independent treatment specialist or legal counsel at one's own expense.
• The right to confidentiality of communications and personal identifying information within the limitations and requirements for disclosure of client information under state and federal laws and regulations.
• The right to have access to one's own client record in accordance with program procedures.
• The right to be informed of the reason(s) for discontinuing a service.
• The right to be informed of the reason(s) for denial of a service.
• The right not to be discriminated against for receiving services on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, developmental disability, or HIV infection, AIDS-related complex or AIDS.
• The right to know the cost of services.
• The right to be informed of all client rights.
• The right to exercise one's own rights without being threatened or punished in any way, including being denied services.
• The right to file a grievance in accordance with program procedures.
• The right to have oral and written instructions concerning the procedure for filing a grievance.

Grievance Procedures

Filing a Grievance:

• Individual client grievance information is collected using the Board's Client Grievance/Complaint Form. Client grievance information will be kept confidential, unless the client has authorized disclosure or release of information.
• A grievance may be filed either directly with the Board or may be submitted as an appeal to the Board by a grievant who did not receive an acceptable resolution to a grievance at the provider level.
• A grievance may be made by the client or another individual or agency on behalf of the client with the client's written permission.
• A grievance may not result in retaliation against any client or grievant.

Acknowledgment and Tracking of a Grievance:

• The Board's Client Rights Officer will provide a written acknowledgment of the grievance within three working days from receipt of the grievance. The written acknowledgment will include the date the grievance was received, a summary of the grievance investigation process, timetable for completion of the investigation, notification of the resolution, and the Board contact name, address, and telephone number.
• The Board Client Rights Officer is responsible for the investigation of the grievance, including accessing provider information, and review with other Board staff as needed.
• A written response to the grievance will be provided within 21 calendar days of receipt of the grievance. The written response will include the date the grievance was received, nature of the grievance, summary of the investigatory process, proposed resolution, right to further appeal, and a copy of the appeals procedures. A copy of this response will be provided to the Board's Quality Improvement Coordinator.
• Records of client grievances will be maintained for at least two years and will include documentation as to how the grievance was resolved. A copy of the grievance, documentation as to how the grievance was resolved, and a copy of the letter to the grievant reflecting resolution of the grievance.
• Client grievance information will be kept confidential, unless the client has authorized disclosure or release of information. All aspects of the grievance procedure will comply with federal and state confidentiality regulations.
• Aggregate data regarding grievances will be tracked and reported quarterly and annually through the Board's Quality Improvement system.

Other Resources

These organizations may also be accessed for assistance in the resolution of a grievance:

Ohio Legal Rights Service
8 E. Long St., Fifth Floor
Columbus, OH 43266-0523
(614) 466-7264 FAX: (614) 644-1888
800-282-9181
TDD: 800-282-9191, Ext. 140

Ohio Board of Nursing
77 S. High St., 17th Floor
Columbus, OH 43266-0316
614) 466-3947

Attorney General's Office
Health Care Fraud Unit
101 E. Town St., Fifth Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-0722 FAX: (614) 644-9973
24-Hour Abuse Hotline: 800-642-2873

Legal Aid/Legal Services
Ohio State Legal Services Assn.
For information about legal aid
services in your area, call:
800-589-5888

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights - Region V
233 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 240
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 886-2359

Ohio Credentialing Board for
Chemical Dependency Couns.
428 E. Town St.
Columbus, OH 43215-4775
(614) 469-1110

Counselor & Social Worker Board
77 S. High St., 16th Floor
Columbus, OH 43266-0340
(614) 466-0912

State Medical Board
77 S. High St., 17th Floor
Columbus, OH 43266-0315
(614) 466-3934
Complaint Hotline: 800-544-7717

State Board of Psychology
77 S. High St., 17th Floor
Columbus, OH 43266-0321
(614) 466-8808 FAX: (614) 644-8112
TDD: 800-750-0750

Ohio Department. of Mental Health
Client Advocacy Coordinator
30 E. Broad St., 8th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3430
(614) 466-2333 FAX: (614) 466-1571
TDD: (614) 752-9696

Client Assistance Program
(For Vocational Rehab.)
30 E. Broad St., Suite 1201
Columbus, OH 43266-0414
(614) 466-9956 (All Nos. TDD Acc.)
800-228-5405 FAX: (614) 752-4197

Ohio Dept. of Alcohol and Drug
Addiction Services
280 N. High St., 12th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-2537
(614)466-3445 FAX: (614) 752-8645
TDD: (614) 752-9696