Grievance Policy: Be Consistent

It is critical to be consistent in the implementation of your policies. 

If a recovery house program must make an accommodation for a resident, such as a person with a disability, be sure staff are clear about the reason behind the accommodation. This will help prevent instances where residents feel that they are being treated unfairly.

Implement your policies as they are written. If the house policies state that residents must make their beds, be sure the house is prepared to enforce such a policy.

If residents are permitted to not follow some of the Code of Conduct, then the program can expect that there will be questioning of other, more serious, elements of your Code of Conduct.

For example, if one resident does not keep their room clean, and policies are not followed, another resident may be upset when they come home late and the issue is not addressed. The resident who came home late may feel that it is unfair because in their mind, both residents and the program are not following the rules as they are written.