Grievance Policy: Grievances vs. Complaints and Suggestions

Not every issue that is brought to your attention is considered a grievance.

Are there other terms that are sometimes used in place of “grievance”? Perhaps terms like “complaint,” “concern” or “suggestion”?

As a recovery home operator, you will be required to have in place a process where residents can bring complaints and suggestions to the organization. A quality recovery home will listen to and addresses these issues.

Complaints are when someone is not satisfied with the services that are being provided and they want to share their dissatisfaction with the program. Also, the resident may or may not make suggestions for improvement.

Many recovery homes use house meetings and recovery planning meetings as a place to address any complaints or suggestions. These meetings can provide a safe space for residents to bring up issues, have them discussed and have any issues addressed. Other homes may use things like comments or suggestion boxes. It is up to the recovery housing program to determine the best strategy to ensure residents can bring up complaints and suggestions to the organization.