Grievance Policy: Filing a Written Grievance

Grievances need to be filed in writing

Because grievances are serious issues that may involve health or safety concerns or a violation of your resident’s rights, they need to be documented and filed in writing.

To meet the quality standards, all recovery homes must have a written grievance policy that contains the following elements:

• Instructions on how to submit the grievance
• Language that the house will help a resident if they need assistance in filing a grievance
• Details on how you will respond to the grievance
• Your timeline for responding
• Contact information for those who are responsible for handling grievances. This needs to be a specific person!
• Include the name and contact information for Ohio Recovery Housing

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It may seem counterintuitive, but allowing residents to easily file a grievance and addressing grievances quickly and fairly can be helpful to the recovery home program.

Imagine you are upset about something serious. You feel like there is a risk to your health or safety, the safety of someone you care about or that your rights have been violated. The more difficult it is for you to have your issue addressed, the more stressed or angry you may become.

Allowing an avenue to help people get engaged in this process can ensure residents that issues are taken seriously and are being addressed.

Therefore, the policy should clearly state how grievances should be filed. It is up to the recovery housing program to determine what works for the organization.

 The grievance must document:

• What happened
• When it happened
• If there were any witnesses
• What possible resolutions are being sought, if any

A recovery housing program must let residents know the process for addressing grievances. Be clear about what steps the organization is going to take and the timelines.

This can be very helpful. If a resident is upset or anxious, letting them know that there is a plan and a timeline can help them manage their expectations throughout the grievance process.

A recovery housing program is permitted to determine their own reasonable timeline and process, but it must clear that the grievance will be reviewed and responded to.

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Residents of recovery homes have different abilities in reading, writing and language. Therefore, it is critical that you let residents know that help is available if they need help filing a written grievance.