"The Effort And Determination Of A Few Have Led To A Lifetime Of Hope For Many" Evadeen Coleman |
|
|
|
|
Below you will be able to read our procedures for a Formal Grievance. You may contact our Human Rights Officer, Dawn Lamp at (618) 252-2479 or email Dawn_Lamp@hotmail.com for the Formal Grievance Notification Form and/or Ethical Violation Form.
Procedures of Formal Grievance: From time to time disagreements may develop between staff members and/or staff members and individuals served relationships. It is by the nature of our profession that ideas are developed and opinions pro and con are established. Because of the different and sometimes opposing responsibilities each of us are assigned, disagreements may develop that cannot be corrected by only the parties concerned. It is for this reason that the following polices are established as the formal procedure for grievance. While reviewing these policies, please keep in mind that the overall best policy for a grievance is to work toward a solution using the following conflict resolution skills at each step taken in the chain of command: 1. Identify the problem, 2. List at least 3 approaches to solve problem, 3. List at least 1 pro and 1 con for each approach given, 4. Pick an approach, 5. Implement approach. The grievance process and forms are also used for suspected ethical violations. As in every organization, a chain of command has been established in order to assign different authorities and responsibilities. This chain of command is developed to include a charted course of procedures from bottom to top as well as top to bottom. Following this procedure, your first step is to attempt to solve the problem with the individual involved. If a solution cannot be obtained at this meeting your second step is to contact your immediate supervisor and work towards a solution. If after meeting with your immediate supervisor a solution still cannot be obtained or if the problem exists between you and your supervisor and cannot be solved, you should proceed to the next step. A grievance notification form should be filled out in its entirety and submitted to the program director. The form should include not only a complete accounting of the incident but also all precipitating factors. The form must be signed and dated. The program director will conduct a meeting between all concerned parties within five working days of date of report. Should the problem still not be resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned parties, the documentation of results of this meeting as well as the completed grievance notification form will be submitted to the Executive Director. The Executive Director will conduct a meeting between all parties within 5 working days of the first meeting. If the problem is not resolved at that meeting, then an appeal can be made through the Executive Director to the full Board of Directors at the next regular monthly board meeting. The documentation of results of any prior meetings to resolve the problem will be presented. The decision and recommendations of the majority of the full board shall be presented to the staff and or individuals served in writing and shall be considered final within the agency. The statement of rights indicates that all individuals served have the right to appeal and that agency decisions are subject to review in accordance with the Administrative Review Law. No agency action shall be implemented concerning an individual served pending an appeal. All individuals served have the right to exercise rights and present grievances on behalf of yourself or others to the facility personnel, licensee, federal, state and local governmental bodies, without threat of being discharged or reprisal in any form or manner. The grievance procedure is set up for the protection of the staff and individuals served and all parties are required to follow that procedure. There is no circumstance, which could warrant a staff member speaking directly to a board member about a problem with the agency. The agency Human Rights Officer may attend any of the meetings concerning a grievance to assist in the mediation process. At no time will the staff member that has a grievance filed against them be a decision maker in the process. Services will not be interrupted due to a grievance being filed. This is an internal process. As professionals in the field of rehabilitation, we should understand the needs and wants of others. When a problem exists, there usually are as many opinions as people involved. Look closely at each of the opinions before initiating the grievance procedure.
© 2002 Coleman Tri-County Services, Inc., All Rights Reserved Please contact our webmistress if you encounter difficulties or have comments about our website. |