Policies

The Judith C. White Senior Center welcomes all individuals 60 and older without regard to their sex, race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, national origin or citizenship status.

Members of the Center are welcome to voice any concerns they may have about the care and services they receive through our Client Grievance Appeal Process.

Client Grievance Appeal Process

Purpose | Accountability | Complaint Process | Appeal Process | Anonymous Reporting | Definitions

Purpose
To provide members of Greenwich House Senior Center (The Center) a mechanism to report and resolve grievances and complaints related to their care and services. The Center recognizes the inherent right of any individual to make a complaint about issues or incidents that concern them within The Center.

Accountability/Responsibility
The executive director has organizational accountability for resolving grievances and complaints. The Center director is responsible for implementing and overseeing this policy.

Consumer/Client Grievance/Complaint Process
All consumer/client grievances/complaints will be documented, investigated and resolved.

• At intake, clients shall be notified of any grievance/complaint process.
• Documentation of complaints may be anonymous (see Hotline).
• Written and verbal complaints can be given to the staff of the Senior Center, who will seek to resolve it as quickly and informally as possible. They will be decided by The Center director, who has chief managerial responsibility.
• Serious complaints may undergo a formal investigation.

Consumer/Client Appeal Process
Any written consumer/client appeal that contests the complaint outcome shall be documented, investigated, and resolved. An appeal may be presented privately and will be addressed no later than one month after it is received.

• An appeal will be submitted to The Center Grievance Committee.
• The complainant has the right to appeal The Center Grievance Committee’s decision to the program’s Board of Directors.
• The complainant has the right to appeal the program’s Board of Directors decision to DFTA.
• Appeal review will be conducted by the Greenwich House Risk Management Committee on a quarterly basis. The executive director may review and if necessary modify the committee’s recommendation.
• Resolutions of consumer/client appeals that result in Risk Management Committee review will be promptly reported to the Program Director and the Advisory Council of The Center.
• The complainant has the right to have all the information and documentation relating to a complaint or grievance treated as a confidential matter unless disclosure is required by a court order, or for program monitoring by an oversight agency.
• Failure to put the complaint/grievance in writing, or appear for any scheduled hearing, without a legitimate excuse, will cause the complainant to default and the decision of the hearing body must be accepted as final.

Anonymous reports to the Complaint Hotline:
Consumers may call 1-800-932-5378 to make a complaint without identifying themselves.

Definitions
Grievance/Complaint: A consumer/clients verbal or written expression of clinical or service dissatisfaction.

Appeal:  A written statement by the consumer/client that expresses dissatisfaction with a resolution/outcome associated with a previously submitted grievance/outcome.

Disruptive Behavior: included but not limited to:

• Use of vile, foul and abusive language


• Deliberately inviting confrontation


• Refusal to comply with center regulations


• Deliberately spreading false rumors


• Any behavior which is counterproductive to the philosophy and leads to the deterioration of morale of The Center