Q&A
Grievance procedures for shelter residents
1:50:32
·
172 sec
Council Member Avilés inquires about the grievance procedures available to shelter residents, emphasizing the need for clear, accessible, and anonymous reporting methods. The discussion reveals various channels for residents to file complaints or provide feedback.
- DHS shelters have a process for clients to file grievances, including calling 311
- Complaints are routed to an ombudsman unit and then to program staff overseeing the specific shelter
- H+H sites instruct guests to share grievances with on-site staff, including behavioral health staff
- There are email addresses set up for complaints, and 311 is believed to be another avenue for reporting
- DOI (Department of Investigation) is said to have postings at every site with contact information
- Administration officials state they take all concerns seriously and investigate when brought to their attention
- Council Member Avilés requests clear process protocols for anonymous and safe reporting of grievances
Alexa Avilés
1:50:32
Are there notices, you know, posted in accessible languages?
Molly Schaeffer
1:50:39
So I think in the HURC side, you can there's a email address that people can use.
1:50:44
You can also go to the shelter staff.
1:50:47
I defer to DHS on their process for grievances, but that's the process.
UNKNOWN
1:50:52
The answer is yes.
1:50:53
At all our DHS shelters, we have a process where our clients can, put in grievances.
1:50:59
Also, they could call 311, and those grievances get routed to our ombudsman unit that we have as an agency.
1:51:06
And then it's routed out to the program staff that oversees the particular shelter, and then we work with responding and following up and investigating each case.
Alexa Avilés
1:51:16
And I guess for doctor Long, it looks like you wanna respond.
1:51:19
But could you, just for the record, for those who are listening and would like to understand what that process is if they don't know what that email is, where can folks offer grievances about what they're experiencing in facility?
Ted Long
1:51:32
So we, we instruct and offer to our guests that they can that they can share grievances with our staff members that are on-site.
1:51:39
We have both behavioral health staff members, if that's who you'd feel more comfortable talking to, or administrative staff members.
1:51:45
And if that's not happening or people don't feel comfortable, hearing specifics would be very helpful, and we'd we'd very much welcome that.
Alexa Avilés
1:51:50
Where could where could a person, if they do not feel comfortable with addressing staff on-site?
1:51:57
Where could a person do that in an anonymous and safe way?
Ted Long
1:52:01
So if they don't feel comfortable talking to our administrative staff, they can talk to our behavioral health staff that they may have more of a relationship with.
1:52:08
They can also like we said, we've set up, different ways like email addresses, or I'll have to, double check, but I believe 311, would get back to us as well.
1:52:16
We can confirm that.
Alexa Avilés
1:52:18
Okay.
1:52:19
Please get back to us on on where the emails are, because it is very often that folks don't feel comfortable talking to anyone on-site.
1:52:27
With fear of retribution, whether it's founded or not, it's a, you know, kind of a natural human concern.
1:52:34
But for the record, we would like to have some clear process protocols for folks that we can get out there.
Ted Long
1:52:43
I was just gonna add in.
1:52:44
I I'll have to confirm, but I'm almost positive that DOI has a posting at every site as well with contact information because they flag for us if they inspect and it's missing.
1:52:53
So I can confirm, but I'm almost positive that that's another avenue for folks.
Alexa Avilés
1:52:57
Great.
1:52:57
And have you all received, complaints through those portals?
1:53:02
And what's kind of the scale and scope of that?
Molly Schaeffer
1:53:06
So we don't talk about individual cases, but we have received, we've received things from DOI.
1:53:13
We've received things from our general email inbox, and we again, we take things very seriously, and we look into all all concerns when they're brought to us.
