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Q&A
Pre-complaint intervention work at CCHR
0:27:25
ยท
167 sec
Council Member Williams asks about CCHR's pre-complaint intervention work, including staffing, areas covered, and the assessment process. CCHR staff provide details on this program.
- CCHR has six dedicated interventionists for pre-complaint work
- Pre-complaint intervention is potentially available in all areas of CCHR's jurisdiction
- Focus on source of income cases due to potential for large impact
- Assessment based on likelihood of success vs. need to file a complaint
- Balance between quick resolutions and deterrent effect of full litigation
Nantasha Williams
0:27:25
Okay.
0:27:25
In the first four months of fiscal twenty twenty five, CCH CCHR resolved a 34 matters without a complaint being filed up from a hundred matters during the same period in fiscal twenty twenty four, a 34% increase.
0:27:40
CCHR continues to expand its pre complaint intervention work as it offers parties the option to reach an amicable solution without filing a complaint and engaging in investigation and litigation.
0:27:53
How does the commission staff its pre complaint intervention work?
Katherine Carroll
0:27:59
We have six dedicated interventionists that focus on this work but in addition to that our staff attorneys do engage in pre complaint intervention when they have an intake appointment that seems like it might benefit from that resolution.
Nantasha Williams
0:28:14
What areas does it offer this in?
0:28:16
Is it available in employment cases, housing, source of income, accommodation cases?
Katherine Carroll
0:28:23
It's potentially available in all areas of our jurisdiction.
0:28:26
We find that there's been a focus on source of income because frequently that's where we're able to have the largest impact, but in employment for example if someone comes to us and they are pregnant and they need an accommodation and they're still in the workplace and we're able to make a phone call and get that person the accommodation, we evaluate that for pre complaint as well.
0:28:47
It's basically on the assessment we make about the likelihood of success versus needing to file a complaint.
Nantasha Williams
0:28:53
Can you talk a little bit about the assessment?
0:28:55
So how do you determine which cases should be handled through a pre complaint process?
Katherine Carroll
0:29:03
So first and foremost we give the option to the member of the public.
0:29:06
If they want to file a complaint, we're gonna file a complaint for them.
0:29:10
If the allegations of discrimination are ongoing and it's happened relatively recently so that the amount of damage that the person has felt as a result of the discrimination, we will evaluate that for a quick resolution.
Nantasha Williams
0:29:29
It seems like this is successful so do you have like a vision on expanding this work and if so what would it take to expand this work?
Katherine Carroll
0:29:42
We definitely want to expand this work although we do have to constantly balance it with the deterrent effect of a full litigation and being subject to the civil penalties under our statute.
0:29:54
So we want to make sure that repeat bad actors aren't always getting this kind of get out of jail free card by getting involved in pre complaint intervention and that we're able to file the big cases that make sure that the bad actors stop repeat behavior.
0:30:10
So it's really a balance between the two mechanisms.