Purpose
We are committed to providing quality services. The purpose of this policy is to ensure adoption clients are extended the right to lodge a complaint when they are not satisfied with the quality of their services, believe their services have not been provided in a humane and dignified manner, or believe their adoptive rights have been violated.
Policy
All adoption clients have the right to quality service(s) that are provided in a humane and dignified atmosphere. It is incumbent upon each staff member to remind adoption clients of their right to express concern or lodge a complaint when the adoption client believes services are not provided appropriately.
Procedure
The Center for Youth and Family Solutions makes available to all clients served in the adoption program a process to express and resolve complaints or grievances. These clients include biological parents, adopted persons and adoptive parents.
This written complaint/grievance process is to be provided to adoption clients at the initial in-person meeting or via mail/letter prior to any placement occurring, or prior to signing into any written contract for services with the client. A receipt of a copy of the CYFS adoption client grievance process shall be signed/dated by the client and witnessed. A copy shall be maintained in the client’s file.
Contact information regarding the complaint registry will be made available to clients when it has been established by state and federal authorities.
DCFS Rule and Procedure 401 define “complaint” as any oral or written report made to or by the Department or supervising agency, or by the party alleging a violation of licensing standards of the Child Care Act of 1969.
Complaint Process:
- Without limitation, a prompt complaint response time will occur no later than 2 business days from the complaint.
- CYFS shall maintain written documentation of all complaints received at the agency.
- CYFS shall report, in writing, to the Department’s regional licensing office or the DCFS Licensing Representative within 10 business days after complaints are received, including the complaint resolution if it was resolved.
- Any retaliation against the person making the complaint is prohibited.
- The Continuous Quality Improvement Director (phone number 309-323-6600) shall be designated to accept consumer complaints.
- Resolutions of all complaints shall be reported to the agency board of directors at its next meeting by the agency’s Executive Director.
Formal Grievance Process
If a situation cannot be resolved by the client and the employee involved, the client may grieve the complaint received by using the following procedure:
- The client is requested to state their grievance in writing to the immediate supervisor of the staff member, and send a copy to the staff member. As the grievance facilitator, the supervisor will:
- Facilitate a conference within 10 working days of receiving the written grievance. The conference will involve all relevant parties to rectify the matter.
- Following the conference, mail a summary of the issues and resolution to the client following the conference with instructions for the client in the event that he or she is dissatisfied with the resolution. In such case, the client will be instructed to contact the person at the next level of management within 14 days of the date of the letter. The name and contact information for the person at the next level of management will be included.
- Copy the summary to the person at the next level of management, and the CQI Director, and file a copy in the case documentation section of the case record.
- If contacted by the client, the person at the next level of management will become the grievance facilitator. He or she should continue to follow the process outlined above to take the grievance up the chain of command. If the grievance reaches the level of management that reports to a member of the executive team, the program coordinator or program administrator will be the grievance facilitator and will:
- Facilitate a conference within 10 working days involving all relevant parties to reach a resolution.
- Within 5 business days of the conference, formulate the resolution and inform in writing all of those involved of the decision and the client’s right to appeal the decision to the executive director within 5 working days of the date of the letter.
- Copy the summary to the CQI Director and supervisor, and file a copy in the case documentation section of the case record with any previous summaries pertaining to the grievance.
- Those clients disagreeing with the above decision may appeal to the Executive Director of the agency within 5 working days of the date of the letter informing the client of the decision. The final decision rests with the Executive Director or his/her designee and shall be considered the Agency’s resolution to the grievance. All involved, including the CQI Director, will be informed of the final decision in writing, and a copy will be placed in the client record.
- Programs having outside contracts, which cover service reviews or client complaints, will follow the requirements of their particular contracts.
Monitoring
The Continuous Quality Improvement Department will track all adoption client grievances and report on them in the management report to the board of directors.