Offices of HIV Care and Prevention Grievance Process & Procedures

The Offices of HIV Care and Prevention recognizes that not all client grievances or complaints may be resolved at the service provider level and therefore has implemented a neutral third party mediation option in hopes of facilitating an amicable resolution between the client and the service provider.

Clients who have not reached a reasonable and timely resolution to their grievance after going through the service the provider's internal grievance procedure may be eligible for third party mediation.

Each services provider funded through the Offices of HIV Care and Prevention is required to have its own written grievance policies and procedures and provide a written copy to all clients to whom they providers to.

Each Offices of HIV Care and Prevention funded provider is required to:

• Compose its Grievance Policy and the Patient Rights and Responsibilities statement in clear and simple terms so that it is easy for the participant to understand.
• Distribute copies of grievance documents to every new participant and display them in a public area.
• Offer various dispute prevention measures such as:
  • Inform participants whom they can approach with concerns.
  • Listen and get the facts before jumping to conclusions.
  • Be tactful and never humiliate or embarrass anyone.
  • Admit mistakes.
  • Explain the reason for the decisions made.
  • Provide opportunities for participant feedback such as:
    • Open forums or town hall meetings
    • Hotlines
    • Suggestions boxes
    • Client satisfaction surveys
    • Focus groups
    • Consumer advisory boards
• Specify timelines with each step of the grievance process and provide prompt follow through with the decision.
• Ensure the participant that no retaliatory action will be taken against them that will affect their service.
• Review the Grievance Policy periodically with program administrators and revise as needed.