Complaints/Inquiries Objectives
Community inquiries, complaints and reports often result from public concern about child abuse, property rights, drug or alcohol abuse, unstable marital and child care patterns and mental illness. In addition, information is often provided for the purpose of alerting the Agency to possible fraud.
Agency Objectives
The Agency is equally concerned about complaints regarding Agency operations or actions of individual staff members. It is expected that all staff will conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the following four objectives:
- To give maximum service to clients, while maintaining the confidentiality to which they are entitled.
- To improve Agency public relations:
- Through actions which interpret agency programs.
- Through increased awareness of problems in the community and among other service agencies.
- By prompt attention to finding a resolution to the problem reported.
- To ensure correctness of grant and eligibility determinations.
- To protect the identity of the complainant.
How to Achieve the Agency Objectives
Normally, the four policy objectives are achieved by:
- Being courteous.
- Listening carefully and completely to the complainant to determine his/her concerns.
- Determining the identity of the complainant (name, address, telephone number, etc.). While the identity of the complainant is desirable, anonymity is not to prevent the report/request from being accepted and processed.
- Explaining to the complainant the extent and limitations of our program.
- Assuring the complainant that we will take appropriate action, if indeed it turns out that the person under discussion is a client, meanwhile NEVER acknowledging whether or not the person is a client.
- Responding only to the complainant's concern and not giving confidential information.
- Referring the complainant to a more appropriate resource, if this is indicated, such as Police, Juvenile Probation Department, Adult Probation Department, or Child Protective Services.
- On rare occasions, transferring a call within the Agency and then, only to a named person.
- Explaining to the complainant that a response to the complaint can only be given if a client consents to release of the information.
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