Disability Rights Michigan (DRM) provides advocacy services to individuals with disabilities. Many people contact DRM because they want direct representation from an attorney. Because we have limited funds and staffing, we can only take a small percentage of the cases that are presented to us. We make decisions about the types of cases we take based upon our current focus areas which we update each year. If you would like to share your opinion about the types of disability-related cases you think are most important, we invite you to complete our focus area survey by visiting our website at www.drmich.org or by calling our office at 1.800.288.5923. If your problem is not within one of our focus areas, we may not be able to represent you directly. If we cannot provide direct help, we will do our best to identify other agencies or individuals who may be able to assist you. We are also committed to providing specific, in-person information and brief advice to every person who contacts us. Any person, including a person’s legal or designated representative, may file a written grievance if you disagree with an action or decision made by DRM. For example, a grievance may be filed because: 1) We did not provide you with services in a respectful or fair manner; 2) We wrongly denied you for DRM services; or 3) We violated our legal obligations. Our legal obligations include that we: 1) Have the capacity to protect and advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities while working within our approved focus areas; 2) Have access to records for the purpose of investigating allegations made by persons with disabilities; 3) Maintain confidentiality of client records; 4) Provide the public with an opportunity to comment on our focus areas; and 5) Do not discriminate against a person on the basis of any protected characteristic including race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual identity or age. You may write and file a grievance in one of four ways: 1) By filling out a DRM Grievance Form (at the end of this document) 2) By writing a letter 3) By writing an e-mail 4) By asking a DRM staff member or someone else you trust to help you write your grievance. All written grievances are to be filed with the Lansing office at: Disability Rights Michigan Attn: Theresa Diebolt 4095 Legacy Parkway Lansing, MI 48911 Or e-mail it to: info@drmich.org If you need assistance in writing your complaint, please contact the Lansing office at 1.800.288.5923 and ask to speak with Theresa Diebolt. Grievance Procedure Steps: 1. You are encouraged to discuss your disagreement with the DRM employee with whom you have been in contact and/or their supervisor within 30 days. 2. If you are dissatisfied with the employee or supervisor’s response, you may put your complaint in writing to the Executive Director at the Lansing office within 15 days of speaking with the employee and/or supervisor. Include any documentation you believe supports your complaint. If the Executive Director has not investigated your complaint and responded in writing within 10 days of receiving your complaint, you may proceed to the next step. 3. If you are dissatisfied with the Executive Director’s response or proposed action, you may put your complaint in writing to the Compliance Committee of the DRM Board of Directors within 15 days of receiving the Executive Director’s response. The complaint must explain why you disagree with the Executive Director’s determination. Your complaint shall be sent to: Disability Rights Michigan Attn: Compliance Committee 4095 Legacy Parkway Lansing, MI 48911 Or e-mail it to: info@drmich.org By filing your complaint with the Compliance Committee, you are providing permission to allow your identifying information and the nature of your grievance to be shared with volunteer board members of Disability Rights Michigan. The Compliance Committee will review your complaint and all previous responses provided by DRM related to the complaint. The Compliance Committee may ask to meet with you if additional information is needed to make a decision. The Compliance Committee can only decide about whether DRM staff complied with applicable laws, professional ethical standards, agency casework standards, agency procedures, and agency priorities. The Compliance Committee will send its written decision to you, from the Executive Director, within 30 days of receiving your complaint. Date: Name: Address: Daytime Phone: I am (check one): a client or prospective client a representative of a client or prospective client a family member of a client or prospective client a representative of a family member of client or prospective client Please explain why you are filing a grievance: What do you want Disability Rights Michigan (DRM) to do differently? If you have questions or need assistance in writing your complaint, please contact the Lansing office at 1.800.288.5923 and ask to speak with Theresa Diebolt. Mail your completed form and any supporting documentation to: Disability Rights Michigan Attn: Theresa Diebolt 4095 Legacy Parkway Lansing, MI 48911 Or e-mail it to: info@drmich.org Disability Rights Michigan Grievance Procedure Revised August 2020