The Grievance and Appeals (G&A) coordinator can help you file a formal grievance or appeal if you are unhappy with the mental health services that you have received. Under Vermont’s Global Commitment to Health, the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) has established a process to formally resolve concerns about the services you receive.
For more information about Appeals and Fair Hearings please visit the Department of Vermont Health Access at http://dvha.vermont.gov/appeals-and-fair-hearings.
Grievance: You may file a formal grievance when you are not satisfied with the quality of your services including the manner in which staff behave and relate to you. Examples of grievance issues include:
- Dissatisfaction with a service provider’s behavior
- Dissatisfaction with the quality of services
- Dissatisfaction with the accessibility of services
- Dissatisfaction with program management
- Dissatisfaction with a program decision
- Dissatisfaction with a policy decision.
If you have already filed a grievance with an agency, and are unhappy with the resolution, you can request a grievance review by the Grievance and Appeal Coordinator by emailing AHS.DMHQuality@vermont.gov.
Appeal: You may file an appeal when you do not agree with proposed changes to type or amount of the services offered as part of your treatment plan. Examples include:
- Denial, in whole or in part, of a particular service
- Failure to provide services in a timely manner or sufficient quantity
- Denial of request for mental health services (that you deem clinically appropriate for inclusion in your treatment plan).
If you are dissatisfied with your agency, a member of its staff, or decisions about services that you receive, you may complete this form and give it to the agency's grievances and appeals coordinator so that your issues can be addressed. This form is made available for your convenience, but you may write your concerns down in any way you choose or you may talk to a staff person or the grievance and appeals coordinator at your agency about your concerns.
For Members: For more information on what a grievance is, what an appeal is, and timelines for each please refer to our Grievance and Appeals flyer which can be found here.
For Providers: The grievance and appeals warehouse can be accessed here.