Overview
DDAP’s Bureau of Program Licensure is responsible for investigating all complaints that fall within the purview of the regulations and standards for a licensed drug and alcohol treatment facility or licensed recovery house or cause a risk to the health or safety of a client being served at either licensed facility.
Examples of reasons to file a complaint include allegations that:
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A drug and alcohol treatment facility or recovery house is putting client/staff health and safety at risk.
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A recovery house requires licensure but is not licensed.
Who can file a complaint
The Department accepts complaints from the public about a licensed drug and alcohol treatment facility or a licensed recovery house that has or is required to have a license issued by the Department, including but not limited to:
- clients
- family members
- staff
- community members
- other government, state, county, city agencies
- funders and program oversight agencies
File a complaint
To file a complaint, input the following information in DDAP’s contact us intake form. Please select the dropdown “Inquiry Topic” and select “Filing a complaint.”
Complainant Information
- Complainant name and contact information will be collected in the form fields. If you remain anonymous it may hinder or prohibit the investigation.
Complaint details
Provide detailed information related to your complaint/allegation in the comments box including:
- Name and location of the licensed drug and alcohol treatment facility or recovery house that is licensed or required to be licensed.
- Dates of incident or issues.
- Specific location details (facility floor, suite number, etc.).
- Names of individuals involved.
- Description of incident or issues.
- Whether a grievance was filed with the licensed drug and alcohol treatment facility or recovery house that is licensed or required to be licensed.
Complaint investigation
The Department’s Bureau of Program Licensure (BPL) takes the following steps to address every complaint that includes allegations of noncompliance with the regulations, and is filed against a licensed drug and alcohol treatment facility or a recovery house that is licensed or required to be licensed.
BPL assesses all complaints which fall under its jurisdiction for degree of risk to clients/staffhealth or safety, with timelines for the initiation of an investigation dependent upon the identified risk. If it is determined that your concern falls outside the regulatory authority of the Department, the department will make a referral to another federal, state, or local agency or entity, if appropriate.
One or more BPL staff will conduct an investigation either by an unannounced visit, during the annual licensure renewal inspection, or by telephone.
BPL staff will request information needed for the investigation, which may include a list of facility staff and clients for interviews, administrative policies and procedures, personnel files, and client records.
BPL staff will conduct a physical plant inspection or walkthrough, depending upon the nature of the allegations, to determine if the physical plant is safe and is in compliance with the regulations.
BPL will require a plan of correction if it issues regulatory citations. BPL will consider the investigation complete upon receipt and approval of any required plans of correction.
BPL staff will post citations, as appropriate, to the provider-facing site. When BPL posts the citations, the facility will receive notification via email to review the written report and the findings from the investigation. The facility must enter a plan of corrections, as appropriate for BPL approval. Upon completion of the investigation, BPL will provide a letter to both the complainant and the complainee which includes the outcome of the investigation.
At the conclusion of the investigation, BPL staff will meet with the facility representative to provide a summary of information obtained during the visit. BPL will review the information to determine if the allegation(s) will be substantiated (in whole or in part), unsubstantiated, or are inconclusive.