Resources & Grievance Policy

A Formal Grievance should be filed within 30 days of when the complainant became aware of or suspected the violation of ethics or standards. The Formal Grievance should be documented on the AzRHA Formal Grievance Form. Verbal grievances will not be acted upon.

The completed AzRHA Formal Grievance Form will be directed to the Recovery Residences Collaborative’s designee (investigator) for prompt investigation.

Respondent should be notified by email or telephone within 3 business days of the receipt of the grievance. The investigator will forward a copy of the grievance to the AzRHA Executive Director for distribution to the members of the grievance/ethics committee.

If the grievance concerns issues with existing AzRHA policy that a Certified Recovery Residence believes should be examined prior to the next scheduled annual policy review meeting then the investigator shall forward a copy of the grievance to the Grievance Committee and the investigator shall take no further action.

Within 14 days of receipt of the written complaint, the investigator will complete an objective investigation of the matter and report the findings in writing to the Grievance/ethics Committee. The investigation may include telephone or in-person interviews with the parties and witnesses, site visits to the sober home and review of written records. An extension of no more than 14 days may be granted for investigations that take longer than the initial 14-day timeframe.

Within 30 days of receipt of the findings of the investigator the Grievance/ethics Committee will record its findings and decision in writing. An extension of no more than 30 days may be granted for investigations that take longer than the initial 30-day timeframe. No member of the Grievance/ethics Committee shall intentionally try to stall, prolong, or delay proceedings. The Grievance/ethics Committee may render its decision solely on the basis of the grievance and the investigator’s report or may request the complainant or respondent to appear separately in front of the Grievance/ethics Committee to gather additional information. Written notice of the time and date will be sent to the grievant at least 10 days prior to the hearing. A conference call may take the place of a personal appearance. A complainant or respondent does not have the right to demand to appear in person before the Grievance/ethics Committee.

The decision of the Grievance/ethics Committee shall be communicated to the respondent and to the AzRHA Board of Directors (so to be recorded in the next Board meeting’s minutes to keep official record) within seven days. The decision is final. However, any grievance where the Grievance/ethics Committee recommends suspension, revocation or denial of certification for an operator shall be presented to the AzRHA Board of Directors for their determination as outlined in Step 5.

The Grievance/ethics Committee shall present its recommendation for suspension, revocation or denial of an operator’s certification to the AZRHA Board of Directors for their determination. The presentation shall include the complaint / grievance; investigation summary including an objective account of everything that transpired to result in the grievance and as well as anything that may have occurred as a result of the grievance, and the recommended action to be taken.

AZRHA Board of Directors will discuss and make a formal recommendation for vote at the next general or special meeting. A report of the findings, voting results, and corrective actions to be taken will be provided to the respondent via email within 14 business days after the general meeting. The proceedings will be recorded in the meeting minutes to keep official record.