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Disability Rights Iowa’s Grievance Policy
It is Disability Rights Iowa’s( DRI) goal to provide some form of help to Iowans with disabilities who request our assistance. Because of DRI’s limited funds and other considerations, sometimes DRI’s help might be an answer to a question, self-advocacy assistance or a referral. DRI’s Areas of Focus identify the major categories of problems DRI can assist with and what areas we cannot assist with. DRI’s work and case determinations are based on DRI’s Areas of Focus document. You can find DRI’s Areas of Focus and case selection criteria on our website at the following link.
DRI provides advocacy services and legal help for people with disabilities. DRI can help eligible individuals in a variety of ways, including:
- Pursuing legal, administrative, and other remedies;
- Pursuing system changes;
- Investigating and monitoring facilities;
- Providing information about rights;
- Providing referrals to other programs that can help individuals with disabilities;
- Providing training and outreach to the disability community.
DRI cannot take every case. The level of advocacy services provided is based on multiple considerations, including DRI’s current Areas of Focus, resources, staff capacity and case selection criteria. If your problem is not covered by DRI’s Areas of Focus, DRI may not be able to directly help you. If DRI cannot provide direct help, we will do our best to identify and let you know about other agencies or persons who may be able to help you. We review our Areas of Focus every three years. You have the right to share your opinion with us about the types of disability-related cases you think are the most important. Please submit feedback though our website at the following link.
Grievance Policy
It is the Policy of DRI to provide clients and potential clients an opportunity to express concerns about services provided or denied them by DRI. The following steps allow clients, potential clients, or an authorized representative acting on their behalf to raise concerns about any of the following:
- DRI’s decision that you are not eligible for services under one of our programs;
- DRI’s decision that your case does not meet the Areas of Focus criteria;
- DRI’s decision that we are unable to provide you with a specific service such as legal representation;
- The quality of services;
- The closure of your case;
- You believe we have not fulfilled one or more of our legal obligations.
How can you file a Grievance about DRI?
If you disagree with DRI’s actions or decisions, you have thirty days after the decision to file a written Grievance that explains why you believe our action or decision was wrong. Grievances are not considered if filed late. Late Grievances are only reviewed if extreme circumstances prevented the filing. If you believe that DRI has broken a legal obligation, you may file a Grievance no matter how much time has passed.
You may file a written grievance by completing and submitting the Grievance form either by mail, email or online.
Mailed Grievance should be sent to:
Executive Director
Disability Rights Iowa
666 Walnut Street
Suite 1440
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Emailed Grievances should be sent to contact@driowa.org
Online Grievances can be submitted on our website at the following link.
Review & Decision by Executive Director
To determine if a Grievance has merit, the Executive Director or designee will carefully review:
- The Grievance;
- Any other materials or evidence submitted by the Grievant;
- Any applicable law; and
- DRI’s policies and procedures (including our Areas of Focus).
If necessary for a full review, the Executive Director or designee will contact the individual who filed the Grievance and other individuals, including DRI staff with knowledge of the dispute. Within fifteen (15) working days of receiving the Grievance, the Executive Director will issue a written determination.
If the Executive Director or designee finds that the agency’s denial of services or other action was inappropriate, the written determination will include this decision. As appropriate, the Executive Director or designee will develop a plan to correct the problems identified and ensure that appropriate services are promptly provided.
Review & Decision by DRI Board Executive Committee
If the Grievant is dissatisfied with the written determination of the Executive Director, the Grievant or representative may appeal the determination to DRI’s Board Executive Committee within thirty business days of receiving the Executive Director’s determination by submitting an Appeal Grievance Form.
You may submit DRI’s Grievance Appeal to Board Executive Committee Form by mail, email, or online.
Mailed Appeal Grievance Form should be sent to:
Board Executive Committee
Disability Rights Iowa
666 Walnut Street
Suite 1440
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Emailed DRI Grievance Appeal to Executive Committee Form should be sent to: board@driowa.org
Online Grievances can be submitted on our website at the following link.
At the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee will review the Grievant’s appeal of the Executive Director’s determination. The Grievant may be present or the appeal will be discussed based on all written information relevant to the appeal.
The DRI Board Executive Committee’s review of the Appeal is limited. The purpose of the Executive Committee’s review is to determine whether the Executive Director’s decision was correct pursuant to DRI’s policies and procedures. The DRI Board Executive Committee cannot direct the Executive Director, or other members of the legal staff to undertake or to refrain from action in a case. In reviewing the Executive Director’s determination, the Board will consider the information the Grievant provided with the initial Grievance, information learned during the Grievance process, and the additional information provided with the Appeal to the Executive Committee. In considering the appeal, the Executive Committee will review and answer the following questions.
- Did the Grieving Individual meet disability eligibility criteria under one of DRI’s grants?
- Is the Grieving Individual’s request for services a disability-rights issue (i.e., did the issue/question/complaint arise from a disability)?
- Did the Grieving Individual’s request for services fall within DRI’s fiscal year Areas of Focus?
- Does DRI have the funding and staff available to properly handle the issue?
- Did DRI follow their intake eligibility policies and procedures?
- Are there objective facts which support the Executive Director’s determination?
The DRI Board Executive Committee will send a written determination of DRI’s Final Decision to the Grievant and to the Executive Director within fifteen (15) days of the meeting. The Board’s Final Written Determination will include either of the following:
- a statement supporting the Executive Director’s decision; or
- a decision to support the Grievant and a recommended plan for changing DRI’s action.
The Executive Committee’s Decision is the final review and determination of the agency. New Intake requests based on grieved issues/facts are not eligible for intake consideration and/or a future Grievance review as the final Agency determination has been made on that request.
Confidentiality of Grievance
All grievances and related material are confidential. Access to the grievance material is limited to the Executive Director, the DRI staff assisting the Executive Director in responding to the grievance and Executive Committee Board members who, upon the Grievant’ s request, are reviewing the grievance and the Executive Director’s response.
