Patient Advocates and Client Rights Officers
All providers are required to identity a person who is responsible for listening to complaints or concerns from patients or customers about a specific service or incident involving the provider or one of its employees and the client. At some organizations, the person is called a client rights’ officer, while in a hospital setting the person may be called a patient advocate or representative. Regardless of what they are called, someone is responsible for hearing your concerns.
For example, you may feel that a counselor, nurse or case manager did not listen to an important concern or question that you shared with them, and consequently they never answered it. Perhaps you felt an employee was rude or disrespectful to you or repeatedly fails to respond to phone messages or emails concerning questions about your treatment. Or perhaps you feel an employee is acting inappropriately or unethically with you.
First, be sure to write down when and what happened so you can provide a detailed complaint. Then, ask to talk with the client rights officer for the provider or agency you have an issue with. Calmly explain the concern. The client rights officer may ask you to repeat certain things to be sure (s)he understands what you have said. The officer may ask additional questions. And the person will likely need to investigate your complaint after talking with you. However, the client rights officer or advocate should tell you what the next step will be and when you can expect to hear from them again.
If the client rights officer hears your complaint, investigates it further, and then provides a response that you feel is not acceptable, then ask the person who you can talk with further about this issue. If the provider is funded by the Four County ADAMhs Board and your service is funded completely or partially by the ADAMhs Board, then you can take your complaint to the Four County ADAMhs Board’s Client Rights Officer. See contact information below:
Contact: Bethany Shirkey at 419.267.3355, ext. 5. Explain that you have a client rights issue to discuss.
When speaking with Bethany, you will need to explain what you told the provider’s client rights officer. If you saved your notes, that will be helpful. Explain what the provider’s client rights officer said and why you are not satisfied with that response. Bethany will ask some additional questions so she understands the issue and will then investigate further with the provider to try and resolve the issue. Bethany will call you back once she has talked with the provider and give you an update. If you are still not satisfied, Bethany will tell you the next person that can hear your complaint.
The following list includes Behavioral Health Providers that are located in Defiance, Fulton, Henry or Williams counties or Providers that frequently serve residents of the Four County area.
Those agencies with an asterisk (*) are agencies funded by the Four County ADAMhs Board.
The client rights officer or the title of the person you should ask for at each provider is listed with that person’s telephone number. After talking with those agencies about a client rights issue and not receiving an acceptable resolution, please contact Bethany Shirkey, Four County ADAMhs Board at 419.267.3355, ext. 5
For example, you may feel that a counselor, nurse or case manager did not listen to an important concern or question that you shared with them, and consequently they never answered it. Perhaps you felt an employee was rude or disrespectful to you or repeatedly fails to respond to phone messages or emails concerning questions about your treatment. Or perhaps you feel an employee is acting inappropriately or unethically with you.
First, be sure to write down when and what happened so you can provide a detailed complaint. Then, ask to talk with the client rights officer for the provider or agency you have an issue with. Calmly explain the concern. The client rights officer may ask you to repeat certain things to be sure (s)he understands what you have said. The officer may ask additional questions. And the person will likely need to investigate your complaint after talking with you. However, the client rights officer or advocate should tell you what the next step will be and when you can expect to hear from them again.
If the client rights officer hears your complaint, investigates it further, and then provides a response that you feel is not acceptable, then ask the person who you can talk with further about this issue. If the provider is funded by the Four County ADAMhs Board and your service is funded completely or partially by the ADAMhs Board, then you can take your complaint to the Four County ADAMhs Board’s Client Rights Officer. See contact information below:
Contact: Bethany Shirkey at 419.267.3355, ext. 5. Explain that you have a client rights issue to discuss.
When speaking with Bethany, you will need to explain what you told the provider’s client rights officer. If you saved your notes, that will be helpful. Explain what the provider’s client rights officer said and why you are not satisfied with that response. Bethany will ask some additional questions so she understands the issue and will then investigate further with the provider to try and resolve the issue. Bethany will call you back once she has talked with the provider and give you an update. If you are still not satisfied, Bethany will tell you the next person that can hear your complaint.
The following list includes Behavioral Health Providers that are located in Defiance, Fulton, Henry or Williams counties or Providers that frequently serve residents of the Four County area.
Those agencies with an asterisk (*) are agencies funded by the Four County ADAMhs Board.
The client rights officer or the title of the person you should ask for at each provider is listed with that person’s telephone number. After talking with those agencies about a client rights issue and not receiving an acceptable resolution, please contact Bethany Shirkey, Four County ADAMhs Board at 419.267.3355, ext. 5
Client Rights Officer Contacts
A Renewed Mind Behavioral Health* -- Katie Weber, 419-330-1050.
Bryan Community Health Center (part of Health Partners of Western Ohio) * -- Dawn Beamer, 419-221-3072.
Center for Child and Family Advocacy* -- Roberta Mack, 419-592-0540.
Community Hospitals & Wellness Center, Counseling/Wellness Services – Counseling/Wellness Department Director, 419-630-2125.
Defiance Community Health Center (Health Partners of Western Ohio) * -- Dawn Beamer, 419-221-3072.
Henry County Hospital, The Help Center – Jan Hoffer, 419-591-3816.
Maumee Valley Guidance Center* -- Karen VonDeylen, 419-782-8856.
New Home Development Company* -- Sherri Clemens, 419-519-3075.
Northwest Ohio Community Action Commission* -- Angie Franklin 419-784-2150.
Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital (Toledo)* -- Jori Wilson-Crittenden, 419-381-1881, ext. 2106.
Promedica Defiance Regional Hospital, The Coping Center -- Patient Representative, 419-783-4434
Quadco Rehabilitation Center * -- Kelly Shannon, 419-682-1011.
Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio* -- Miria Minch, 419-782-9920.
