Section He-M 202.03 - Complaints(a) A complaint may be made by any person including, but not limited to: (2) An individual's guardian or family member;(3) An applicant for services; or(4) An employee of, or a contractor, consultant, or volunteer for the department, an area agency, or a program.(b) A person wishing to make a complaint may make the complaint orally or in writing to the OCLS or any employee of an area agency, a program, or the bureau. Any person receiving a complaint shall promptly forward the complaint to the OCLS.(c) When the OCLS or an area agency or program receives an oral complaint, it shall: (1) Encourage the complainant to submit the complaint in writing; and(2) Put the complaint in writing if the complainant cannot or will not do so.(d) Neither the OCLS nor any area agency or program shall require a complaint to be submitted on a specified form or in a specified format.(e) A complaint may be made anonymously. If so, the identity of the complainant shall be kept confidential throughout the complaint investigation process. The complainant may be referenced by name as a witness or in another role in the course of the investigation or in the complaint report, but the fact that he or she acted as the complainant shall not be disclosed without consent.(f) No individual shall be subject to any form of harassment or retaliation by any area agency, program, or department employee, contractor, consultant, or volunteer as a result of filing a complaint.(g) Except when necessary to protect an individual's health or safety, an area agency or program shall not discontinue, amend, or otherwise disrupt services provided to an individual as a result of that individual, or a person acting on the individual's behalf, filing a complaint.(h) No employee of, or contractor, consultant, or volunteer for the department or an area agency or program shall be subject to any form of discipline, harassment, or retaliation as a result of filing a complaint.N.H. Admin. Code § He-M 202.03
(See Revision Note at part heading for He-M 202) #5830, eff 5-24-94, EXPIRED: 5-24-00
New. #7730, eff 7-24-02; ss by #9754, INTERIM, eff 7-24-10, EXPIRED: 1-20-11
New. #9962, eff 8-15-11 (from He-M 202.04 )
Amended by Volume XL Number 2, Filed January 9, 2020, Proposed by #12940, Effective 12/10/2019