Through a combined focus on education, prevention, early intervention and treatment, The Community Mental Health and Recovery Board is dedicated to ensuring that the needs of persons (both adults and children) experiencing mental illness and drug and alcohol addictions within Licking and Knox Counties are met.

The Board, espousing a strong commitment to serving persons with serious mental illness, believes that every individual has the capacity to recover and that services should be delivered in a way that supports that belief.

Through its’ nine contract agencies, the Board provides a myriad of services including, but not limited to, the following:

• Case management
• Diagnostic Assessment
• Crisis intervention
• Group and Individual Therapy
• Medication/Psychiatric services
• Peer Support
• Specialized Children’s & Women’s Services

The Community Mental Health and Recovery Board

Serving Licking and Knox Counties

1435 B W. Main Street

Newark, OH 43055

Phone: (740) 522-1232

Fax: (740) 522-3502

Toll Free: 1-866-559-6650

Hours: M - F, 9:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Website: Communitymhrb.org

Wendy Williams, Executive Director

Open, Chief Financial Officer

Mary Holley, Director of Business Operations

M. Kay Spergel, Clincial Manager

Open, Grant Coordinator & Community Liaison

Marcy Hopkins, Fiscal Assistant

Kelly S. O'Brien, Executive Assistant

The Community Mental Health and Recovery Board Serving Licking and Knox Counties will hold meetings in Knox County throughout the year. Please refer to the Calendar for actual location and to confirm the committee meetings each month.

Grievance Procedure

8. Upon request, and when accompanied by an appropriate release of information, the CMHRB and its contracted agencies will provide all relevant information about the grievance to one or more of the organizations specified in the paragraph above.
9. The CMHRB will post the grievance procedure in a conspicuous place in the Board office. Each contract agency will post their grievance procedure in a conspicuous place in each building operated by the agency. In addition, written grievance procedures will be available upon request to each applicant, client, or other interested parties.
10. The CMHRB and each of its contract agencies shall make provision for prompt accessibility of the CRO to the griever. If the CRO is not available (out of the office, for example), a staff person will take down the griever's name, address, and phone number so that the CRO can contact them. A grievance package should also be made available to the griever.
11. The CMHRB will provide a personal copy of the client rights policy to every member of the Board staff, underlining their responsibility to immediately advise any client or other person who is articulating a concern, complaint, or grievance about the name and the availability of the Board's CRO and the complainant's right to file a grievance. Each contract agency will see that a similar provision is made to inform and instruct their staff and provide for an ongoing program of education and training to assure compliance with this section of the policy.
12. A complainant may be represented by a person of his or her choice. If a complainant employs an attorney, the complainant must pay for the attorney fees. The board is not required and will not be responsible for fees or any costs related to the employment of private counsel.

Process for Filing a Grievance

§ If the griever is not satisfied, they and the CRO will meet with the Board's executive director. If a resolution is reached at this level, a letter as detailed above will be sent to the griever, this time signed by the three parties.

§ If the griever, the CRO, and the executive director are unable to find a resolution, the griever will have the opportunity to bring their concerns before the Board of Trustees Subcommittee at the next meeting. Note: the scheduling of this meeting will be within the twenty (20) working day limitation called for in the Administrative Code.

§ If the Board of Trustees Subcommittee and the griever are unable to resolve the complaint, the griever will be given a full copy of the grievance procedure and have explained what resolution they may seek from the outside entities (see list of outside entities). Please note: A resolved grievance does not always mean that the griever will be satisfied with the resolution. It does mean, in the opinion of the Board that everything needed to be done to address the grievance has occurred. A grievance that has been resolved cannot be re-opened.

§ A grievance log will be maintained by the CMHRB which will contain, at a minimum, the following information:
ü Griever's name address and phone number.
ü Program and site identification where the grievance was filed.
ü Date grievance was received and nature of the grievance.
ü Date written acknowledgement was sent.
ü Summary of resolution and date closed.

• The right to be treated with consideration and respect for personal dignity, autonomy, and privacy.
• The right to be informed of available prevention services.
• The right to give consent or to refuse any service.
• The right or freedom from unnecessary physical restraint or seclusion..
• The right to be advised and the right to refuse observation by others and by techniques such as one-way vision mirrors, tape recorders, video recorders, television, movies and photographs.
• The right to confidentiality of communications and personal identifying information within the limitations and requirements for disclosure of consumer information under state and federal laws and regulations.
• The right to have access to one’s own consumer record in accordance with program procedures.
• The right to be informed of the reason(s) for terminating participation in program services.
• The right to be informed of the reason(s) for denial of a program service.
• The right not to be discriminated against for receiving services on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, national origin, disability or HIV infection, whether asymptomatic or symptomatic, or AIDS.
• The right to know the cost of services, if applicable.
• The right to be informed of all consumer rights.
• The right to exercise one’s own rights without reprisal.
• The right to file a grievance in accordance with agency procedures.
• The right to have oral and written instructions concerning the procedure for filing a grievance.

• The right to be treated with consideration and respect for personal dignity, autonomy, and privacy.
• The right to service in a humane setting which is the least restrictive feasible as defined in the treatment plan.
• The right to be informed of one’s own condition, of proposed or current services, treatment or therapies, and of the alternatives.
• The right to consent to or refuse any service, treatment, or therapy upon full explanation of the expected consequences of such consent or refusal. A parent or legal guardian may consent to or refuse any service, treatment or therapy on behalf of a minor client.
• The right to a current, written, individualized service plan that addresses one’s own mental health, physical health, social and economic needs, and that specifies the provision of appropriate and adequate services, as available, either directly or by refusal.
• The right to active and informed participation in the establishment, periodic review, and reassessment of the service plan.
• The right to freedom from unnecessary or excessive medication.
• The right to freedom from unnecessary restraint or seclusion.
• The right to participate in any appropriate and available agency service, regardless of refusal of one or more other services, treatments, or therapies, or regardless of relapse from earlier treatment in that or other service, unless there is a valid and specific necessity which precludes and/or requires the client’s participation in other services. The necessity shall be explained to the client and written in the client’s current service plan.
• The rights to be informed of and refuse any unusual or hazardous treatment procedures.
• The rights to be advised of and refuse observation by techniques such as one-way vision mirrors, tape recorders, televisions, movies, or photographs.
• The right to have the opportunity to consult with independent treatment specialists or legal counsel, at one’s own expense.
• The right to confidentiality of communications and of all personally identifying information within the limitations and requirements for disclosure of various funding and/or certifying sources, state or federal statutes, unless release of information is specifically authorized by the client or parent or legal guardian of a minor client or court appointed guardian of the person of an adult client in accordance with Rule 5122:2-3-11 of the State of Ohio Administrative Code.
• The right to have access to one’s own psychiatric, medical, or other treatment records, unless access to particular identified items of information is specifically restricted for that individual client for clear treatment reasons in the client’s treatment plan. “Clear treatment reasons” shall be understood to mean only severe emotional damage to the client such as dangerous or self-injurious behavior is an imminent risk. The person restricting the information shall explain to the client and other persons authorized by the client the factual information about the individual client that necessitates the restriction. The restriction must be renewed at least annually to retain validity. Any person authorized by the client has unrestricted access to all information. Client shall be informed in writing of agency policies and procedures for viewing or obtaining copies of personal records.
• The right to be informed in advance of the reason(s) for discontinuance of service provision, and to be involved in planning for the consequences of that event.
• The right to receive an explanation of the reason(s) for denial of service.
• The right not to be discriminated against in the provision of service on the basis of religion, race, color, creed, sex, national origin, lifestyle, age, physical or mental handicap, developmental disability or inability to pay.
• The right to know the cost of services.
• The right to be fully informed of all rights.
• The right to exercise any and all rights without reprisal in any form including continued uncompromised access to service.
• The right to file a grievance.
• The right to have oral and written instruction for filing a grievance.

• The right to be treated with consideration and respect for personal dignity, autonomy, and privacy.
• The right to receive services in the least restrictive feasible environment.
• The right to be informed of one’s own condition.
• The right to be informed of AVAILABLE PROGRAM services.
• The right to give consent or refuse any service, treatment, or therapy.
• The right to participate in the development review, and revision of one’s own individualized treatment plan.
• The right or freedom from unnecessary physical restraint or seclusion.
• The right to be informed and the right to refuse any unusual or hazardous treatment procedures.
• The right to be advised and the right to refuse observation by others and by techniques such as one-way mirrors, tape recorders, televisions, movies, or photographs.
• The right to consult with an independent treatment specialist or legal counsel, at own’s own expense.
• The right to confidentiality of communications and personally identifying information within the limitations and requirements for disclosure of client information under state and federal laws and regulations.
• The right to have access to one’s own client record in accordance with program procedures.
• The right to be informed of the reason(s) for TERMINATING PARTICIPATION IN A PROGRAM.
• The right to be informed of the reason(s) for denial of service.
• The right not to be discriminated against for receiving services on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or HIV infection, WHETHER ASYMPTOMATIC OR SYMPTOMATIC, or AIDS.
• The right to know the cost of services.
• The right to be informed of all rights.
• The right to exercise one’s own rights without reprisal.
• The right to file a grievance in accordance with program procedures.
• The right to have oral and written instructions concerning the procedure for filing a grievance.

For additional information, visit the website for the Community Mental Health and Recovery Board of Licking and Knox Counties.
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