Patients have the right to due process with regard to grievances. This due process is spelled out in Code of Maine Rules, 14-193 CMR Ch. 1, Part A, Section VII, and "Rights of Recipients of Mental Health Services,” a copy of which patients receive at admission.
A Grievance is a formal or informal written or verbal complaint that is made to RPC by a patient, a patient’s representative, guardian, attorney, advocate, or any other person on behalf of a patient of Riverview Psychiatric Center.
All patients have the right to file a Grievance if they believe that their rights have been violated.
Patient Grievances are for alleged patient rights violations, and as such any other complaints alleging a patient rights violation on other media/forms must be referred to the Grievance process. Peer Support or a Patient Advocate may be utilized in order to help facilitate this conversion to a Grievance form.
When “anonymous” Grievances are received, all reasonable attempts will be made to identify the Grievant when no identifiable name is given.
Notice summarizing a patient's right to due process regarding Grievances, as well as copies of the forms to be used for that purpose, are available within each program area. Each patient is informed of this right by an employee of RPC, in a manner designed to be comprehensible to the individual recipient.
Grievances appealed to Level III are handled by the Commissioner of DHHS and the Attorney General with the full cooperation of RPC.