Ombudsman

The primary goal of the Ombudsman is to open a positive dialogue with families to allow them an informal venue to address concerns.

The Ombudsman is:

• Interested in fairness with which services are provided to people with disabilities by the local DD system
• Willing to listen and offer guidance about problems people have with services provided or paid for by the DD Program
• Able to hear complaints and questions from people who use services, from family members, or from other citizens
• Independent of any operational part of the DD Program

The Ombudsman can:

• Look into complaints to seek informal resolution, when the people complaining don't want to pursue formal methods
• Advise people about how to use formal complaint or appeal processes
• Make suggestions to the DD Program or any of its affiliated organizations about possible resolutions of complaints-especially those that involve policies, procedures, or practices that may result in unfair treatment