Dispute Policy

Western Tidewater Community Services Board Region Five Hub Complaint Resolution Policy

Purpose: The Regional and Crisis Hub Complaint Resolution Policy details the process for initiating a complaint or grievance. The Complaint Resolution Policy ensures that each complaint or grievance is addressed in a timely and efficient manner. Concerns that arise should be resolved fairly and as soon as possible. Providers who wish to pursue an issue through the Complaint Resolution Policy should follow the resolution steps below.

**Do not attempt to resolve concerns by dialing 988 or 757 656-7755, preserve this forum for client access and care. The 988 and Suicide Crisis Life Line Vendor is not able to resolve these concerns.

First Resolution Step:

• Initiate an informal discussion with Region Five Hub Administrative staff.
• This can be accomplished by utilizing the following contact information: Email [email protected] or call 757-434-6759.
• The Region Five Hub Administrative Staff will be responsible for appropriate tracking, time frames, and applicable documentation related to the procedure and/or concern.

Second Resolution Step:

• Submit a formal written concern to the Region Five Hub Director, Staci Young, LPC ([email protected]).
• The written concern should state the nature of the complaint, the facts in support of the claim, and the relief requested.
• A carbon copy will then be submitted to WTCSB Executive Director, Brandon Rodgers ([email protected]).
• A written response and resolution will be provided within five business days.

Third Resolution Step:

• A formal resolution meeting will be scheduled with all referenced in the second resolution step.
• Moderation from the Office of Crisis Services at The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services can be requested as needed.
• A request for this meeting shall be sent to: [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected].
• A resolution meeting will be held within 10 days and a formal resolution will be provided within 20 business days of initiation.

Non-Answer/Rejection Policy

Mobile Provider Non-Answer/Rejection in VCC Procedure

Purpose: The Virginia Crisis Continuum requires a crisis response within an hour. It is imperative that Mobile Responders respond as quickly as possible to a dispatch for Mobile Crisis Response so that the R5 Hub can ensure our best efforts to meet this metric.

We believe these issues mostly arise around Mobile Responders staying logged in to the VCC and marked as available for dispatch when off or away for long periods of time.

NonAnswer:
When a mobile responder fails to respond to a mobile dispatch (accepting or rejecting the dispatch) the following actions will be taken by the R5 Hub:

A. Two (2) instances in a week from the same Responder.

a. The R5 Hub will reach out to the primary agency contact for the agency the Mobile Responder is responding for and suspend the Mobile Responder until the meeting occurs and a resolution can be agreed upon.

B. Three (3) or more instances in a week from Mobile Responders within the same agency.

a. The R5 Hub will reach out to the agency the Mobile Responder(s) are responding for, and suspend dispatches to that agency until the meeting occurs with the primary contact for that agency and a resolution can be agreed upon.

C. Ten (10) instances in a month from Mobile Responders within the same agency.

a. The R5 Hub will reach out to the primary contact for the agency that the Mobile Responder(s) are responding for, and suspend dispatches to that agency until the meeting occurs with the primary contact for that agency and a resolution can be agreed upon.

Rejections:
When a rejection occurs from the Mobile Responders, please ensure that they are in a timely manner, and that a reason has been given to the Dispatcher.

A. If Rejections occur for the same agency:

a. Five (5) or more times a month: A meeting will be held with that agency to resolve any barriers to service delivery
b. If an Agency’s Responders reject a dispatch without providing the reason for the rejection two (2) or more times a week. Suspension of Dispatches may occur for any provider of that agency until a meeting with that can be held with that agency to resolve any barriers to service.

Please understand that these standards and remedies are in place to ensure timely access to critical emergent behavioral health care as part of Virginia’s Crisis now model of care, delays in rendering such care increase risk for negative outcomes.

Region Five Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) Dispatch Availability Monitoring & Response Procedure

Purpose
To ensure consistent and reliable dispatch availability by Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) providers in Region Five, and to establish a structured process for addressing repeated or sustained dispatch unavailability in alignment with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) requirements.

Scope

This procedure applies to all contracted Mobile Crisis Response providers operating within Region Five who have entered into an MOU to receive and respond to MCR dispatches.

1. Monitoring Process

• The Region Five Hub will conduct a weekly review of each agency’s availability to receive MCR dispatches.
• Dispatch records will be monitored for any instance where agencies are unable or unavailable to accept a dispatch call.
• A standard review period will run from Monday through Sunday.

2. Trigger for Review

• If an agency fails to receive three (3) or more dispatches within one review period (Monday–Sunday), the agency will be required to submit a justification email explaining the cause(s) of unavailability.
• This report must include:
  • Date and time of each incident
  • Reason for unavailability
  • Mitigation steps taken (if any)

3. Response Process
Step 1: Notification

• The Region Five Hub will issue a formal notification to the agency referencing a failure to meet dispatch availability expectations as outlined in the MOU.

Step 2: Agency Response

• The agency must respond within three (3) business days from the date of the notification.

Step 3: HUB Review

• Upon receipt of the agency’s response, Hub will review the documentation and determine the appropriate outcome:

a. Favorable Review
○ If the explanation is deemed reasonable and temporary, a written warning will be issued.

b. Unfavorable Review or Repeated Incidents
○ A progressive action model will apply:
   i.First Incident: Formal Warning
   ii.Second Incident: 30-Day Suspension of agency from receiving dispatches
   iii.Third Incident: A review to consider termination of MOU

4. Capacity Notification Expectations
If an agency is unable to maintain dispatch capacity, the following steps are required:

• Immediate notification to the Hub when:
  • The agency is unavailable to receive dispatches, and
  • When availability has resumed
• Repeated Patterns of Unavailability:
  • May trigger a formal review process and result in suspension or termination of the MOU.
• Corrective Action Planning:
  • Agencies experiencing ongoing availability issues will be required to attend a staffing review meeting with the Hub to present a corrective action plan.

5. Escalation and Termination

• The Region Five Hub reserves the right to escalate any significant or unresolved availability issues.
• Failure to demonstrate adequate dispatch capacity or failure to comply with corrective actions may result in immediate suspension or termination of the MOU.

6. Documentation

All notifications, responses, and review decisions will be documented and maintained in the agency’s contract file.