Grievance and Complaint Policies

Grievance Policy

Doulas of Eastern Idaho (DOE-Idaho)

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

Revised 09/23/2019

The goal in having a Grievance Procedure is to provide a mechanism through which the public and the community of doulas may be protected if there is misconduct on the part of a DOE-Idaho member. The purpose of the Grievance Procedure is to provide a process in which a complaint or grievance may be brought, a fair and complete investigation carried out, and appropriate action taken.

The Grievance Committee shall consist of the DOE-Idaho Director whom the original grievance was brought to and is responsible for all documentation of the grievance, a senior member (held a DOE-Idaho membership for at least 4 consecutive years) and a volunteer from the DOE-Idaho board of directors.

A Grievance is an objection lodged against a member of DOE-Idaho in which the member is accused of behavior that violates the Standards of Practice and/or Code of Ethics adopted from DONA International, which as stated in Article III, Section 4; members must adhere to the DONA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. It may be submitted by the client, her significant other, her family, a nurse, the client’s care provider, a hospital administrator, another doula, a doula trainee, or originated by the Grievance Committee.

There are three types of grievances:

A. Failure to adhere to the DOE-Idaho Code of Ethics

B. Failure to work within the DOE-Idaho Standards of Practice

C. A third complaint has been filed (see Complaint Procedure)

Process of Grievance

Any grievance must be brought to one of the DOE-Idaho Directors who will then immediately form a Grievance Committee of two additional board members. The first decision the Grievance Committee will make is whether the issue is a grievance or complaint. In both scenarios, the Grievance Committee will document the decision which will then be added to the accused doula’s file.

Grievance Procedure

1. Upon receiving the grievance the DOE-Idaho Grievance Committee (in confidentiality of the patient/client) will:

notify the doula of the filed grievance via phone call and email. The doula will be given 30 days from the date of the notification to respond to all allegations. Failure to respond in this timeframe will eliminate the doula’s participation in the grievance process
provide Formal Statement form to both parties which then need to be filled out and returned to the president-elect within 7 days -- Should the grievance be due to the doula receiving a third complaint, all previously documented complaints stand in place of the Grievance Submission form
provide the Statement Form to the accused doula who must fill out and returned to the acting president within one week after receiving the form
provide the Grievance Policy, Standard of Practice, and Code of Ethics to all parties
allow the doula to read the Complainant’s Formal Statement form or to read all documented complaints in the matter of a third complaint grievance

* If the doula sees DOE Idaho’s Grievance Policy as an invalid process of recourse, the doula will no longer be eligible for being a “member in good standing” and will therefore be removed as a member of DOE-Idaho.

* If a grievance is made without the accusing party filing a Formal Statement, the committee will document the grievance as a complaint.

2. Once both parties have submitted their written statements, DOE-Idaho Grievance Committee will:

discuss the statements in confidentiality
determine recourse toward the doula which may include the following:
No action
A letter of reprimand
Doula’s listing removed from www.doulasofeasternidaho.org for a period of time
Withdrawal of membership privileges from Doulas of Eastern Idaho—i.e. doula would no longer participate with DOE-Idaho networking meetings, mentoring or DOE-Idaho members only events. Doula will not be granted lower fees to attend education classes sponsored by DOE-Idaho, and listing removed from www.doulasofeasternidaho.org
Grievance Committee report grievance to the certifying organization through which the doula is trained or certified
The certified doula in question may also choose to resign on her own volition
Suggest a meeting for both the complaining party and doula which the Grievance Committee can facilitate

3. All actions approved by the Grievance Committee will be brought forth to the DOE-Idaho Board of Directors before final approval. Once approved, all actions will be effective immediately.

4. DOE-Idaho Board of Directors will keep all matters of complaints confidential.

5. The Grievance Committee will act by majority vote and answer both parties’ concerns, respond with recourse and do any pertinent communication within 30 days of the initial complaint. All actions will be communicated within 45 days of initial complaint.

6. If a complaint has been made against a member of the DOE-Idaho Grievance Committee, that member is exempt from participating in the policy procedures, and another member of the Board of Directors (nominated by the Grievance Committee) will hold position within the Grievance Committee for duration of the grievance procedure regarding the former committee member

DOE-Idaho Grievance Committee

home@doulasofeasternidaho.org

Complaint Procedure