Report a Compliance Concern

BHCOE will only accept complaints that are complete and contain the following information:

• • Date of complaint;
  • Submission date is within one year from the date of the alleged violation(s); and
  • Supporting documentation is submitted and does not exceed 30 pages.

BHCOE accredited organizations must follow the BHCOE Standards of Excellence for Applied Behavior Analysis Services (Standards of Excellence), the BHCOE Accreditation Badge Usage Guidelines (Guidelines) and the terms of the engagement letter (Terms). The Compliance Department processes compliance concerns received. When BHCOE’s Compliance Department receives a complaint, the department follows a Disciplinary Process that ensures equal consideration for the complainant and the organization and supports organizations in maintaining compliance with the Standards of Excellence. The process is meant to assist organizations in remedying any areas of deficiency and provide support for continued growth and quality assurance.

When a complaint is received, the Compliance Department may accept, request modifications to, or deny the complaint. Complaints may be denied if (i) the provider is not accredited by the BHCOE or was not accredited at the time of the alleged violation, (ii) the complaint does not relate to a breach of the BHCOE Standards of Excellence, Guidelines, or Terms, and/or (iii) if the complaint lacks supporting documentation and/or is not substantiated. The Compliance Department may bring compliance concerns directly to the provider’s attention or may proceed to process a complaint through our Disciplinary System. If the complaint proceeds through our Disciplinary System, then the complaint will be evaluated by the Disciplinary Review Committee.

Typically, the complaint and supporting documentation will be forwarded to the provider that the complaint has been filed against, so the provider may respond to the alleged violations. The provider’s response will not be released to the complainant. Select complaints may not be forwarded to the provider. This is determined on a case-by-case basis by the BHCOE compliance department. The Final Determination rendered by the Disciplinary Review Committee will be sent to both the Complainant and the provider.

The Compliance Department may accept anonymous complaints; however, the complainant’s identity, contact information and relationship to the organization must be provided to the BHCOE. If an anonymous complaint is accepted, the Compliance Department redacts any information shared with the provider to ensure that any identifying and identifiable information is not shared with the organization. The Compliance Department will work closely with the complainant regarding maintaining confidentiality on a case-by-case basis. Please note, anonymous complaints may hold less weight than complaints whereby the provider receives the identity of the complainant and/or the complaint and supporting documentation.

The Disciplinary Review process may result in the provider implementing and/or modifying policies and procedures. Other compliance actions may be mandated to ensure compliance is met by the provider. Accreditation may be suspended and/or revoked if deemed necessary. “Revoked” means that eligibility status or prior grants of accreditation have been denied or repealed. After three years, organizations with revocations may reapply for accreditation by demonstrating evidence of rehabilitation of organizational structure or correction of the problems leading to revocation. Reinstatement of revocation is at the discretion of the then-existing Disciplinary Review Committee and Appeal Review Committee (if appealed).

The provider is the only party that may appeal the Disciplinary Review Committee’s determination.

To check the status of your complaint, please email compliance@bhcoe.org.