Client Complaint

Complaint Policy

Families to Freedom sets an expectation for high standards of ethics, safety procedures and a sensitivity toward victims and new survivors for all representatives. Claims of unsafe conditions, unethical behavior and unfair treatment is taken seriously. Regardless of the status of travel, all clients and prospective clients have the ability to raise serious concerns so that Families to Freedom can address and correct conduct and actions. It is contrary to the values of Families to Freedom for anyone to retaliate against any person who reports a complaint.

The person who submits a Client Complaint Form is referred to here as a Complainant.

Complaint Procedure

Upon receipt of a Client Complaint Report, an Investigations Team of Families to Freedom representatives shall be assigned to investigate the complaint. The formation of members shall be the Executive Director, a Board Member, an Advisory Board Member, an Operations Assistant, and a Phone Advocate. Investigation team members must be impartial to the client’s case and must not be a key subject in the client’s complaint. In the event an impartial substitute team member is not available, the Investigation Team must proceed absent that role. Within 5 business days of receiving the complaint, a member of the Investigation Team must contact the Complainant via the contact information provided to inform them that the Client Complaint Report was received, the matter will be reviewed, and a resolution provided within 10 business days of that contact, unless the report was sent anonymously.

All Investigation Team members are bound to confidentiality in accordance with Families to Freedom’s Confidentiality Policy. The Investigation Team will review all details including taking additional comments from the Complainant (if possible), identifying and speaking with any individuals who were witness, listening to the Complainant’s recorded calls (if relevant), and taking a statement from individuals the complaint is against to assess the merits of the complaint.

The Investigations Team is to finalize their research into the matter, make a determination of fault (if any), draft a recommendation for a response and consequences to all parties involved, and draft a response to the Complainant. A written response addressing the complaint shall be prepared and/or provided within 10 business days of initial contact from when the Investigation Team receives the complaint, unless the complaint was sent anonymously.

Complaint Form Download

Download a complaint report form and instructions for how to submit a claim here.

Whistleblower Policy

Families to Freedom accepts and investigates allegations of suspicious or malicious activity by volunteers, staff and committee members where Families to Freedom is potentially a target of wrongdoing. See our Whistleblower Policy page for more information.