Filing a Complaint with the State of Tennessee

[hanzomon4]

This information is for all wanting to file a complaint with the State of Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. If you were abused in a program in Tennessee you should file a complaint, at the least it will be on record and investigated. This may not get a program shutdown but it does get the word out to the State and robs them of the "we didn't know" excuse once the shit hits the fan.

• Call 1-866-777-1250
• You will need the name of the program and your complaint, that's basically it  
• The State will log your complaint and contact the inspector for that facility who will investigate the complaint. The complaint may be forwarded to another Agency when appropriate  
• You will need to call back for updated information about your complaint or they may call you depending on what happens

I don't believe that the complaint will be given a special number or code you could use when checking the status of the complaint. So when you make your complaint ask again how you check the status of the complaint

Even if your program is not licensed the State will still investigate to determine if the program is operating illegally. I would assume that they could also check to see if a program is licensed inappropriately.  

Now for parents checking out Programs in Tennessee, you can call a number to checkout complaints filed against a facility by calling a different number.

• Call 865-594-6551 and ask about the program  
• The complaints will not be logged with specifics. They are just listed under the type of complaint like 3 critical incidents or whatever. Still useful but not specific

Again this won't bring down a program but it's a step. The more people that file official complaints, the better the step.

p.s, I have the official rules and regulations programs in Tennessee have to follow. I Made some easier to read edits of these rules that focus on client rights and rules regarding isolation and restraint. I'll upload these whenever I figure out how and post a download link. With this information you can check to see if any specific rules were broken in regards to your rights.

EDIT:Download the Tennessee rules and regulations here. The edited documents cover Client Rights and Isolation and Restraint. The unedited documents contain the same rules and regulations mentioned above as well as the rules and regulations that govern Patient-Resident Work programs and Personnel Conduct towards Patient-Residents

[stoodoodog]

I hope Mokara/Free and some of the other PV survivors will see this.
Thanks hanzomon!

[hanzomon4]

Added the download link to the State Rules and Regulations to the first post.

Thanks stoodoodog, zen, deborah, and all the others who answered my questions and helped me out.

[psy]

This information is for all wanting to file a complaint with the State of Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. If you were abused in a program in Tennessee you should file a complaint, at the least it will be on record and investigated. This may not get a program shutdown but it does get the word out to the State and robs them of the "we didn't know" excuse once the shit hits the fan.

• Call 1-866-777-1250
• You will need the name of the program and your complaint, that's basically it  
• The State will log your complaint and contact the inspector for that facility who will investigate the complaint. The complaint may be forwarded to another Agency when appropriate  
• You will need to call back for updated information about your complaint or they may call you depending on what happens

I don't believe that the complaint will be given a special number or code you could use when checking the status of the complaint. So when you make your complaint ask again how you check the status of the complaint

Even if your program is not licensed the State will still investigate to determine if the program is operating illegally. I would assume that they could also check to see if a program is licensed inappropriately.  

Now for parents checking out Programs in Tennessee, you can call a number to checkout complaints filed against a facility by calling a different number.

• Call 865-594-6551 and ask about the program  
• The complaints will not be logged with specifics. They are just listed under the type of complaint like 3 critical incidents or whatever. Still useful but not specific

Again this won't bring down a program but it's a step. The more people that file official complaints, the better the step.

p.s, I have the official rules and regulations programs in Tennessee have to follow. I Made some easier to read edits of these rules that focus on client rights and rules regarding isolation and restraint. I'll upload these whenever I figure out how and post a download link. With this information you can check to see if any specific rules were broken in regards to your rights.

EDIT:Download the Tennessee rules and regulations here. The edited documents cover Client Rights and Isolation and Restraint. The unedited documents contain the same rules and regulations mentioned above as well as the rules and regulations that govern Patient-Resident Work programs and Personnel Conduct towards Patient-Residents

Say...  Could you put this in the wiki under the PV page...   Cool information.

[ZenAgent]

I hate to burst the bubble, but filing a complaint with TDMHDD is as useful as complaining to NATSAP about NATSAP.  The investigator I talked to was uninterested, makes "frequent trips" to PV, discouraged any inquiry into licenses...in other words, when the GAO starts sniffing around Peninsula Prison they need to stick a searchlight up the TDMHDD's orifices as well.  Funny thing, all the references to and pictures of Virginia Trotter Betts (TDMHDD commissioner) celebrating the twentieth anniversary of PV with the Covenant crew have "disappeared".

But do call them.  Call them a lot.  If PV gets caught doing what we know they do, Virginia and company will turn on Covenant like hyenas.

Here's who you call directly at TDMHDD:  Julie Ann Cox, 865-594-2821.  email:  [email protected]