Consumer Feedback Mechanism

1. Consumer has concern:  These concerns could be red tape and hoops, biases and stereotypes, structural impediments in the facility, etc.
2. Consumer communicates to social service organization: This can occur with the consumer talking directly to a case worker, following the organization’s publicly posted grievance procedure, addressing someone in management, etc.

Possible Outcomes:



a. The concern is not resolved, go to # 3. on the Consumer Feedback Chart.



b. The concern is resolved and both the consumer and the social service organization are pleased with the outcome.



c. The consumer and the social service organization mutually decide to present the concern to *ombudsman group, utilizing research from Sisters Of The Road’s Community Organizing Project for comparison as needed.  If you are at this step now, both the consumer and the social service organization recognize this concern emanates from policies imposed by a funding source.



3. If concern is still unresolved, consumer presents concern to ombudsman group
4. Consumer and ombudsman group compare concern with research from Sisters Of The Road’s Community Organizing Project to develop presentation
5. Consumer and ombudsman group converse with the social service organization:

Possible Outcome:



a. The concern is resolved and both the consumer and the social service organization are pleased with the outcome.




6. If concern is still unresolved, ombudsman group arranges presentation with panel, the goal being identification of root cause: The panel is made up of appropriate funding organization policy makers, appropriate social service organization policy makers and at least two homeless community advocates.  The panel members who represent the funding and social service organization policy makers change based on where the concern originates from.
7. All parties involved meet to discuss root causes and recommend solutions: Example: Concern originates from Sisters Of The Road Café, so parties involved would include consumer, Sisters affected staff person and a Co-Director, and the panel.  The panel would include two Sisters funding organization policy makers (i.e. Foundations, donors, etc.), two Sisters organization policy makers (Board of Directors), and two homeless community advocates.
8. If it is within the power of those involved policy or procedure will be changed
9. If outside scope of involved parties to rectify, refer concern:  This could be the Oregon State Legislature, Oregon’s congressional representatives, pilot project process, etc.

*Ombudsman Group:  The Ombudsman Group is the group given the responsibility to focus the conversations about the concern on the barriers to accessing services, the root causes of those barriers, and the solutions.