Webinar
Webinar
Trusted Advisor Abuse: What it is and how to recognize red flags
by Gabriella Grant and Lorena Ukanwa on June 3rd 2020.
by Gabriella Grant and Lorena Ukanwa on June 3rd 2020.
All 50 states’ seclusion & restraint laws from a 2013 report by Jessica Butler (PDF)
https://www.basicknowledge101.com/pdf/MyStateRestraintSeclusionLaws.pdf
State Licensing Boards Contact Information
http://www.stopbadtherapy.com/main/boards.shtml
Saprea retreat and support (formerly The Younique Foundation)
https://saprea.org
Strategy article on implementing trauma informed care in youth inpatient psychiatric and residential treatment settings
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5425975/
Psych Ward Reviews—a Yelp-like site for psych wards founded by Kit Mead, a disability rights activist
https://psychwardreviews.wordpress.com
Article on 50 Warning Signs of Questionable Therapy
http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/warning-signs-of-bad-therapy/
Article on 12 Questions Every Parent and Coach Should Ask from the GymCastic Podcast (PDF)
https://gymcastic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Safeguarding-Checklist_-What-to-ask-about-safety-at-your-gym-3.pdf
The Mental Illness Happy Hour with Paul Gilmartin, comedian and host
https://mentalpod.com
Defeat the mental illness stigma with Intentional Peer Support
https://www.intentionalpeersupport.org
What is considered bullying behavior? (downloadable PDF)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259721672_Bullying_Behavior_by_Athletic_Coaches
Yoga teachers certified by Yoga Alliance are obligated to follow the code of conduct.
https://www.yogaalliance.org/AboutYA/OurPolicies/CodeofConduct
Wells Fargo has a web page and a PDF guide on protecting against elder financial abuse.
https://www.wellsfargoadvisors.com/planning/life-events/elder-protection.htm
Why we need them to protect vulnerable people in the justice system
https://www.intermediaries-for-justice.org
Give Your Child the Tools to Recognize Sexual Abuse—a New York Times article
https://parenting.nytimes.com/childrens-health/prevent-child-sexual-abuse
AdvoConnection
Free patient advocates, patient navigators, case managers, elder care advocates, home health, medical billing advocates, legal and other forms of patient assistants who may be able to help manage health care challenges
https://advoconnection.com
Disability Rights California
California’s protection & advocacy system
http://www.disabilityrightsca.org
SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)
http://www.snapnetwork.org
GRACE
Advocacy group committed to lodging complaints against faith personnel
https://www.netgrace.org
Database of Publicly Accused Priests in the United States
http://bishop-accountability.org/priestdb/PriestDBbylastName-A.html
Advocates for Awareness of Watchtower Abuses
A nonprofit foscused on Watchtower policies that violate the fundamental human rights of Jehovah’s Witnesses
http://aawa.co
S.M.A.R.T.
Focused on stopping ritual abuse and child abuse and to help those abused
https://ritualabuse.us
Children’s Rights
Defending America’s abused and neglected kids
http://www.childrensrights.org
Therapy Abuse
http://www.therapyabuse.org/t2-unsafe-psychotherapy.htm
National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse
http://stopguardianabuse.org
U.S. Center for SafeSport
Creating safe and respectful sporting environments that reduce the risk of abuse
https://uscenterforsafesport.org
The main reason to start a complaint or grievance against an abusive professional is to protect people when they may be at their most vulnerable by penalizing or removing unsafe professionals from the open marketplace of services. Additionally, it is highly likely that trusted advisor abuse is the type of offense that an abusive helping or healthcare professional has engaged in. While the patient might feel they are the first and only patient this type of abuse has happened to, in actuality most abusers are serial abusers who have been abusing for a very long time. California sexual assault reporting and filing abuse complaints about unsafe professionals is a primary protection for patients.
Typically, every publicly funded agency has its own grievance process and policies that are available either publicly or upon request. As soon as any attempt to resolve concerns through the agency’s management has proven to be unsuccessful, it is time to move to the licensing or governing bodies overseeing the agency or the professional license. These systems are not the easiest to navigate. Here you will find some information to move forward.
If you have a complaint against a healthcare professional and you are unable to find the route you are looking for, contact the 100% free service called AdvoConnection. The AdvoConnection Directory is 100% free to use. All advocates and navigators employed there are members of the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates. They are absolutely ready to help solve whatever problems you may encounter in the healthcare system.
Medical Board of California BreEZe Resources Center
https://www.mbc.ca.gov/Resources/BreEZe-Resources-Center/default.aspx
Medical Board of California Medical Malpractice Reporting Forms
https://www.mbc.ca.gov/Resources/Forms/Medical-Malpractice-Reporting.aspx
California Board of Registered Nursing
https://www.rn.ca.gov/enforcement/complaint.shtml
Board of Behavioral Sciences, Department of Consumer Affairs
https://www.bbs.ca.gov/consumers/consumer_complaints.html
to file complaints against any of the following occupations:
NASW | National Association of Social Workers
Filing a ‘Request for Professional Review’ (RPR) against a Licensed Clinical Social Worker
https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Professional-Review/How-To-File-a-Complaint
The Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Department of Consumer Affairs
http://www.chiro.ca.gov/consumers/complaint.shtml
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Compliance Division
to complain about a treatment program or counselor
http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/Sud-Complaints.aspx
California Department of Healthcare Services
http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/Sud-Complaints.aspx
The central AA body states that legal professionals should be contacted if there is any abuse at AA events.
Hospitals: Contact the Joint Commission’s office of Quality Monitoring by calling 1-800-994-6610 or email complaint@jointcommission.org.
California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) complaint form and complaint process PDF
http://www.canhr.org/factsheets/nh_fs/PDFs/FS_NH_Complaint.pdf
Medicare.gov nursing home complaint process
https://www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/what-part-a-covers/reporting-problems-in-a-skilled-nursing-facility
California Department of Social Services complaint process for state licensed community care facility or child care facility
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/reporting/file-a-complaint/ccld-complaints
Why File a Complaint Against an Attorney
http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Complaints-Claims/How-to-File-a-Complaint/Why-File-a-Complaint
Attorney Search: Enter attorney’s name or State Bar number to check status of practicing license
http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/MemberSearch/QuickSearch?FreeText
File an Unauthorized Practice of Law Complaint
http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Complaints-Claims/Nonattorney-UPL-Complaints
State of California Commission on Judicial Performance (CJP)
https://cjp.ca.gov/file_a_complaint
California Department of Education Complaint Procedures
http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cp/
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Report problems with mortgages, student loans, payday loans, debt collection, credit reports, and other financial products and services
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
Yoga Alliance certifies some teachers and schools. Email information to grievance@yogaalliance.org
California Crime Victims Bill of Rights (PDF)
https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/4920-california
California Department of Managed Health Care Example: Your Health Care Bill of Rights
https://www.dmhc.ca.gov/healthcareincalifornia/yourhealthcarerights.aspx
A Recovery Bill of Rights for Trauma Survivors (PDF)
https://trauma-informed-california.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Trauma-Survivor-Bill-of-Rights.pdf
A Guide to Disabilities Rights Laws
https://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm
California law requires each California county mental health director to appoint patient rights advocates to protect and further the Constitutional and statutory rights of people receiving mental health services. COPR is a unit of the Disability Rights California nonprofit organization which is contracted by the California Department of State Hospitals to implement compliance with the law and which lists contact information for county mental health patients’ rights advocates in the Patients’ Rights Advocacy Directory: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/post/patients-rights-advocacy-directory
Rights for patients receiving mental health services—handbooks and posters available in multiple languages
https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/Pages/Office-of-Patients-Rights.aspx
A collective of non-profit agencies that act as legal guardians or conservators for the gravely disabled and provide services to older and dependent adult Californians
http://capapgpc.org/resources/pa-pg-pc-resources/
Generally, the best way to protect yourself is to notify others: reach out to a family member, friend, co-worker, or other trusted individual. Making a professional abuse complaint through a formal process is a way to notify even more people, especially those who have the authority to make changes. Also, for some people there is no one but the complaint process; it’s their only form of protection.
It is important to speak out when a situation has become too close or twisted for the patent (client, student, or similar) to be able to effectively address on his or her own.
Adapted from California Board of Psychology What Types of Complaints Does the Board Handle? and the Medical Board of California Complaint Information
There are several options for a person who has experienced abuse by a trusted advisor. Knowing one’s entire list of choices will ultimately enable victims of abuse to take the most appropriate action route.