The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) values the feedback received from members of the community, service providers, and individuals receiving services. As such, DBHDS is dedicated to providing the best service possible to all stakeholders. Information provided by complainants helps with fulfilling DBHDS’ mission of supporting individuals by promoting recovery, self-determination, and wellness in all aspects of life.

            If you choose to make a complaint, we will use a formal process to ensure that your complaint is thoroughly addressed in a timely manner. When you file a complaint, we will ask for the following information in order to contact you during a possible investigation: Name, address, telephone number and details of your complaint to include date, time, location and name of involved employee(s) or other persons, if known. If you wish to remain anonymous, please do not provide your name or contact information as this information may be disclosed in the future as part of a Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. However, if you choose to remain anonymous, please note that this may prevent licensing staff from contacting you for needed additional information related to your complaint.

            Once your complaint has been received, the assigned Licensing Specialist or Investigator will make a decision about the complaint, based on the facts available. The Office of Licensing will only investigate complaints alleging violations of the Licensing Regulations. However, the Office of Licensing may refer your allegation to the appropriate enforcement agency including the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS), Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP), Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and/or local police if we believe that the complaint includes alleged violations within the jurisdiction of these agencies.

             If the allegations within a complaint allege a violation of the DBHDS Licensing Regulations, a formal investigation may be conducted. Methods of investigation may include on-site inspections and/or in-office reviews. An investigation may take up to 60 days to complete. Not all investigations will result in a finding or a citation. If there are findings, the Office of Licensing has 30 days to issue citations within a Licensing Report. The provider then has 15 business days to respond to the Licensing Report with a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). If the provider’s response is accepted, then the response will be placed on the Office of Licensing website within the Licensed Provider Search System (LPSS). If the response is not accepted, the provider will be issued another 10 business days until there is an appropriate response to the CAP.

             Please note: CAPs are not available on the Office of Licensing website until the CAP is accepted by the Licensing Specialist or Investigator. The provider also has an opportunity to dispute the citations on the CAP which may make the CAP unavailable online until the process is complete (only if the citations are upheld).

             The Office of Licensing does not provide feedback or information regarding allegations to the complainant and will not follow up with the complainant regarding the outcome of an investigation. Any information requested regarding a complaint must go through the formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. If an allegation is sustained, appropriate action will be taken.