A. Complaints About Denial of Assistance: Applicant Appeals

1. An applicant who is denied assistance may file an appeal by communicating orally or in writing with the supervisor of the program in which the applicant was denied assistance. The supervisor shall attempt to resolve the problem informally, and if unable to do so, shall provide the applicant with a Step One Appeal Form.

2. An applicant who completes a Step One Appeal Form will have the denial decision reviewed by the Executive Director or his designee, and will promptly be mailed a written response to the appeal. If the response is adverse to the applicant, it will include notice that the applicant may make a further appeal to a member of the Board of Directors Client Grievance Committee by completing a Step Two Appeal Form.

3. An applicant who completes a Step Two Appeal Form will have the denial decision reviewed by the Chairperson of the Board Client Grievance Committee or his designee, to determine whether the program's eligibility, priority and case acceptance rules were properly applied, and will promptly be mailed a written response to the appeal. The decision of the designated member of the Board Client Grievance Committee shall be final, and no further appeal shall be permitted.

B. Complaints About the Manner or Quality of Legal Assistance: Client Grievances

1. A client who is dissatisfied with the quality of the assistance that he or she has received may file a grievance by communicating orally or in writing with the supervisor of the program in which the applicant was provided assistance. The supervisor shall attempt to resolve the problem informally, and if unable to do so, shall provide the applicant with a Step One Grievance Form.

2. An applicant who completes a Step One Grievance Form will have his grievance reviewed by the Executive Director or his designee, and will promptly be mailed a written response to the grievance. If the response is adverse to the applicant it will include notice that the applicant may make a further appeal to the Board of Directors Client Grievance Committee by completing a Step Two Grievance Form.

3. An applicant who completes a Step Two Grievance Form will have the grievance reviewed by the Board Client Grievance Committee or a subcommittee or member designated by the Chairperson of the Committee, to determine whether the program's eligibility, priority and case acceptance rules were properly applied, and will promptly be mailed a written response to the appeal. The decision of the Board Client Grievance Committee, subcommittee or member shall be final, and no further appeal shall be permitted.

C. Non discrimination
1. No applicant or client shall be discriminated against in the provision of services on the basis of sex, race, national origin, marital status, handicap, religion, age or other basis prohibited by law.

2. A claim of discrimination prohibited by this section may be raised as a complaint about denial of assistance or about the manner or quality of assistance under these procedures.

D. Confidentiality
1. All information furnished to LSSP by an applicant for legal assistance, including information relating to the applicant's eligibility to receive legal assistance, and all information furnished to LSSP by a client in the course of representation, shall be kept in the applicant's or client's file and treated as confidential information by LSSP. Such information shall not be disclosed in a manner which is personally identifiable by LSSP to any person who is not employed by LSSP, or who is not acting on a volunteer or contract basis as an employee of LSSP.

2. All applicant appeals and client grievances shall be submitted on forms provided by LSSP which include a provision explicitly waiving confidentiality only to the extent required to process the applicant appeal or client grievance. In the event that an applicant or client declines to sign a waiver, the complaint will be treated as a part of the application or representation file only, and will not be treated as a formal applicant appeal or client grievance for the purpose of these procedures.