File a Complaint

File a Complaint

For general information or questions about the West Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences (WVARR), please email info@wvarr.org or call (304) 989-6768.

 

For complaints about uncertified recovery residences:

Complaints about non-WVARR certified recovery residences may be submitted to WV OHFLAC at (304) 558-0050 or by using the form on their website here. Please note that new state law requires all recovery residences in West Virginia to be registered with OHFLAC and to participate in quarterly reporting. For more information about mandatory recovery residence registration, please click here.

 

For complaints about WVARR-certified residences:

If you feel that a WVARR-certified recovery residence is not following the NARR standards or ethical principles, we encourage you to first complete the grievance process that is provided by the recovery housing operator. If you would like to request that WVARR formally review your concern, you may submit that request by postal mail or e-mail using the contact information below.

Please include:

  • Your Name
  • Contact Information
  • A description of your concern
  • A description of what happened when you used the house’s grievance process or a description as to why you did not use the house’s grievance process
  • When you moved in and/or out of the recovery house
  • Identification of the NARR standard(s) in question.

Formal grievances must be in writing. For questions about the grievance process, please call (304) 989-0388.

Please keep in mind, all complaints must be specific enough to support fact finding.

To submit a grievance:

  • Send the grievance by e-mail to info@wvarr.org
  • Submit the grievance online: Click here
  • Send the grievance by mail to: West Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences, 1116 Smith St. Charleston, WV 25301

Process

Once you submit your grievance, WVARR will determine if your concern is something we are able to review. If WVARR is able to review your concern, WVARR will determine what needs to be done to address the concern and work with the operator to ensure that the concern is addressed appropriately. We will use the contact information that you provide to us to communicate with you about the concern. Depending on the specific circumstances, WVARR will contact the operator and let them know that we have received a concern and will be completing a review of the concern.

Please understand that not all recovery residences are associated with WVARR, and that recovery residences certified by WVARR are independent organizations. WVARR does not manage the operations of these organizations or their residences. The NARR quality standards and WVARR quality review focus on the recovery environment. We do not review organizations for legal compliance with local, state or federal laws and codes. WVARR may provide you with names and contact information for organizations that can help you if you have a legal concern.

If this process does not resolve the issue, the resident has the right to contact the National Alliance of Recovery Residences by email at info@narronline.org Additional contact information for the National Alliance of Recovery Residences is listed on the website: www.narronline.org

If the residence is state funded, you can also contact the West Virginia Bureau of Behavioral Health. Contact information for the WV BBH is:

Room 350
350 Capitol Street
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: (304) 356-4811
Fax: (304) 558-1008

 

WE ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO FIRST SEEK RESOLUTION OF ANY DISPUTES WITHIN THE HOME – either with a house manager, senior resident or with the home operator. If a dispute or complaint cannot be resolved in that manner, residents of currently approved WVARR certified residences can file a complaint with WVARR.

1) IF YOUR DISPUTE IS WITH ANOTHER RESIDENT: Make a written complaint to the house manager, senior resident, head of household, or equivalent responsible person.

2) IF YOUR DISPUTE IS WITH A MANAGER OR SENIOR RESIDENT/HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD: Make a written complaint to the home’s operator or management representative.

3) IF YOUR DISPUTE IS WITH THE OPERATOR OF THE HOME, OR IF YOU FEEL YOUR PRIOR COMPLAINT HAS BEEN IGNORED AT THE RESIDENCE LEVEL: You may file a formal, written grievance with the West Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences (WVARR).​

4) CONFIDENTIALITY: WVARR does not disclose the name or identity of a person filing a complaint to any third parties unless required to do so by law.

External Agency Reporting

If your complaint is about any of the following issues, you may file a complaint with WVARR, but WVARR staff will ask that you also contact the agency identified directly, so as to provide first-hand information. WVARR staff will also refer the complaint to the appropriate agency.

  • If your complaint is about an uncertified recovery residence, please submit the complaint to OHFLAC on their website here, or by using the information below:
  • If your concern pertains to a licensed clinical provider in the state of WV, a licensed behavioral health center, or other billing practice, please contact the WV Office of Health Facilities and Licensure (OHFLAC). To find out if a program has a valid OHFLAC license in the state of West Virginia, use this search tool. To file a complaint about an OHFLAC licensed program, click here.
  • If you have a concern about Medicaid Fraud, please contact the WV Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Unit at 1-888-Fraud-WV (1-888-372-8398) or by clicking here. To learn more about what classifies as Medicaid Fraud, click here. Examples of Medicaid Fraud include:
    • Remuneration to induce or reward patient referrals or the generation of business involving any item or service payable by Medicaid, known as a kickback
    • Bribery
    • Billing for unnecessary services
    • Falsifying cost reports
    • Mispresenting the qualifications of a licensed provider, known as falsifying credentials
    • Billing for a service not actually performed, known as phantom billing
    • Billing for a more expensive service than was actually rendered, known as upcoding
    • Billing for several services that should be combined into one billing, known as unbundling
    • Billing twice for the same service
    • Dispensing generic drugs and billing for brand-name drugs
  • If your concern pertains to wages, employment, or other labor-related issues, you can contact the WV Division of Labor by clicking here. For workplace safety concerns, click here.
  • To report suspected SNAP fraud, please call (304) 558-1970 or visit the Investigations & Fraud Management Division (OIG) website by clicking here. 
  • If your concern pertains to human trafficking, please call 911 immediately. To learn more about human trafficking, please visit the  Polaris National Human Trafficking Hotline or the WV Human Trafficking Taskforce. Other vital phone numbers are listed below:
    • National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 or Text “BeFree”: (233733)
    • WV State Police Missing Children Clearinghouse: 1-800-352-0927
  • You can report any suspicious activity pertaining to possible criminal, terrorist, or drug activity to the WV Fusion Center: 1-866-WVWATCH.
  • WV Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1-800-352-6513 or click here.
  • Dept. of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations: (866) 347-2423
  • FBI: (412) 432-4000

 

If you have a grievance or complaint about the WV Alliance of Recovery Residences, please contact any of the agencies below:

National Alliance of Recovery Residences (NARR)

NARR email: info@narronline.org

WV Office of Drug Control Policy

Phone: (304) 558-0684

WV Bureau of Behavioral Health

Phone: (304) 558-0627

Room 350
350 Capitol Street
Charleston, WV 25301

Office Hours:
Monday – Friday 8:30 to 4:30