Grievance Policy — GraceRoot Institute

1

Overview

GraceRoot Institute is committed to treating every participant with fairness, dignity, and respect. This Grievance Policy provides a clear, documented process for participants to raise concerns, report unfair treatment, or dispute program decisions.

This policy applies to all participants enrolled in GraceRoot court-ordered educational programs: Parenting Education, Child Abuse Prevention, Anger Management, Trauma-Informed DV Education, and Substance Abuse Education.

No retaliation guarantee. Filing a grievance will not affect your enrollment status, completion record, or certificate eligibility. Retaliation against any participant for using this grievance process is a violation of this policy and will result in immediate corrective action against the responsible party.

2

Grounds for Grievance

A participant may file a grievance for any of the following reasons:

Unfair or inconsistent application of program policies (grading, completion, access)
Technical issues that prevented fair assessment of program completion
Alleged discrimination based on race, gender, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics
Concerns about confidentiality or unauthorized disclosure of personal information
Dismissal from the program believed to be unwarranted
Denial of a requested accessibility accommodation
Any other concern related to participant rights or program administration

Grievances about refund decisions are handled under the Refund Policy in the Participant Handbook. If unresolved, they may escalate through this grievance process.

3

Grievance Process & Timeline

Submit Grievance

Complete the Grievance Form below or email a written description to grievances@graceroot.institute. Include your name, email, course enrolled, date of incident, and description of the issue.

Written Acknowledgment — within 5 business days

You will receive a written acknowledgment confirming your grievance has been received and assigned a reference number. This email will be sent to the address you provided.

Review & Investigation — within 15 business days of acknowledgment

Program staff will investigate the grievance, review relevant records, and determine an appropriate resolution. You may be contacted for additional information during this period.

Resolution Communication

A written resolution decision will be emailed to you within 15 business days of acknowledgment. The decision will explain the outcome and any corrective action taken.

Escalation (if unresolved)

If you are dissatisfied with the resolution, you may escalate the grievance to Dr. Quinones directly at drquinones@graceroot.institute. If still unresolved, you may escalate to the relevant Texas licensing board or regulatory authority.

4

Grievance Form

Complete this form to submit a formal grievance. All fields marked with * are required. You will receive a confirmation email within 5 business days.

Submit a Formal Grievance

Full Name *

Email Address *

Program Enrolled *

Date of Incident

Description of Grievance * (please be specific — minimum 20 characters)

Desired Resolution (optional)

✓ Grievance Submitted

Your grievance has been received and assigned a reference number. You will receive a written acknowledgment within 5 business days at the email address you provided.

Reference:

5

Record Keeping

All grievances are recorded in GraceRoot's secure administrative database with the following information:

Participant name and email
Program enrolled
Date of submission
Description of grievance and desired resolution
Status (submitted / acknowledged / resolved / escalated)
Date of acknowledgment and resolution
Resolution notes

Grievance records are retained for a minimum of 7 years. Aggregate (anonymized) grievance data may be reviewed periodically to identify systemic issues and improve program quality.

Grievance records are not shared with courts or supervising officers unless legally required or the participant explicitly requests documentation of resolution for their own purposes.

6

Escalation & External Resources

If your grievance is not resolved to your satisfaction through GraceRoot's internal process, you have the right to escalate to external bodies:

Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors — for concerns related to Dr. Quinones' professional conduct as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Website: hhs.texas.gov
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — for concerns about licensed counseling services and related matters.
State Court Compliance Authority — for concerns related to compliance with court-ordered program standards.

GraceRoot will cooperate fully with any external investigation initiated by a licensing board or regulatory authority.