Participant Handbook

GraceRoot Institute offers five court-ordered educational programs developed and instructed by Dr. Donetta Quinones, PhD, LPC, LMHC. These programs are operated by Academic Research Solutions, Inc. dba Dareu2bu Counseling Services, a licensed clinical education organization based in Houston, Texas.

Court-ordered education through GraceRoot is a structured, online, self-paced curriculum designed to fulfill judicial mandates for educational programming. Completing a GraceRoot program does not constitute therapy, counseling, or clinical treatment — it is court-mandated educational instruction.

All programs are delivered through a secure, online portal accessible 24/7. Participants complete modules in sequential order, pass knowledge assessments, and receive a court-verifiable certificate upon successful completion.

To earn a completion certificate, participants must satisfy all of the following requirements:

1. Module completion: All modules in the program must be marked complete by accessing the full content of each module in sequential order.
2. Quiz thresholds: Each module quiz must be passed at a minimum score of 70%. Final assessments where applicable require 70% (some programs may specify higher thresholds — see your program's specific requirements).
3. Sequential access: Modules must be completed in order. Skipping modules is not permitted.
4. Time on task: Participants are expected to engage meaningfully with all instructional content. Rapid click-through without substantive engagement may result in incomplete credit.

GraceRoot programs use a pass/fail grading system based on percentage correct on multiple-choice knowledge assessments.

Retake policy: Participants may retake any quiz an unlimited number of times until the passing threshold is achieved. There is no penalty for retakes. Each retake is a fresh attempt — previous scores are not averaged.

Score recording: The system records your most recent passing score. All quiz attempts are logged for administrative review.

No grade averaging: Completion is determined by whether the passing threshold has been achieved — not by an average score across attempts.

GraceRoot programs are court-ordered educational requirements. The integrity of program completion directly affects judicial proceedings. Academic dishonesty is treated with the utmost seriousness.

• Sharing quiz questions, answers, or answer keys with other participants
• Using AI tools (ChatGPT, Bard, or any AI assistant) to answer quiz questions on your behalf
• Allowing another person to access your account and complete coursework on your behalf
• Accessing or distributing proprietary course content outside the GraceRoot platform
• Providing false information on registration, the participant agreement, or any program document

Consequences of violations: Confirmed academic dishonesty will result in immediate removal from the program, revocation of any certificate issued, and notification to the referring court or supervising officer. No refund will be issued for removal due to academic dishonesty.

By completing the Participant Agreement prior to accessing course content, you certify that all work is your own and that you will not engage in any form of academic dishonesty.

Because GraceRoot programs are self-paced and online, "attendance" is measured by meaningful engagement with instructional content — not physical presence.

• Module completion order: Modules must be completed sequentially. You cannot access Module 3 before completing Modules 1 and 2.
• Content engagement: Each module contains instructional text, multimedia content, reflection activities, and/or knowledge assessments. Participants are expected to engage with all content before marking a module complete.
• No time limit: Participants may complete the program at their own pace. However, court-mandated deadlines set by a judge or supervising officer are the participant's responsibility to meet — GraceRoot does not grant extensions on behalf of courts.
• Progress is saved: Your progress is automatically saved. You may return to the program at any time using your registered email address.

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, a court-ordered completion certificate is automatically generated and made available in your dashboard.

Submitting to court: Participants can use the "Send to My Representative" feature on the dashboard to email documentation directly to their attorney, probation officer, parole officer, or case manager. The email includes a completion summary table and a link to the official certificate.

Lost access: If you lose access to your dashboard, contact support@graceroot.institute with your registered email address.

Because court-ordered educational programs involve immediate access to digital content upon enrollment, the following refund policy applies:

• Within 24 hours of enrollment with no content accessed: Full refund available upon request.
• After any content has been accessed: No refund. Enrollment in a court-ordered program is a judicial requirement — the decision to enroll in this specific program was made with an understanding of the cost.
• Program not completed before court deadline: No refund. Participants are responsible for completing the program before any court-imposed deadline.
• Technical issues preventing access: Contact support within 48 hours. If we cannot resolve a verified technical issue, a refund or account credit may be issued at our discretion.
• Removal for academic dishonesty: No refund.

To request a refund, contact support@graceroot.institute within the applicable window with your enrollment email and a brief description of the issue.

As a participant in a GraceRoot court-ordered program, you have the following rights:

• Right to review your records: You may request a copy of your enrollment record, quiz scores, module completion data, and certificate at any time by emailing support@graceroot.institute.
• Right to request corrections: If you believe your records contain an error, you may submit a written correction request. We will review and respond within 10 business days.
• Right to confidentiality: Your personal information and program records are kept confidential per our Confidentiality Policy. Records are shared with your referring court representative only with your explicit consent (provided in the Participant Agreement).
• Right to file a grievance: If you believe you have been treated unfairly or that your rights have been violated, you have the right to file a formal grievance. See Section 13 or visit our Grievance Policy page.
• Right to non-retaliation: Filing a grievance will not result in any penalty, adverse change to your enrollment status, or negative notation in your records.
• Right to accessibility accommodations: Participants with disabilities may request accommodations. See Section 10.

GraceRoot maintains clinical-grade confidentiality standards for all participant records, consistent with the sensitivity of court-involved populations.

A complete description of what information is collected, how it is stored, who has access, and when it may be shared is available in our standalone Confidentiality Policy.

Key points: Your records are stored in an encrypted, SSL-secured database. Access is limited to program administrators. Records are shared with your referring court representative only with your consent (collected via the Participant Agreement). Records are retained for a minimum of 7 years per court-ordered program record-keeping standards. You have the right to review your own records at any time.

GraceRoot is committed to making its programs accessible to all participants. We strive to meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards in our online platform.

To request accommodations: Contact graceroot.institute@gmail.com with a description of the accommodation needed. We will respond within 3 business days. Common accommodations we can provide include:

• Extended time on quiz submissions
• Alternative formats for instructional content
• Assistance navigating the platform

Accommodation requests will not be shared with the referring court and will not affect your completion record.

Response times: Support inquiries are typically responded to within 2 business days. Grievance acknowledgments are provided within 5 business days.

Participants in GraceRoot court-ordered programs are expected to conduct themselves with respect, honesty, and integrity throughout the program.

Expected behaviors:

• Complete all coursework independently and honestly
• Engage with instructional content in good faith
• Use the platform solely for your own educational purposes
• Communicate respectfully with program staff if contact is needed
• Protect the privacy of other participants (do not share any information about other participants encountered in any group context)

Grounds for dismissal from the program (without refund):

• Confirmed academic dishonesty (see Section 4)
• Harassment or threatening conduct toward program staff
• Fraudulent use of another person's account or identity
• Circumventing platform security or technical controls
• Providing false information on any program document

GraceRoot takes participant concerns seriously. Every grievance is documented, acknowledged, and addressed in a timely manner. A full description of the grievance process is available on our standalone Grievance Policy page.

How to file a grievance:

1. Visit the Grievance Policy page and complete the online Grievance Form.
2. Alternatively, email a written grievance to grievances@graceroot.institute.
3. You will receive a written acknowledgment within 5 business days.
4. A resolution or escalation decision will be communicated within 15 business days of acknowledgment.

Escalation: If a grievance is unresolved after 15 business days, it may be escalated to Dr. Quinones directly, and if still unresolved, to the relevant licensing board or regulatory authority.