Support and your rights
You have rights when you get services from us. If you disagree with a decision, you can ask for it to be looked at again. You don’t have to do it alone.
Get support
Westside Family Resource and Empowerment Center
Support for families from other families. Visit the center’s page (on the current WRC website)
Support groups
Groups for parents, families and self-advocates meet every month. See support groups
Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy
Free help to protect your rights. It is separate from us. Contact them (on the current WRC website)
Special education advocacy
Help with school plans and services. Learn more (on the current WRC website)
If you disagree with us
For people 3 and older: the fair hearing process
You can disagree with us about your services, about who can get services, or about any other decision we make. There are three steps. You can choose which to use.
An informal meeting
You meet with us to talk it through. This step is your choice.
Mediation
A neutral person helps you and us agree.
A fair hearing
A judge listens to both sides and decides.
For babies and toddlers in Early Start
- Mediation. You and we agree to meet with a neutral person. Both sides must agree to use it.
- A due process hearing. It must be finished within 30 days of your request.
- A state complaint. If you think a law was broken, DDS looks into it. You get a written decision within 60 days.
If one of your rights was taken away
Use the rights complaint process if you think we, or a service provider, took away one of your rights unfairly. Do not use it for disagreements about who can get services or which services you get. Use the fair hearing process for those.