The following protocol is meant to assist you in your communication with the Department of Health (DOH). Please follow it and document everything so that, if DOH does not resolve your issue, the union will have proof that you tried to rectify it and were unable. At that point, the union will be able to try to intervene on your behalf.
- Document everything. Always make copies of whatever paper work you submit.
- Know your licensor – and call them first when a problem arises.
- If your licensor is unable or unwilling to help you, call their supervisor. Remember to give a reasonable amount of time for a response depending on the urgency of the situation.
- If the supervisor does not respond in a timely manner or is unable or unwilling to help you, call the borough manager.
- If the borough manager does not respond in a timely manner or is unable or unwilling to help you, contact the borough manager’s central office and ask to speak to the borough manager supervisor.
- If, after speaking to all of the above parties at DOH, your issue is still not resolved, you should contact the regional office of the state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Ask to speak with the regular representative, the representative’s supervisor, and then the regional OCFS manager, in that order.
If none of the above work, call the union at 212-598-9288 and we will intervene. While we cannot promise that our efforts will meet with success, we will try our best to get an answer to your question or to rectify your situation.