Client Rights & Complaint Procedures
To report abuse or neglect, please contact
Clients Rights Advocate Amber Galyan at 432-570-3333 immediately
or call the
Texas Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS) at 1-800-647-7418.
Abuse, neglect, and exploitation can take many forms.
Being aware of common indicators may improve your ability to recognize and respond to them. Although no single behavior is an absolute indicator of abuse, neglect, and exploitation, some examples are included below:
Physical Abuse
Physical Indicators
- unexplained cuts, abrasions, bruising or swelling
- unexplained burns or scalds, cigarette burns
- rope burns or marks on arms, legs, neck, torso
- unexplained fractures, strains, or sprains; dislocation of limbs
- bite marks
- dental injuries
- ear or eye injuries
Behavioral Signs
- avoidance of particular staff, fear of a particular person
- sleep disturbances
- changes in behavior (e.g. unusual mood swings, uncharacteristic aggression)
- changes in daily routine, changes in appetite
- unusual passivity, withdrawal
- self-harm, suicide attempts
- inappropriate explanations of how injuries occurred
- excessive compliance to staff
Sexual Abuse
Physical Indicators
- direct or indirect disclosure of abuse or assault
- trauma to the breasts, buttocks, lower abdomen or thighs
- difficulty walking or sitting
- pain or itching in genital and/or anal area; bruising, bleeding or discharge
- self-harm, abuse, suicide attempts
- torn, stained or blood-stained underwear or bedclothes
- sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy
- unexplained money or gifts
Behavioral Signs
- sleep disturbances
- changes in eating patterns
- inappropriate or unusual sexual behavior or knowledge
- changes in social patterns
- sudden or marked changes in behavior or temperament
- anxiety attacks, panic attacks, clinical depression
- refusal to attend usual places (e.g. work, school, respite)
- going to bed fully clothed
- excessive compliance to staff
Psychological/Emotional Abuse
Physical Indicators
- speech disorders
- in the case of a child: lags in physical development, failure to thrive
- injuries sustained from self-harm or abuse
- suicide attempts
- anxiety attacks
Behavioral Signs
- self-harm or self-abusive behaviors
- challenging/extreme behaviors
- excessive compliance to staff
- very low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness
- clinical depression
- marked decrease in interpersonal skills
- extreme attention-seeking behavior
Financial Abuse
Physical Indicators
- no access to, or unwarranted restrictions on, personal funds or bank accounts
- no records, or incomplete records, kept of expenditures and purchases
- no inventory kept of significant purchases
- person controlling the finances does not have legal authority
- misappropriation of money, valuables, or property
- forced changes to a person’s will
- persistent failure to produce receipts
- receipts indicating unusual or inappropriate purchases
Behavioral Signs
- person has insufficient money to meet normal expenses
- person is persistently denied outings and activities due to a lack of funds
Neglect
Physical Indicators
- physical wasting, unhealthy weight levels
- poor dental health
- food from meals left on face and/or clothes throughout the day
- dirty, unwashed body and/or face, body odor
- person always wearing the same clothes
- ill-fitting and/or unwashed clothes
- person is always over- or underdressed for the weather conditions
- food is consistently poor quality, insufficient, inedible, and/or unappetizing
Behavioral Signs
- constant tiredness
- persistent hunger
- unexpectedly poor social/interpersonal skills
- signs of loss of communication and other skills
- staff member, service provider, carer, or support person consistently fails to bring the person to appointments, events, activities
- person is persistently denied opportunities to socialize with others in the community
Complaint Procedure and Appeals
Please click here for the complaint/grievance procedure for individuals who receive services from PermiaCare programs.
A recipient of community mental health services or anyone on their behalf can file a complaint.
If you feel your rights or the rights of another have been violated, please contact the Client Rights Advocate at 432-570-3333. Please click here for the Complaint Procedure Form.
If you are not satisfied after you have spoken directly with our Client Rights Advocate, or if you are not satisfied that the information you received is correct, you can call the
HHS Office of the Ombudsman at (800) 252-8154.
Title VI Complaint Procedure
PermiaCare operates its program and services without regard to race, color, and national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. See Notification of Public Rights Under Title VI.
Title VI is a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requiring that “No person in the United States shall on the grounds of race, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Note that Title VI does not address gender discrimination. It only covers race, color and national origin. Other Civil Rights laws prohibit gender discrimination.
Any person who believes she or he has been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, or national origin by PermiaCare may file a Title VI complaint by completing and submitting the agency’s Title VI Complaint Form. Complaint forms can be found at: www.permiacare.org, or requested at: 401 E. Illinois, Suite 301, Midland, Texas, 79701. You can also find the form by clicking here.
Further, you can find PermiaCare’s Title VI Complaint Procedure and Title VI Plan at the links below: