THE LEARNING CENTER BY FAMILY SOLUTIONS

Continuing Education Grievance Policy

Policy Owner The Learning Center by Family Solutions	Effective Date August 5, 2026
Continuing Education Director Jeff VoVillia, LMHC	Social Work Consultant Tracy Arney, LICSW, CMHS
Review Cycle Annually, or upon regulatory update	Approved By Jeff VoVillia, LMHC; Tracy Arney, LICSW, CMHS

 

1. Purpose

The Learning Center by Family Solutions (“the Provider”) is committed to responding to grievances in a timely, fair, and ethical manner. This policy establishes a transparent, consistent process for receiving, documenting, reviewing, and resolving complaints from course participants, regulatory boards, or the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).

2. Definitions

Complaint/Grievance:

An expression of dissatisfaction made by or on behalf of a course participant regarding any aspect of a Learning Center continuing education offering, including but not limited to refund requests, course content, presenters, facilities or delivery platform, nonreceipt of certificates, or any other occurrence related to a CE activity.

3. Access and Non-Retaliation

The Learning Center provides participants with information about their right to file a complaint/grievance and makes this written policy available upon request and as part of the Provider's ACE program application. Grievance contact information is included on promotional and course materials so participants can easily identify how to submit a concern. Information about the process is provided in a manner appropriate to the participant's needs, with interpreter or accommodation assistance available upon request.

The Learning Center ensures that individuals who file a complaint or grievance are not retaliated against in any way, including through restricted access to future courses, altered fees, or any other adverse action.

4. Personnel Involved in Grievance Resolution

To remove any perception of bias, reduce risk associated with staff serving in multiple roles, and maximize objectivity, the following individuals participate in the review and resolution of every grievance submitted to the Learning Center, regardless of the complainant's profession or credential:

•     Tracy Arney, LICSW, CMHS — Social Work Consultant. Provides an independent review of every grievance, confirms that the proposed resolution is fair, ethical, and consistent with practice standards, and adds a perspective distinct from day-to-day course administration.

•     Jeff VoVillia, LMHC — Continuing Education Director. Receives grievances, coordinates the investigation, documents all actions taken, and implements the agreed-upon resolution.

No grievance is closed without the Social Work Consultant's documented input. Any staff member who is the subject of, or believed to be part of, a grievance is not involved in reviewing or deciding that grievance, and any person who made a decision at an earlier stage of a grievance does not serve as the sole decision-maker if the matter is escalated.

5. How to Submit a Grievance

Participants are encouraged to resolve concerns at the lowest possible level by following these steps:

1.   Discuss the concern directly with the course instructor, presenter, or Learning Center staff contact, if comfortable doing so.

2.   If the concern is not resolved, or the participant is not comfortable with Step 1, contact the Continuing Education Director, Jeff VoVillia, LMHC.

3.   If the concern remains unresolved, or involves the Continuing Education Director, submit a written Grievance Report (see Section 10) to:

•     Email: receptionists@family-solutions.net

•     Phone: Family Solutions main office

•     Written correspondence addressed to the Continuing Education Director, The Learning Center by Family Solutions

Grievances may also be submitted directly to a regulatory board or to ASWB, which will be forwarded to the Provider for response. There is no time limit for filing a grievance related to a CE activity.

6. Grievance Review Timeline

4.   Acknowledgment. The Learning Center will acknowledge receipt of a written grievance within 10 business days. The acknowledgment includes the date the grievance was received, a summary of the concern, and the participant's desired resolution.

5.   Investigation. The Continuing Education Director gathers relevant facts, which may include course evaluations, attendance records, correspondence, and statements from involved parties.

6.   Consultant Review. The Social Work Consultant reviews the findings and provides independent input on the proposed resolution.

7.   Decision and Notice. The Learning Center will send the participant a written decision no later than 90 calendar days from the date the grievance is received. Most grievances — particularly refund and certificate requests — are resolved well before this outer limit; typical turnaround by category is noted in Section 7.

8.   Documentation of Outcome. The final resolution and all actions taken are recorded in the grievance record, whether the complaint was made to the Provider, a regulatory board, or ASWB.

9.   Continuous Improvement. Grievance information and outcomes are reviewed with Learning Center staff and course developers to identify and implement improvements to future course offerings.

7. Category-Specific Handling

Refund Requests:

Refund requests are reviewed against the Provider's published refund terms for the applicable course. Approved refunds are processed within 30 calendar days. Denied requests include a written explanation and are reviewed by the Social Work Consultant.

Course Content Complaints:

Complaints regarding accuracy, bias, or relevance of course content are reviewed by the Continuing Education Director and Social Work Consultant, who may consult subject-matter experts. Course materials are revised or removed if the complaint is substantiated.

Speaker/Presenter Complaints:

Complaints about a presenter's conduct or delivery are documented and discussed with the presenter. Repeated or substantiated complaints may result in the presenter being removed from future course offerings.

Facility or Delivery Complaints:

Complaints about in-person facilities or the online learning platform (including accessibility barriers) are addressed directly with the vendor or facility, with corrective steps documented.

Nonreceipt of Certificates:

Reports of nonreceipt are verified against Learning Center completion records and Moodle course logs. A replacement certificate is issued within 10 business days of confirmed completion.

Other Occurrences:

Any grievance not otherwise categorized is reviewed using the general process outlined in Section 6, with resolution scaled to the nature and severity of the concern.

8. Recordkeeping

•     A record of every grievance received — regardless of source — is maintained by the Continuing Education Director, including the complaint, all actions taken, and the final resolution.

•     Records are kept in confidential files, separate from any clinical or personnel record, and are not disclosed except as necessary to resolve the grievance or as required by ASWB or a regulatory board.

•     Grievance records are retained for a minimum of ten years, or longer if required by ASWB, the current ACE approval period plus one renewal cycle, or an applicable regulatory board — whichever is longest.

•     Records are made available to the ASWB ACE program upon request.

•     This written grievance policy is provided with the Provider's ACE program application and made available to participants upon request.

9. Continuous Quality Improvement

Trends and outcomes from grievances are periodically shared with Learning Center staff, course developers, and, where relevant, the Continuing Education Advisory processes, so that lessons learned are incorporated into future course design, presenter selection, and platform management.

 

10. Learning Center Grievance Report Form

Please complete this form and submit it to an administrative staff member who is not part of the grievance, using the contact methods in Section 5.

Participant Name / Date:

Course Title:

Best way to contact you (phone, email, or other):

Summary of complaint/grievance:

How would you like this resolved?:

Signature / Printed Name / Date:

Approved by:

Jeff VoVillia, LMHC — Continuing Education Director

Tracy Arney, LICSW, CMHS — Social Work Consultant