- The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (“BHDD”) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate or exclude people or treat them differently based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
- BHDD provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
- Qualified sign language interpreters; and
- Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats).
- BHDD provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
- Qualified interpreters; and
- Information written in other languages.
- BHDD will not require you to provide your own interpreter, charge you for interpreter or translation services, or rely on friends or family members to interpret except in limited emergency situations or when you request it.
- If you believe that BHDD has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with the Civil Rights Coordinator listed above. You can file a grievance in person, by mail, or by email. If you need help filing a grievance the Civil Rights Coordinator is available to assist you.
You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail at:
Centralized Case Management Operations
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Room 509F HHH Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20201or emailing the completed complaint to OCRComplaint@hhs.gov. Complaint forms are available at How to File a Civil Rights Complaint | HHS.gov. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can be reached at 1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD).
