The caseworker didn't exactly tell the truth? The caseworker "slightly overstated" something? The "Mental Health Clinician's" diagnosis was bizzare? The agency ran roughshod over you, won't listen to you or you lawyer?

No, it's not what you think/hope it is. You don't get to tell a judge or jury or a real person. The Grievance Process is INTERNAL to SCF.

You don't get to talk to an impartial third party- You are supposed to go TALK to the very people who are causing the trouble and you are so MAD at.

The same TERRORISTS who are your accuser, investigator, judge, jury, and executioner are also made your sole source for REDRESS!  

HOW TO START A GRIEVANCE:

At your friendly local SCF office, trot over to the literature rack and pick up their brochure (PAM 1551) "What to do if you have a disagreement with SCF".

You even find this statement: "We will also help you write the letters if you want us to". (Isn't that nice?)

The sequence for presenting your grievance is plainly spelled out in PAM 1551:

1- Talk to the caseworker and supervisor

• Tell the caseworker and supervisor what you feel is not fair. They will talk with you and try to work out a solution to your problem.
  (DON'T TALK: WRITE A LETTER stating your grievance. Make AT LEAST 6 COPIES for later use.  Talk is cheap, goes right through the rafters and MEANS NOTHING)

2- Meet with the branch manager

• If (talking with the caseworker and supervisor) does not work, you can meet with the branch manager. Tell the branch manager that you have a grievance you want resolved.
  (Again, WRITE A LETTER stating your grievance, adding rebuttals to statements made by the caseworker and supervisor. Make at least 5 copies of your new letter, make at least 4 copies of SCF replies, include a COPY of your FIRST letter to the caseworker and supervisor and a copy of their replies)

3- Ask the regional administrator for a formal review

• Your request for a formal grievance review must be made in writing to the regional administrator.
  (Add rebuttals to statements your have already received. Make at least 4 copies, include copies of all your letters and replies of the caseworker, supervisor, and branch manager)

4- Write to the SCF director

• If you do not think this appeal (writing to the regional administrator) was fair, you may write to the SCF director.
  (Make at least 3 copies, include copies of all the former replies and your rebuttal letters)
• The director will appoint a citizen committee to review your grievance.
• The director will consider the findings of the citizen review committee...
• The director will send you a written decision within 10 working days of receiving the recommendation from the review committee.

"THE DECISION OF THE DIRECTOR IS FINAL AND NOT APPEALABLE"

That's their words, not ours. You will never get this far anyway. The underlings have no interest in letting your gripe get that serious. It is all a big game with them anyway, and they will play with you if you know the rules. It is a little hard to look at this as a GAME, when your KIDS are at stake. But things definitely start going better for you when you start considering it a game and looking at them as the lying jokers they really are.

YES IT IS APPEALABLE.

Your Oregon State Representative and Oregon State Senator.

Then, there is the The Governor's Advocacy and Children's Ombudsman Office, which was created to be a true, impartial place to lodge complaints against the SCF.

• Last we knew, the office could not retain any director because of the SOLID BRICK WALL they ran into when attempting to call SCF to task for it's behavior.

Finally, your United States Representative and United States Senator.
(You need to write to these guys about fixing CAPTA 1974 anyway)

Gee, isn't this fun? Just think- If we lived in a free country, we could just live and "persue happiness". There has to be more to life than having to fight nasty TERRORIST bureaucracies that have the unconstitutional power to destroy your life, and have complete IMPUNITY for doing it.

It's Time to STOP PARENT ABUSE!