About Us
Discrimination Notice
Discrimination Notice
Notice: Discrimination is Against the Law
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, or sex. Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, or sex.
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
- Qualified sign language interpreters
- Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats)
Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
- Qualified interpreters
- Information written in other languages
Should you require any of these services, please let the person scheduling your appointment know about the assistance you need and/ or contact the department where you are receiving services and they will assist you.
If you believe that Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with:
Ciara Elenbaas, Privacy Officer
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
300 68th St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49548
616-281-6363 ext 1124
ciara.elenbaas@pinerest.org
You can file a grievance in person, by mail or email. If you need help filing a grievance, Ciara Elenbaas, Privacy Officer is available to help 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, or by mail or phone at:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD)
Complaint forms are available at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html.

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act
Grievance Procedure
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act to coordinate the efforts of Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services to comply with Section 1557. Any person who believes s/he has been subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, age or disability may file a grievance. It is against the law for Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services to retaliate against anyone who files a grievance or cooperates in the investigation of a grievance.
Procedure
Grievances must be submitted to the Privacy Officer within 30 days of the date the person filing the grievance becomes aware of the alleged discriminatory action. A complaint must be in writing, containing the name and address of the person filing it. The complaint must state the problem or action alleged to be discriminatory and the remedy or relief sought. The Privacy Officer shall contact the Section 1557 Coordinator. The Section 1557 Coordinator may delegate the investigation duties to assist in the investigation as needed to the appropriate individual/s within the facility including the Privacy Officer. The Section 1557 Coordinator, Privacy Officer or other appropriate person/s shall conduct an investigation. This investigation may be informal, but it must be thorough, affording all interested persons an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the complaint. The Section 1557 Coordinator will maintain the files and records Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services relating to such grievances. The Section 1557 Coordinator will issue a written decision on the grievance no later than 30 days after its filing. The person filing the grievance may appeal the decision of the Section 1557 Coordinator by writing to the Chief Executive Officer within 15 days of receiving the Section 1557 Coordinator’s decision. The Chief Executive Officer shall issue a written decision in response to the appeal no later than 30 days after its filing. The availability and use of this grievance procedure does not prevent a person from filing a complaint of discrimination on the basis of disability with the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
In assisting with implementing this procedure, Pine Rest will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that individuals with disabilities and individuals with Limited English Proficiency are provided auxiliary aids and services or language assistance services, respectively, if needed to participate in this grievance process. Such arrangements may include, but are not limited to, providing qualified interpreters, providing taped cassettes of material for individuals with low vision, or assuring a barrier-free location for the proceedings. The Section 1557 Coordinator or designee will be responsible for such arrangements.