In 1977 the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ (NCDHHS) Ombudsman Program was created to address inquiries and complaints that consumers have regarding services that NCDHHS oversees or administers. Through this service, Office of Citizen Services’ (OCS) staff serves as the central point of contact for the NCDHHS Secretary’s Office, Governor’s Office, other elected and appointed officials, department personnel, all government agencies, non-profit and private agencies, advocates and residents of the state.

Constituents who contact their governmental representatives or any human service professional with complaints concerning NCDHHS or who are in need of human service programs are referred to the NCDHHS Ombudsman Program. When a complaint is received, OCS staff serves as a liaison between the resident and the NCDHHS program specialist. We ensure that complaints are thoroughly examined and investigated. Staff determine the most appropriate parties to contact and work with to resolve the situation. Feedback is provided to elected officials regarding their constituents’ concerns. Ensuring that consumers have the proper channel for addressing their concerns is key to this program. If a person’s complaint is valid, steps are taken to rectify the situation. If the complaint is not valid, time is spent with the resident to educate them on the process and help them understand why the situation was handled in a certain manner. In addition, staff rely on an extensive statewide database to give additional referrals that may be of assistance.

Ombudsman statistical reports are generated that allow staff to determine problem areas within the department that need to be researched. This data is shared with NCDHHS Executive Management, the Governor’s Office and other elected officials. This data is a valuable tool for noting problem areas, hot issues, trends and service gaps and serves as a mechanism to change policy when needed.