Formal Concerns

The Canadian Mental Health Association Nova Scotia Division values your feedback and strives to ensure any concerns or complaints are responded to in a prompt, fair and respectful manner.

• Read our Complaints Policy

What is a complaint?

A complaint is the expression of dissatisfaction about the service, actions, or lack of action by CMHA NS Division as an organization or a staff member or volunteer acting on behalf of CMHA NS Division.

Examples may include but are not limited to:

• A mistake or error made by a staff member or volunteer
• Unfair or impolite treatment by a staff member or volunteer
• A staff member or volunteer not doing something agreed upon

Submitting a complaint

If you would like to submit a concern, feedback or a complaint please send them to [email protected]

Complaints may be received in writing (by mail, fax, email or web) or verbally (by phone or in person) to the Executive Director.

CMHA NS encourages complainants to submit in writing where feasible. This will ensure all details of the complaint are captured accurately so that the most appropriate person within CMHA NS can best respond. Where this doesn’t occur, a verbal complaint will still be documented.

Once per year, a report on all of the complaints received by CMHA NS will be presented to the CMHA NS Board of Directors as part of a report for review.

Responding to a complaint

CMHA NS staff and volunteers are expected to listen and seek to understand any concerns, feedback or complaints with respect and empathy. Once your complaint has been submitted, you can expect to receive acknowledgement within three to five business days that complaint has been received and will be responded to.

Every effort will be made to respond to feedback and resolve any concerns or complaints received in a timely manner. Most complaints will be addressed within 10 business days. In more complex cases, complaints are expected to be addressed within 20-30 business days.

Subject to CMHA NS Division’s Privacy Policy all personal information of anyone submitting a complaint shall be handled sensitively and not disclosed to any unauthorized individuals.