VETERAN RIGHTS PACT and 38 C.F.R. part 50 Notice
Name of Organization: Operation Stand Down Rhode Island
Name of Applicable Programs: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Supportive Service for Veteran Families (SSVF), Grant Per Diem (GPD) Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans At-Risk for Homelessness (LSV-H) Grant Program
As a Veteran, you have the right…
1. to be treated equally, professionally, and with respect.
2. to not face harassment or retaliation.
3. to have your cultural and personal values, beliefs, and preferences honored. We ask that you identify
any cultural, religious, or spiritual beliefs or practices that influence your care.
4. to have your privacy protected.
5. to be assessed for available services as a Veteran, whether you have your DD214 or not.
6. to access or be directly referred to services you need for which you are eligible and that are available within your local community.
7. to receive a copy of the grievance policy upon enrollment and upon request.
38 C.F.R. part 50 Notice
Additionally, because this program is supported in whole or in part by financial assistance from the Federal Government, we are required by 38 C.F.R. part 50 to let you know that:
1. We may not discriminate against you based on religion, a religious belief, a refusal to hold a religious belief, or a refusal to attend or participate in a religious practice.
2. We may not require you to attend or participate in any explicitly religious activities (including activities that involve overt religious content such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization) that may be offered by our organization, and any participation by you in such activities must be purely voluntary.
3. We must separate in time or location any privately funded explicitly religious activities (including activities that involve overt religious content such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization) from activities supported with direct Federal financial assistance.
4. You may report violations of these protections, including any denials of services or benefits by an organization, by contacting or filing a written complaint with the grant program office using the contact information set forth below, and or reporting to the OSDRI staff member identified below.
5. If you would like to seek information about whether there are any other organizations that provide these kinds of services in your area, including Federally funded organizations, please use the contact information below.
As of August 1, 2024, this written notice must be given to you before you receive services from the program. When it is impractical to provide such notice before we provide the service, this notice must be given to you at the earliest available opportunity. In the case of GPD transitional supportive housing and other related services, notice might be provided after we begin providing the service if earlier notice would result in a barrier or delayed entry.
Grievance, Appeals and Reporting Policy
As a Veteran you may report an organization's violation of these protections, including any denials of services or benefits by an organization, by contacting or filing a formal grievance to the above program offices. Contact Information for Program Offices: SSVF@va.gov; GPDgrants@va.gov & LSVGrants@va.gov
Before filing such a formal grievance, you may also file a Grievance / Appeal with OSDRI’s Director of Supportive Services (Contact Information for OSDRI’s Director of Supportive Services: Tyrone Smith, 401-383-4730 tyronesmith@osdri.org). Or if relating to LSV-H Legal Services with the LSV-H Program Manager (Contact Information for OSDRI’s LSV-H Program Manager William Dorry, Esquire, 401-383-4730, Wdorryesq@osdri.org). Upon making such a Grievance / Appeal, either in writing, by email, or directly, the Director of Supportive Services / LSV-H Program Manager will provide a response within 3 business days.
If you have witnessed or suspect criminal activities, fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement, you may contact the VA Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-488-8244 or email vaoighotline@va.gov.