Understanding Our Grievance Policy

Your feedback is essential to us. At Dr. Paulson Professional Counseling, we value your thoughts and experiences. Our Grievance Policy ensures transparency and addresses your concerns promptly. We encourage open communication and strive to create an environment where you can voice your grievances comfortably.

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Our Continuing Education Program Grievance Policy

DR. PAULSON PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING LLC

Policy Director: Dr. Brian Paulson, Ph.D., LMHC-QS, LMFT-QS, LPC, MCAP, CGAC, Continuing Education Director

Policy Mandate: This policy fulfills the requirement to maintain a written and published procedure concerning the review and resolution of participant complaints and disputes related to our continuing education programs, addressing mandates from the Florida Board and the NBCC Policy.

I. Purpose and Scope of Grievance

This policy applies to grievances submitted by program participants or potential participants regarding continuing education programs offered by Dr. Paulson Professional Counseling LLC.

Grievances may concern the following areas:

1. Program Content: Disputes regarding the accuracy, relevance, or adherence to established clinical standards. Content related to diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of clients must be clinically sound and consistent with the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

2. Presenter Conduct & Qualifications: Complaints about the professional conduct, knowledge, or presentation skills of the instructor, or concerns that the presenter’s expertise is not commensurate with the level of content. Instructors must possess the appropriate qualifications, which often means holding an advanced degree in a mental health field.

3. Administration and Logistics: Issues concerning registration, certificate issuance, course credit calculation (ensuring that one CE hour equals sixty minutes, with no less than fifty minutes of uninterrupted instruction), record keeping, or facility accommodations.

4. Compliance: Concerns regarding violations of advertising standards (which must not be false, deceptive, or misleading) or failure to comply with requests for accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

(Note: The provider maintains separate published policies concerning program fees, refunds, and participant cancellation, as required to inform participants prior to registration.)

II. Grievance Submission Procedure

A formal grievance must be submitted in writing using the designated contact methods:

Method	Contact Details
Email (Preferred)	info@drpaulsoncounseling.com
Written Mail	7901 4th St N STE 300, St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, FL 33702 USA

The written submission must be dated and include the participant’s name, contact information, the title and date of the specific CE program, a detailed description of the complaint or dispute, and the desired resolution or corrective action requested.

III. Review and Resolution Process

The steps taken if a course participant submits a grievance are as follows:

1. Receipt and Assignment: The grievance is immediately routed to the designated Continuing Education Director and Primary Contact, Dr. Brian Paulson.

2. Investigation and Fact-Finding: The Director reviews the complaint in detail, which may involve reviewing relevant records such as the Course Roster, Outline, Agenda, Presenter Curriculum Vitae, Participant Evaluation Data, and Organizational Policies to assess compliance with the NBCC Code of Ethics and applicable state standards.

3. Resolution Determination: The Director determines if a policy or compliance standard was breached and decides the appropriate resolution (e.g., corrective action, partial or full refund, or adjustment of CE credit).

4. Written Response: The Provider will issue a formal, written decision/response to the complainant within a timely period (e.g., fifteen business days) of receiving the initial written grievance.

IV. Regulatory Reporting and Record Keeping

• NBCC Complaint Reporting Requirement: The LLC must report to NBCC each complaint, dispute, or grievance that directly or indirectly relates to the terms and requirements of NBCC Policy within sixty days of the Provider’s knowledge of the complaint. This includes all related written communications.

• Record Maintenance: A detailed record of every grievance submitted, including the original complaint, investigation correspondence, findings, and the final resolution, must be securely maintained as part of the course records for a minimum of five years following the date the course was offered to satisfy the strictest NBCC retention standard.

Organizational Summary: Administration of Continuing Education Programs

DR. PAULSON PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING LLC

This summary reflects the organizational structure and compliance authority required by the Florida Board, the Florida Certification Board (FCB), and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) for CE Provider status.

I. Organizational Identity and Structure

Element	Organizational Detail	Regulatory Context
Organization Name	Dr. Paulson Professional Counseling LLC
Legal Structure	Single-Member, Member-Managed Limited Liability Company (LLC). Categorized as a Private Practitioner for FCB classification.
Primary Business Purpose	Provision of clinical, counseling, and psychotherapy services (Chapter 491, F.S.) and operating as an approved Continuing Education (CE) Provider.	The legislative intent is to secure the health, safety, and welfare of the public by establishing minimum qualifications for professionals.
CE Service Category Focus	Mental Health and Addiction.	Based on Dr. Paulson’s licensure (LMHC, LMFT) and certification (MCAP, CGAC).

II. Chain of Command and Director Designation

The structure for administering CE programs is singular. Dr. Paulson holds all managerial and operational roles, providing a clear chain of command as required by the Florida Board.

Role Title	Individual Name/Credentials	Responsibility & Compliance Authority
Sole Member / Manager	Dr. Brian Paulson, Ph.D., LMHC-QS, LMFT-QS, LPC, MCAP, CGAC	Ultimate legal and financial responsibility for the LLC.
Continuing Education Director (CED) / Program Administrator	Dr. Brian Paulson (Ph.D., LMHC-QS, LMFT-QS, LPC, MCAP, CGAC)	Designated as the highest operational authority for CE program content and standards. Must hold an advanced degree in a mental health field (Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision, which is CACREP Accredited) to satisfy NBCC Program Administrator requirements.
Primary Contact for Regulatory Bodies	Dr. Brian Paulson	Responsible for receiving and responding to all correspondence from the Board, FCB, NBCC, and CE Broker.

III. Compliance Responsibilities of the CE Director

The CE Director is responsible for abiding by written agreements to ensure compliance with Florida Board rules, FCB standards, and NBCC Policy.

Compliance Area	Specific Mandatory Duties
Program Content and Presenters	Assure that all programs are relevant to counseling practice, theory, or method. Ensure presenter qualifications satisfy state board and counselor accrediting bodies. Content related to diagnosis/treatment must be clinically sound and consistent with the DSM.
Regulatory Notification	Notify the Florida Board in writing of any change in the Continuing Education Director, mailing address, or telephone number within ten days of the change. NBCC must be notified within thirty days of such a change.
Advertising Standards	Ensure all promotional material conspicuously displays the complete provider number (50-___), specific program objectives, and speaker credentials. Advertising must not be false, deceptive, or misleading.
Audit Compliance	Agree to comply with all audit requests from the Florida Board or FCB within twenty-one days of receipt. Failure to comply may result in inactive status being imposed by the FCB.
ADA and Ethics	Ensure the provider complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and that program content is consistent with the NBCC Code of Ethics.
Grievance Resolution	Provide a statement about the steps taken if a course participant submits a grievance about the course.
Record Retention	Maintain records of each course offered for a minimum of five years to satisfy the highest standard set by NBCC.

Record Keeping System Policy

DR. PAULSON PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING LLC

Policy Director: Dr. Brian Paulson, Ph.D., LMHC-QS, LMFT-QS, ACS, MCAP, CGAC, Continuing Education Director & Primary Contact

Policy Mandate: This policy establishes the requirements for documenting, storing, retrieving, and protecting all mandated clinical client records (Chapter 491, F.S.) and Continuing Education (CE) Program documentation, ensuring compliance with state boards, FCB, NAADAC, and NBCC.

I. Record Custody and Retention Requirements

Dr. Paulson maintains responsibility for all client and CE records. The retention period for all records is governed by the most stringent standard applicable.

Record Category	Minimum Retention Period	Governing Authority
Clinical Client Records	seven years after the date of the last contact with the client or user.	F.S. §491.0148 and Rule 64B4-9.001 (Florida Board).
Continuing Education (CE) Records	five years following each offering of the program.	NBCC Policy Section C.10. (This exceeds the Florida Board minimum of three years and the FCB minimum of four years).

II. Clinical Record Documentation Standards

Clinical documentation must include the client’s consent to all aspects of treatment, copies of all client authorizations for release of information, any legal forms, and documentation of any contact the therapist has with other professionals regarding the client. If requested in writing by the client, copies of tests, reports, or documents prepared for and paid for by the client, or a report of examination and treatment in lieu of copies of psychotherapeutic records, must be released without conditioning release upon payment of a fee for services rendered.

III. Continuing Education Program Documentation

To satisfy FCB, NAADAC, and NBCC requirements, a secure system is maintained to store the following documents for all continuing education programs offered for a minimum five-year period:

Required Course Documentation	Compliance Details
Course Outline / Curriculum	Must include a detailed content outline reflecting educational objectives. The content must be directly relevant to the professional knowledge and skills of graduate-level counselors and must be clinically sound.
Detailed Agenda & Timing	Must specify content and time frames for instruction, ensuring that one CE hour equals sixty minutes, with no less than fifty minutes of uninterrupted instruction.
Presenter Documentation	Name, Curriculum Vitae (CV), and documentation of qualifications. The instructor must possess extensive experience (no less than two years of practical application or research) or hold the required academic qualifications (Ph.D./Faculty Member status) for the subject taught.
Participant Roster	A list of participants by first and last name and license number.
Course Evaluations	Original participant evaluations, including a rating scale for satisfaction/dissatisfaction with content, presenter skills/knowledge, facility (if live), materials, and relevance. A summary of evaluations must also be retained.
Completion Certificates	A sample document must include the participant’s name, provider’s name and number (50-___), program title, date of program, and number of CE hours earned. Must include the statement: “Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling Provider Number 50-___.”
Promotional Materials	Copies of all advertisements used to promote the program, conspicuously displaying the complete provider number (50-___), objectives, and presenter credentials.

IV. System Security and Regulatory Compliance

These policies and records are maintained within a Secure Share Drive (Secured/Encrypted Cloud Storage), ensuring complete and accurate backup copies are maintained securely.

1. Electronic Reporting (CE Broker): Course completion credit data (rosters) must be submitted electronically via the CE Broker platform within thirty calendar days of completion.

2. Confidentiality: A policy is maintained concerning the confidentiality and security of participant information (name, address, email, telephone number, financial information). Disclosure or use of client information in a CE program is strictly prohibited without proper consent.

3. Audit Compliance: The system is prepared to provide all required records to comply with audit requests from the Florida Board or FCB within twenty-one days of receipt of such requests. Failure to make relevant records available may constitute grounds for disciplinary action.

4. Legal Matters Reporting (NBCC): Dr. Paulson must report involvement in any criminal investigation or case, civil court matter, or government agency matter to NBCC within thirty days of the date he knew, or should have known, about the matter.