Recovery Housing Complaints & Grievance Process

a folder that says "complaints" on the tab

All recovery housing complaints in Rhode Island are handled by Rhode Island Communities for Addiction Recovery Efforts (RICARES). This process is an essential part of ensuring that recovery homes remain safe, supportive, and compliant with state and national standards.

Recovery housing funded by the state must meet the National Alliance of Recovery Residences (NARR) standards. The complaint process is designed to address violations of these certification requirements—but it is not intended to be used as a tool to enforce house rules on residents, managers, or operators. Instead, its purpose is to protect the rights of residents to live in a safe and secure environment, as certified by the State of Rhode Island.

The RICARES grievance process offers a variety of ways to respond to concerns, including:

Referral to another agency
Face-to-face mediation
Operator training
Quality improvement plans with set timetables
Problem-solving proposals
Voluntary relocation to another certified recovery house

This approach ensures that concerns are addressed fairly and constructively, while maintaining the safety, integrity, and supportive nature of recovery housing.

I have a complaint about a Recovery House, what are my next steps?

A person sitting at a laptop looking at a website

There are two ways to file a complaint with RICARES:

By Phone: Call (401) 475‑2960 to speak directly with RICARES staff.
Online: Submit a complaint through the RICARES website by following these steps:
- Go to RICARES.org.
- Click the three bars at the top of the homepage.
- Hover over or scroll to “Housing” to open the submenu.
- Select “Recovery House Complaints” from the submenu.
- Click “File a Complaint”.
- Scroll to “Recovery House Complaint Form” and click “Start Now”.
- Follow the prompts to complete and submit your complaint