Investigates complaints concerning any of the facilities and agencies licensed and inspected by the Department of Health:   - Hospitals - Ambulatory surgical facilities - Child birth centers - Home health agencies - Behavioral health agencies - Behavioral health treatment facilities Does not have the authority to invoke or enforce criminal or civil penalties. Authority is limited to taking action against a health care facility license. Not able to deny, modify or suspend a license which can result in the facility having to close.

Receive and refer for investigation allegations of abuse, neglect or unsatisfactory conditions in licensed and certified long-term care settings.   Conducts unannounced investigations and inspections at routine intervals to promote resident protection and ensure compliance with rules and regulations

Advocates and resolves problems for residents of nursing homes, assisted living homes and adult family homes. Maintains a complaint system which tracks complaints made against long-term care facilities and works with facility staff, local and state agencies to ensure that residents' complaints and concerns are listened to and responded to with appropriate action. Educates the public about residents' rights, resident care, medical assistance, services/conditions in long-term care facilities and what to look for in a long-term care facility. Oversees local ombudsmen offices across the state. Recruits and trains volunteers as certified long-term care ombudsman and is staffed by professional ombudsmen.

Provides disability rights information, technical assistance for disability issues, general information about legal rights, strategies about how to become a stronger self-advocate, information sheets on a wide range of subjects to empower individuals with disabilities to better advocate for themselves, community education and training, and some legal services for disability rights violations. Focuses legal resources on systemic cases that will improve service systems for people with disabilities. Disability Rights Washington has attorneys and law student interns who provide Technical Assistance on specific information related to our ongoing systemic work and to people calling from treatment facilities. If you are calling about an education issue related to disability in school, Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) or foster care related issues, supported living and waiver services, or your rights as they relate to a treatment facility, we have appointments and can schedule you with staff. If you are a Social Security disability beneficiary under full retirement age experiencing a barrier to employment, including issues with paratransit, difficulty accessing job training and employment services, loss of ongoing employment supports, lack of access to assistive technology needed to work, or other issues that prevent you from getting or keeping employment, you can call and schedule an appointment with staff. Does not provide representation or advice for: - Criminal law - Family law - Assistance becoming the guardian of an individual with a disability - Out-of-state issues - Workers compensation - General medical malpractice & personal injury - General consumer bankruptcy issues - Any issue or problem not directly related to your disability - Assistance finding employment, housing or financial assistance - Assistance filling out forms & Social Security applications - Anything that is not the wish of the person with the disability