Complaints and Grievances

Key Considerations Before Filing a Complaint
Table of Contents

Table of Contents

QABA strives to uphold best practice and integrity in all policies and procedures. Candidates, credentialed participants, and coursework or CEU providers are required to uphold the ethical guidelines and all policies and procedures established by the QABA Board.

All complaints and grievances are confidential. All parties remain anonymous unless a legal or ethical violation is substantiated. In cases where confidentiality poses a risk to the public, notifications to third parties, legal authorities, and/or employers may be necessary. Frivolous complaints made by fellow certificate holders or providers are subject to disciplinary action by the QABA Board.

Grounds for sanctions include, but are not limited to:

  • Conviction of a felony or crime of moral turpitude under federal or state law.
  • Gross negligence, willful misconduct, or ethical violation in performance of services under QABA certification.
  • Fraud, falsification, or misrepresentation of qualifications or candidacy, renewal applications, or regulated policy rules of QABA.
  • Falsification or misrepresentation of any information requested by QABA, including: making a frivolous complaint, causing delay or disruption to investigations, or being non-responsive to requests from the QABA Board.
  • Misrepresentation of credentials to the public or logo in advertising or public domain.
  • Cheating on an exam or assisting others to cheat on an exam.
  • Failure to respond to an allegation within 15 business days.

Complaints regarding the exam process:

  • Any complaints or issues related to the exam process, technical difficulties, or rescheduling should be sent in writing to info@qababoard.com or call the office at 877.220.1839. Most issues can be resolved quickly via telephone or in coordination with Premier Proctoring. Any issues or exam red flags that cannot be resolved by administration will be forwarded to the preliminary review committee.

Complaints regarding any credentialed member or QABA coursework or CEU provider:

  • Should be made in writing to the QABA Board president. For additional information or help in determining if a complaint is applicable, please contact info@qababoard.com or call the office at 877.220.1839.

Complaints must be in writing through the complaint form on the website qababoard.com. All information must include:

  • The name, title, and credential of the person submitting the complaint.
  • The name of the person/company and credential of the person being reported.
  • All relevant information and a detailed description of the event, including dates and timelines.
  • All contact information, including phone, email, and written correspondence for parties noted in the complaint.
  • Every effort to resolve employee/employer/supervisor issues should be made through supervision and employer channels prior to filing a complaint. The only ethical issues that should be referred to the board are those that affect credentialing and maintenance of a credential.

Complaints should not be filed until all corroborating evidence is available and/or other investigations are complete, including but not limited to, ongoing written internal discipline counseling documents (signed by both parties), employer or other agency investigations and dispositions of those investigations, corroborating complaints from other witnesses, etc.

The QABA Disciplinary Review Committee (DRC) Guidelines currently establish internal timelines for complaint review, notification, and response procedures. While these guidelines provide a strong framework for ethical oversight, an internal review has revealed that certain timelines — particularly those related to notification, investigation completion, and final determination — may not fully align with the standards and expectations upheld by other credentialing bodies, healthcare licensing boards, and professional associations within related fields (e.g., behavior analysis, psychology, counseling, social work).
The purpose of this proposal is to recommend updates to the DRC procedures to better reflect industry benchmarks and ensure timely, transparent, and efficient handling of complaints.
The updated document is outlined below:

All complaints are reviewed by the Disciplinary Review Committee (DRC), which is composed of the board president and vice president. If the board president or vice president are not available, a board member will or can step in to assist. The DRC and the Ethics committee reviews and assesses the complaint. Preliminary review is completed within 15 business days.
A. Complaint Determination The complaint is determined to:
Be substantial and contain valid and sufficient information to justify a discipline committee review.
Be insufficient and returned for further information or dismissed as not qualifying as an ethics/policy violation.
Be more appropriate for administrative resolution through the QABA office.
B. Disciplinary Committee Review Prior to the submission of a complaint to the Board of Directors, the DRC and Ethics Committee is charged with determining the relevance of a complaint to the QABA Code of Ethics. The DRC and Ethics Committee conducts a preliminary investigation before sending a recommendation to the board, if necessary. A valid and substantial complaint is investigated by the Ethics Committee. The committee forwards a report and recommendation to the QABA Board upon completion of all relevant investigation materials.
Notification is made within 45 business days (after all required documentation is submitted and a substantiated review is done) to the certificant or provider whose conduct is in question. Email, phone, and/or written correspondence and all contacts are documented in a written log of all data.


C. Failure to Respond by the Certificant
If the recipient does not respond within 15 business days, a certified letter or additional email is issued. The respondent has 15 business days upon receipt of the written notification to respond. All participants and providers are responsible for maintaining current and correct information in the QABA system. Incorrect or out-of-date information is not the responsibility of the QABA Board; however, every effort will be made to contact all parties. Failure to respond within 15 business days will result in automatic suspension of the certificate. During suspension, individuals cannot represent, provide services, nor bill services utilizing the credential. Further failure to respond to a suspension notice within an additional 15 business by the certificant will result in revocation following a board vote. Reinstatement of the certification may be requested in writing up to 30 business days following the revocation to the QABA Board President, along with thorough justification and data to support the reinstatement. The investigation timeline procedures will continue at that time.
D. If the Complaint Involves a Board Member
If a complaint is regarding, or in any way involves QABA board members, the board members in question will recuse themselves from the case and will have no involvement in the complaint investigation, discussions, board decision, or appeal.

A final determination will be made only after all investigation materials and reports have been reviewed. If any legal proceedings are involved, the final decision will not be issued until those processes are complete.

Depending on the outcome, the final determination may include actions affecting a certificate holder

Possible Sanctions on the Certificant may include any of the following:

  • Caution/warning counseling.
  • Code compliance or training through voluntary professional development.
  • Suspension for a specific period of time or until completion of specific training, supervision, or code/policy correction is made.
  • Probation for a specific period of time. The coursework provider would still be able to operate, but must meet certain requirements to remain in good standing, including but not limited to: specific training, or supervision of courses provided. 
  • Revocation: the participant is immediately removed from active status and listed as revoked after the appeals process.
  • Dismissal: after thorough investigation, the board concludes that the complaint is unsubstantiated based on evidence provided.
  • Voluntary surrender of certificate: if completed before the final determination, the file is sealed and the certificate is removed from the roster without comment.

If a complaint is filed against a certificant who is also a coursework provider or CE provider, depending on the outcome, the final determination may include actions affecting the status of the coursework provider or CE provider. 

Possible Sanctions on the Coursework Provider or CE provider may include any of the following: 

  • Caution/Warning counseling
  • Suspension of provider status for a specific period of time or until completion of specific training, supervision, or code/policy correction is made with the certificate holder. 
  • Revocation: the provider is immediately removed from active status and their certification will be listed as revoked after the appeals process. 
  • Dismissal: after thorough investigation, the board concludes the complaint is unsubstantiated based on evidence provided and the provider may continue with active status. 
  • Voluntary surrender of provider status: if completed before the final determination, the file is sealed and the provider status is removed without comment. 

Determination results/sanctions are provided to the respondent or provider through written notice within 30 business days of final board quorum vote. Revocation of the credential is permanent, and certificants and providers may not re-apply. Complainants are notified in writing of the results of their filed complaint.

Appeals may be filed to the QABA Board within 90 days of receipt of the board’s determination. A request to begin an appeal must be made in writing to the board president; however, all pertinent documentation is not required in order to begin the appeals process. 

The Appeals Committee (AC) is composed of two board members who were not on the Disciplinary Review Committee (DRC) for the case, and at least one QABA Advisory Board member who has no association with the provider nor the employer of the respondent/provider. 

The timeline to finalize an appeal will vary; some appeals may resolve within weeks, while others may take longer depending upon documentation availability, legal proceedings, and depth of required investigation.

Note:  Deadlines may be extended for gathering additional data or legal/ professional board resolutions prior to the QABA Board final determination. The QABA Board is dedicated to reaching a timely determination for the sake of all parties.

*Deadlines may be extended for gathering additional data or legal/ professional board resolutions prior to the QABA final determination.

I have thoroughly reviewed the page and wish to file a complaint.