Following the conclusion of a complaint against a current Certified Lactation Counselor® (CLC®) in October 2020, the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP) would like to share our current disciplinary review procedures for the purpose of transparency. As a small, non-profit organization, we are always open to feedback from our community and to continuously improving to serve our CLCs in the best way possible.
When ALPP receives a complaint submitted on our Complaint Submission Form, which is publicly available on our website (https://alpp.org/pdf/CLC-Complaint-Submission-Form.pdf), the complaint is reviewed by the ALPP Director of Operations and ALPP Certification Director to ascertain if the criteria for acceptance of a complaint are met. The acceptance criteria are as follows:
1) Complainant must have personal knowledge of the alleged violation or misbehavior or must be in a position to supply relevant and reliable documentation.
2) Complainant must demonstrate by documentation and factual evidence that the complaint involves an issue or issues directly related to the certification standards and code of conduct. Matters of a personal nature or matters not related to the criteria set forth will not be considered.
3) The complaint will not be processed if the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice records show the named person is no longer certified by Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice or is not a certification applicant, unless the complaint is related to such person representing him or herself as having a current certification.
Accepted complaints will be first processed by the ALPP Director of Operations and ALPP Certification Director for the purpose of attempting to resolve the complaint informally. If resolution by the staff is not possible, a Disciplinary Review Panel will be appointed to review and, if warranted, investigate the complainant's statements in accordance with established policies and procedures. If the final decision of the Disciplinary Review Panel is not acceptable to the subject of the complaint, an appeals process is clearly laid out. If the decision is not acceptable to the individual who filed a complaint, we suggest that the individual file another complaint with ALPP with additional evidence in order for the complaint to be reviewed again.
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The Disciplinary Review Panel is an ad hoc panel, meaning that its members are gathered only when needed. This is because ALPP receives, on average, less than one complaint against a current certified CLC per year. The Disciplinary Review Panel has very clear and strict member requirements. Specifically, the panel shall be constituted of: at least one current ALPP Advisory Commission member, one former ALPP Advisory Commission member (when possible), and one Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice certificant not currently serving in a leadership capacity. No member shall be appointed to serve for a case in which he or she has a conflict of interest or in which the member cannot render impartial and unbiased judgment.
In the 21 years of our organization’s existence, these policies and procedures have evolved based on feedback from our national accreditation agency, input from our CLCs and colleagues, and the general consensus on best practices in the non-profit world. With that being said, ALPP is committed to adequately supporting and protecting the rights of all certified persons and the families served by CLCs and is currently reviewing the disciplinary procedures to ensure appropriate handling of any future complaints against CLCs who are alleged to be in violation of the CLC Code of Ethics.
Thank you for your interest in our organization and how we are continually working to advance the health and well-being of families through ethical principles that guide the decisions and actions of Certified Lactation Counselors.
Following the conclusion of a complaint against a current Certified Lactation Counselor® (CLC®) in October 2020, the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP) would like to share our current disciplinary review procedures for the purpose of transparency. As a small, non-profit organization, we are always open to feedback from our community and to continuously improving to serve our CLCs in the best way possible.
When ALPP receives a complaint submitted on our Complaint Submission Form, which is publicly available on our website (https://alpp.org/pdf/CLC-Complaint-Submission-Form.pdf), the complaint is reviewed by the ALPP Director of Operations and ALPP Certification Director to ascertain if the criteria for acceptance of a complaint are met. The acceptance criteria are as follows:
1) Complainant must have personal knowledge of the alleged violation or misbehavior or must be in a position to supply relevant and reliable documentation.
2) Complainant must demonstrate by documentation and factual evidence that the complaint involves an issue or issues directly related to the certification standards and code of conduct. Matters of a personal nature or matters not related to the criteria set forth will not be considered.
3) The complaint will not be processed if the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice records show the named person is no longer certified by Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice or is not a certification applicant, unless the complaint is related to such person representing him or herself as having a current certification.
Accepted complaints will be first processed by the ALPP Director of Operations and ALPP Certification Director for the purpose of attempting to resolve the complaint informally. If resolution by the staff is not possible, a Disciplinary Review Panel will be appointed to review and, if warranted, investigate the complainant's statements in accordance with established policies and procedures. If the final decision of the Disciplinary Review Panel is not acceptable to the subject of the complaint, an appeals process is clearly laid out. If the decision is not acceptable to the individual who filed a complaint, we suggest that the individual file another complaint with ALPP with additional evidence in order for the complaint to be reviewed again.
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The Disciplinary Review Panel is an ad hoc panel, meaning that its members are gathered only when needed. This is because ALPP receives, on average, less than one complaint against a current certified CLC per year. The Disciplinary Review Panel has very clear and strict member requirements. Specifically, the panel shall be constituted of: at least one current ALPP Advisory Commission member, one former ALPP Advisory Commission member (when possible), and one Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice certificant not currently serving in a leadership capacity. No member shall be appointed to serve for a case in which he or she has a conflict of interest or in which the member cannot render impartial and unbiased judgment.
In the 21 years of our organization’s existence, these policies and procedures have evolved based on feedback from our national accreditation agency, input from our CLCs and colleagues, and the general consensus on best practices in the non-profit world. With that being said, ALPP is committed to adequately supporting and protecting the rights of all certified persons and the families served by CLCs and is currently reviewing the disciplinary procedures to ensure appropriate handling of any future complaints against CLCs who are alleged to be in violation of the CLC Code of Ethics.
Thank you for your interest in our organization and how we are continually working to advance the health and well-being of families through ethical principles that guide the decisions and actions of Certified Lactation Counselors.
Sincerely,
The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice
PO Box 1288
Forestdale, MA 02644
(508)-833-1500