Rule 173-14-02 | Types of ombudsman staff and non-representative individuals; identification cards.
(A) Ombudsman:
(1) There are four types of an ombudsman:
(a) Ombudsman candidate.
(b) Ombudsman associate.
(c) Ombudsman specialist.
(d) Ombudsman program director.
(2) Paid staff of the office are certified as either ombudsman specialists or ombudsman program directors. A regional program may pay staff who perform only the duties of an associate with the approval of the SLTCO based on a position description and program effectiveness. Only paid staff members are eligible to serve as ombudsman program directors. Only a certified program director is eligible to serve as the SLTCO.
(3) The SLTCO shall issue certificates in the form of an identification card to each certified ombudsman of the office which contain all of the following:
(a) The name of the ombudsman.
(b) The ombudsman's picture.
(c) The type of the ombudsman and whether the ombudsman is certified;
(d) The regional ombudsman program and program contact information with which the ombudsman is associated.
(e) The expiration date.
(4) An ombudsman candidate may perform limited duties of an ombudsman outlined in paragraph (A) of this rule.
(B) Non-representative individuals: Non-representative individuals who are affiliated with the office but have not been certified to perform the duties of an ombudsman outlined in rule 173-14-03 of the Administrative Code and may include support staff, organizational volunteers, and non-practice managers. Non-representative individuals are not qualified to perform any complaint-handling function or access ODIS, but may perform other duties in conjunction with the program for which they are trained or hold an appropriate license.
Last updated November 12, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 173.16, 173.17; 42 U.S.C. 3058f; 45 C.F.R. 1321.11, 1324.11
Five Year Review Date: 11/8/2030
Prior Effective Dates: 6/15/1991, 12/27/2001, 12/28/2006, 1/2/2012, 5/1/2018, 1/30/2022, 9/1/2024