Administrative Appeals

All appeals must be filed within 30 calendar days of the date on the letter.  You should fill out the Request for Amendment form and submit it to the Justice Center.  If you miss the deadline, you can request a late appeal due to extraordinary circumstances.   Your request should include:

• a statement of the extraordinary circumstance(s) causing the late request
• any supporting documentation

Letters can be sent to the Justice Center's Administrative De Novo Unit by email at: [email protected] or by mail to:

De Novo Unit

Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs

161 Delaware Avenue

Delmar, NY 12054

Upon receipt of a request, the Justice Center reviews the investigative file, the substantiated report, the request for amendment and any additional information provided by you.

The agency will determine whether there is a preponderance of the evidence to uphold the finding and, if so, that the proper category level was assigned.  Preponderance of the evidence means that a review of the evidence shows that the allegation of abuse and/or neglect was more likely than not to have occurred.

If the report of abuse or neglect is unsubstantiated, you will receive an Administrative Appeals Unit Notice of Administrative Review Determination - Unsubstantiated letter in the mail and the report will be sealed.

If the report of abuse or neglect is upheld, you will receive an Administrative Appeals Unit Notice of Administrative Review Determination - Substantiated letter in the mail and your case moves on to a pre-hearing and hearing.

At any time, a subject or provider can choose to withdraw a request for appeal.  This can be done one of two ways:

1. Complete and submit the Withdraw Request for Amendment form
2. Submit a written request by mail or email to the Administrative Appeals Unit