Where Do I Start?

Please call us to make an appointment.

Any individual may confidentially call the Office of the Ombuds at any point in a conflict or difficult situation. You may call as an initial starting point when you are not sure what to do. You may also initiate a call on behalf of a group (i.e., a manager interested in a group facilitation or training).

In a climate of organizational change and reduced resources, increased stress and misunderstandings can arise. Confidential consultation, conflict coaching, mediation, and training are particularly effective ways to improve the morale and functioning of a work unit.

For Appointments

​Call (415) 502-9600

In order to protect confidentiality, the Office of the Ombuds prefers to conduct business in person or by phone rather than e-mail as electronic communications are not always private.

 

When to Call

Consider contacting us as early in the development of conflict as possible, regardless of whether those involved have made any attempt to address the current (or pre‐existing) conflict. When conflict can be resolved at the lowest level it benefits everyone. Most conflicts or disputes involve troubled communication, working relationships or interpersonal issues and can benefit from our services.

Situations which may benefit from our services include the following:

  • Two people in a reporting relationship have different expectations to meet the job requirements.
  • A team member experiences a lack of respect or recognition for their contribution, including authorship issues, team-developed products, or input to the work environment.
  • A manager identifies that workplace bullying is going on, and wants help bringing the topic to the work group and developing a communication protocol.
  • An employee has concerns about how they are being treated.
  • A leader wants to improve their conflict competence or feedback delivery skills.
  • Two colleagues do everything differently, do not understand how the other way can work, and feel the tension escalating.
  • A manager or leader sees that their group could work better together and wants help identifying ways for the group to build trust, communicate better, and address conflict constructively.

What to Expect

Initial Contact
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When you contact the Office of the Ombuds, we'll schedule an in-person, Zoom, or phone appointment for you to meet with an Ombuds. You may reach our office at (415) 502-9600.

The Core of the Visit Is a Conversation

Your visit with the Ombuds is a voluntary, confidential opportunity for you to explore your workplace situation without being judged. This is an opportunity to have a neutral sounding board and a skilled listener with no agenda for you or your situation. During the conversation, the Ombuds can:

  • Help sort through your concerns to help you identify what matters most and to identify your priorities going forward
  • Help you to consider the perspectives of other stakeholders
  • Coach you on how to express concerns and ideas constructively
  • Coach you on available policies and resources for guidance in moving forward

As this is an informal process, the next steps are up to you. Some people have a plan for moving forward after the first visit, and some meet with us several times as options unfold.

Patient Matters

For issues related to patient concerns, please contact the UCSF Health Patient Relations Office at (415) 353-1936.