As a person receiving mental health services, you have the right to:
- Be treated with dignity and respect.
- Choose the services or programs in which you participate based upon information about rules, treatment procedures, costs, risks, rights and responsibilities.
- Ask questions and get answers about services.
- Participate fully in all decisions about treatment or services.
- Request changes in treatment or services.
- Receive treatment in the least restrictive setting - one that provides the most freedom appropriate to your treatment needs.
- Refuse treatment or service unless ordered by the Court to participate.
- Be informed about the rules that will result in discharge from a program if violated.
- Participate fully in decisions regarding your discharge from a program and receive advance notice regarding the proposed discharge, unless your behavior threatens the well being of another person.
- Be given help in obtaining another place to live prior to discharge from a residential program.
- Know the name of the medication you are taking, why you are taking it, and what its possible side effects might be.
- Refuse to take medication, if you choose. (Note: You should not discontinue taking medication suddenly without first discussing the possible dangers with a psychiatrist.)
- Have your family involved in your treatment.
- Refuse family participation in your treatment, if you choose.
- Not be subjected to verbal, physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse; harsh or unfair treatment.
- Make complaints, have them heard, get a prompt response, and not receive any threats or mistreatments as a result.
- File a grievance if you are not satisfied with the response to a complaint.
- Be assisted by an advocate of your choice; for example, family, friend, case manager, member of a consumer advocacy committee or organization, etc.
- Review your record, with two exceptions. Limited portions of your records can be withheld from you if your treatment team leader has written that seeing specific information would,
- be harmful to your treatment, or
- reveal the identity or break the trust of someone who has provided information in confidence.
- Decide who else can see your records, with several exceptions. Those who do not need to ask your permission are: people involved in your mental health treatment or to whom you are referred for treatment, people providing emergency medical care, an attorney representing you at a commitment hearing, a court, people conducting program or utilization reviews, or third party payers (those who pay for your treatment). These people may only see as much information as they need for the specific purpose requested.
- Manage your own financial affairs, if you choose, with one exception. If you receive social security benefits, the Social Security Administration might decide that you need a payee, based upon a psychiatrist's report. If this happens, you have the right to choose the person who will be your payee. You can also regain the right to receive your social security check if a psychiatrist fills out a form saying you are now capable of managing your own money.
- Be given information about the maximum amount of money, or percentage of your income, a residential facility may charge you for rent. If the facility receives your check, you should be told the amount of spending money remaining for your use. You must be informed in writing about any increase in rent at least 30 days before the increase takes place.
- Be paid a fair wage for any work you do that benefits an agency facility except for personal housekeeping tasks, shared household chores, or voluntary participation in a work-oriented day program.
- Visit and communicate privately with family and others, at home or in the community (unless restricted by service plan); send and receive personal mail unopened; have access to a telephone.
- Meet and participate with social, religious and community groups of your choice.
- Keep and use personal clothing and possessions as space permits, unless it infringes upon others.
- Exercise all civil and legal rights afforded to citizens of the United States; for example, vote, marry, obtain a driver's license, write a will, etc.
- Not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or marital status.