Personal Rights
- •You must be treated with dignity and respect, free from any verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
- •You have the right to have staff make fair and reasonable decisions about your treatment and care.
- •You may not be treated unfairly because of your race, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or sexual orientation.
- •You may not be made to work except for personal housekeeping chores. If you agree to do other work, you must be paid.
- •You may make your own decisions about things like getting married, voting and writing a will, if you are over the age of 18, and have not been found legally incompetent.
- •You may use your own money as you choose.
- •You may not be filmed, taped or photographed unless you agree to it.
Treatment and Related Rights
- •You must be provided prompt and adequate treatment, rehabilitation and educational services appropriate for you.
- •You must be allowed to participate in the planning of your treatment and care.
- •You must be informed of your treatment and care, including alternatives to and possible side effects of treatment, including medications.
- •No treatment or medication may be given to you without your written, informed consent, unless it is needed in an emergency to prevent serious physical harm to you or others, or a court orders it.
- •You may not be given unnecessary or excessive medication.
- •You must be informed in writing of any costs of your care and treatment for which you or your relatives may have to pay.
- •You must be treated in the least restrictive manner and setting necessary to achieve the purposes of admission to the program.
Record Privacy and Access
- •Your treatment information must be kept private (confidential), unless the law permits disclosure.
- •Your records may not be released without your consent, unless the law specifically allows for it.
- •You may ask to see your records. You must be shown any records about your physical health or medications.
- •After discharge, you may see your entire treatment record if you ask to do so.
- •If you believe something in your records is wrong, you may challenge its accuracy.
Grievance Resolution Stages
1. Informal Discussion (Optional)
You are encouraged to first talk with staff about any concerns you have. However, you do not have to do this before filing a formal grievance.
2. Formal Grievance Investigation
- •File your grievance within 45 days of becoming aware of the problem
- •The Client Rights Specialist (CRS) will investigate and attempt to resolve it
- •The CRS will write a report within 30 days from the date you filed
3. Program Manager's Decision
If the grievance is not resolved by the CRS's report, the program manager will prepare a written decision within 10 days.
4. County Level Review
If receiving services from a county agency, you may appeal the program manager's decision to the County Agency Director within 14 days.
5. State Grievance Examiner
You may appeal to the State Grievance Examiner within 14 days of receiving the county decision.
Address: State Grievance Examiner, Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (DMHSAS), PO Box 7851, Madison, WI 53707-7851
6. Final State Review
Any party has 14 days of receipt of the State Grievance Examiner's written decision to request a final state review by the DMHSAS Administrator.
Important Notice
You may not be threatened or penalized in any way for presenting your concerns informally by talking with staff, or formally by filing a grievance.
You may, instead of filing a grievance or at the end of the grievance process, or any time during it, choose to take the matter to court if you believe your rights have been violated.
Need Assistance?
If you would like to file a grievance or learn more about the grievance procedure, please contact us:
Phone: 608-893-1055
Email: phoenix@phoenix-recovery.org
Address: 621 N Sherman Ave Ste B15, Madison, WI 53704
These rights are protected under Wisconsin Statute sec. 51.61(1), sec. 51.30, and DHS 94 & 92, Wisconsin Administrative Code.
Source: State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services