PATIENT RIGHTS
1. You have the right to fair and impartial treatment regardless of disability, gender, race, religion, gender
identity, sexual orientation and age and for the program to convey a sense of trust and dignity.
2. If you are transferred to another treatment provider, you have the right to be given an explanation of the
need for such transfer and the alternatives available; unless such a transfer is made due to a medical
emergency.
3. You have the right to have your own clinical records forwarded to the receiving program if you are
transferred to another treatment program.
4. You generally have the right to be informed of the name of the person responsible for coordination of
your treatment and of the professional qualifications of staff involved in your treatment.
5. You generally have the right to be informed of all program services, which may benefit your treatment.
6. You have the right to be informed of your diagnosis, treatment plan, and prognosis.
7. You have the right to be given sufficient information to provide for informed consent to any treatment
you are provided. This is to include a description of any significant medical risks, the name of the person
responsible for treatment, an estimate of the cost of treatment, and a description of the alternative to
treatment. You have the right to be given information regarding the composition of our treatment team
sufficient to allow you to make an informed decision regarding whether or not you believe our treatment
team will be able to meet your needs. You also have the right to request a specific counselor. However,
the treatment team may deny request, if we believe the request is an attempt to subvert your counselor’s
responsibility to enforce federal, state, clinic requirements.
8. You have the right to be informed if the facility proposes to perform experiments that affect your own
treatment, and the right to refuse to participate in such experiments.
9. You have the right to examine your bill for treatment and to receive an explanation of the bill.
10. You have the right to be informed of the program’s rules for your conduct at the facility.
11. You have the right refuse treatment to an extent permitted by law and to be informed of the
consequences of such refusal. You have the right to refuse concurrent services which are not central to
your participation in the program whether these ancillary services are provided within the clinic or by
referral. The sole exemption would be services that are designed to help remediate behaviors that place
you at great risk and /or the clinic in a position of great liability. In such cases the clinic may terminate
your treatment for refusing to obtain needed treatment. An example would be an individual who refuses
alcohol dependency treatment when their heavy drinking places them at significant risk
12. You have the right to receive respectful and considerate care. You have the right to receive treatment
that has evidence, form ethical, quality search of being effective for individuals with opioid dependence.
This is true of both medical and counseling services.
13. You have the right to receive continuous care, so long as you abide by the clinic rules, including paying
your fees. You also have the right to be informed of your appointments for treatment, the names of the
program staff available for treatment and of any need for continuing care.
14. You have the right to have any reasonable request for services satisfies by the program, considering the
ability to do so.
15. You have the right to safe, healthful, and comfortable accommodations.
16. You have the right to confidential treatment. This means that, other than exceptions defined by law (such
as those in which public safety take priority) without your explicit consent to do so in the program may
release no information about you, including confirmation or denial that you are a patient.
17. Waiver of any civil rights or other rights protected by law cannot be required as a condition of program
services.
18. You have the right to freedom from emotional, physical, psychological, intellectual, or sexual harassment
or abuse. You have the right to be free from financial or other exploitation, humiliation and neglect.
19. You have the right to appeal actions and decisions of facility staff, which you believe are inappropriate,
including but not limited to, actions and decisions, which you believe, violate you rights as a patient. The
facility is obligated to develop an appeals procedure in a place where it shall be immediately available to
you. You have the right to freedom for retribution or other adverse consequences as the product of filing
an appeal.
20. You have the right to access and view your clinical file under the supervision of staff. We will make
provisions for you to review your file within three business days of receiving your request.
21. You have the right to file a complaint with the state if the facility’s appeal procedure does not resolve
your complaint to your satisfaction, and the right to freedom from retribution of other adverse
consequences as the product of filing a complaint. Please refer to our grievance procedure policy for
further information. You also have the right to involve an advocate or legal representative in any
grievance. We will furnish you with referrals for legal and other advocacy upon request, which can be
made either by your counselor, the office manager or in writing the Chief Operating Officer. As you sign a
release, we will also provide full access to any advocate or legal representative to your medical chart and
information. Refer to our grievance procedure for further information on our grievance procedure.
The
contact information for the State Methadone Authority to whom you may address a grievance/complaint
is:
Human Services Department
Behavioral Health Services Department
Phone: (505)-476-9268 Fax: (505)-476-9272
22. You have the right to be informed of your rights as a patient. The foregoing is to be posted in the facility in
a place where they are immediately available to you, and you are to be informed of these rights and given
a listing of them as soon as is, practically upon beginning of treatment.