CLIENT RIGHTS

This agency adheres to a strict policy related to client rights. All clients are informed of their rights in writing, upon admission, and their rights, and protections. All staff is required to protect client rights. Should a staff member violate clients’ rights, he/she may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution.

Below is a listing of client rights:

1) You have the right to accept or refuse treatment after receiving this explanation.

2) If you agree to treatment or medication, you have the right to change your mind at any time (unless specifically restricted by law).

3) You have the right to a humane environment that provides reasonable protection from harm and appropriate privacy for your personal needs.

4) You have the right to be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

5) You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

6) You have the right to appropriate treatment in the least restrictive setting available that meets your needs.

7) You have the right to be told about the program’s rules and regulations before you are admitted.

8) You have the right to be informed before admission:

· the condition to be treated.

· the proposed treatment.

· the risks, benefits, and side effects of all proposed treatments and medication.

· the probable health and mental health consequences of refusing treatment.

· other available treatments and which ones, if any, might be appropriate for you; and ·the expected length of stay.

9) You have the right to a treatment plan designed to meet your needs, and you have the right to take part in developing that plan.

10) You have the right to meet with staff to review and update the plan regularly.

11) You have the right to refuse to take part in research without affecting your regular care.

12) You have the right not to receive unnecessary or excessive medication.

13) You have the right to have information about you kept private and be told when your data can be released without your permission.

14) You have the right to be told in advance of all estimated charges and any limitations on the length of services of which the facility is aware.

15) You have the right to receive an explanation of your treatment or your rights if you have questions while you are in treatment.

16) You have the right to make a complaint and receive an appropriate response from the facility within a reasonable amount of time.

17) You have the right to complain directly to the Department of State Health Services at any reasonable time.

18) You have the right to get a copy of these rights before you are admitted, including the address and phone number of the Department of State Health Services.

19) You have the right to have your rights explained to you in simple terms, in a way you can understand, within 24 hours of being admitted.

Should agency staff restrict a client’s right to free communication, the physician or program director shall document the clinical reasons for the restriction and the duration of the limitation in the client record. The physician or program director shall also inform the client and, if appropriate, the client’s consenter of the clinical reasons for the restriction and the duration of the limitation.

I have read and understand and will uphold client rights to the federal, state, and agency standards to the best of my ability.

LIMITS OF CONFIDENTIALITY

Contents of all treatment and counseling sessions are considered to be confidential. Unless you authorize disclosure, no information about you or the records of your sessions will be given to third parties, except under the circumstances below:

Duty to Warn and Protect: If you disclose intentions or a plan to harm another person, I am required to warn the intended victim and report this information to legal authorities. If you reveal or imply a suicide plan, the staff is required to notify legal authorities and make reasonable attempts to inform your family.

Abuse of Children and Vulnerable Adults: If you state or suggest that a child (or vulnerable adult) is being abused, has recently been abused, or is in danger of being used, I must report this information to the appropriate social service and legal authorities. If you disclose that a previous therapist has been sexually exploitive, I am required to report this information to the appropriate licensing and legal authorities.

Court orders: If a judge requires compliance with a court order or subpoena, I am required to provide information in connection with a legal proceeding.

Minors/Guardianship: Parents or legal guardians of non-emancipated minor clients have the right to access the clients’ records.

Insurance Providers (when applicable): Insurance companies and other third-party payers are given the information they request regarding clients’ services. Information that may be requested includes, but is not limited to, types of services, dates/times of service, diagnosis, treatment plan, description of impairment, the progress of therapy, case notes, and summaries.

**Occasionally, we may have an intern preparing to be a licensed clinician and gain experience. This may involve observing and conducting substance abuse treatment and counseling group and individual and family sessions.

CLIENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

The policy of Discover & Recover Counseling Services, LLC shall make every effort to resolve a client’s grievance fairly and equitably. All client grievances will be investigated and resolved promptly by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

1. Discover & Recover Counseling Services, LLC shall be aware of a client’s needs and pay close attention to those situations that could lead to a grievance situation. Clients may grieve directly to Discover & Recover Counseling Services, LLC. Clients may grieve about any violation of client rights or DSHS standards.

2. Staff members shall make every effort to resolve the grievance informally by discussing the situation or circumstances with the client.

3. Staff members involved shall not be included in the grievance investigation or decision-making concerning the grievance.

4. Clients who cannot resolve their grievances by discussion must put their written grievances, including date and signature.

5. Discover & Recover Counseling Services, LLC will provide pens, paper, envelopes, postage, and access to a telephone upon request to file a complaint. Discover & Recover Counseling Services, LLC shall assist clients who cannot read or write or have difficulty reading and writing.

6. Discover & Recover Counseling Services, LLC will acknowledge receipt of the grievance within 24 hours and investigate the grievance and interview the client as necessary.

7. A written report of the investigation and initial disposition shall be made to the client by Discover & Recover Counseling Services, LLC, or the designee within seven days.

8. A client who is still dissatisfied may appeal to the governing authority, and a written report of the decision will be forwarded to DSHS with a written response given to the client within 30 days.

9. There shall be no retaliation, formal or informal, against a grieving client.

10. Discover & Recover Counseling Services, LLC shall retain complete records of all grievances in a confidential file for three years, but not in a client’s case file.

11. Clients may submit their grievance at any time directly to:

Office of Attorney General

Consumer Protection Division

P O Box 12548

Austin, TX 78711-2548 (512) 463-2185

Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)

800.252.3439

Department of State Health Services

P.O. Box 149347 Austin, TX 78714 (800) 832-9623

Texas Department of Human Services Hotline:

(800) 252-5400

DARS Service Number: (800) 628-5515

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office for Civil Rights

50 United Nations Plaza, Room 322 San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 556-8730 / TDD (415) 556-8586