Patient Rights (HSS 94.04)

Under the Wisconsin State Mental Health Act, each individual in treatment has rights. The patient rights are pertinent to outpatient mental health clinics.

Treatment Rights

1. To receive prompt and adequate treatment.
2. As a voluntary patient, to refuse treatment or medication at any time.
3. To be free from unnecessary or excessive medication or drastic treatment.

Communication/Privacy Rights

1. To refuse to be filmed or taped without your consent.
2. To have your treatment records and conversations about your treatment kept confidential.
3. To have access to your treatment record after discharge (or during treatment, if the facility director approves it).

Civil Rights

1. No client is to be refused services on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, sex, or national origin (HSS 61.10-61.13).

Right to Complain

1. If you feel your rights have been violated, you have a right to use a grievance procedure. Contact Client’s Rights Specialist Mike Mastaw.

Informed Consent

The Process of Treatment

1. The benefits of therapy are to help the client meet his/her goals for treatment. These goals will be developed together with the therapist.
2. Administration of treatment: The client and the therapist together determine how best to meet the goals of treatment. If the client does not think that his/her goals are being met, this should be discussed with the therapist for evaluation, re-contracting, or referral to a therapist who may better meet the needs and goals of the client.
3. Side effects of treatment: Therapy helps the client work on his/her goals. In some cases this means that unhappy feelings may increase before things start to get better.
4. Probable benefits of receiving proper treatment: People who choose counseling to overcome their problems in living have a better advantage at making more appropriate life choices and decisions.
5. Effective time period of consent to treatment: The client’s consent to treatment will last until the client withdraws the consent and terminates treatment or the goals of treatment have been satisfactorily reached and the case is closed.