Personal rights. Each client admitted for evaluation, treatment or training to a facility has the following personal rights, a list of which must be prominently posted in all facilities providing those services and must be otherwise brought to the attention of the client by such additional means as prescribed by regulation:
1. To wear his own clothing, to keep and use his own personal possessions, including his toilet articles, unless those articles may be used to endanger his or others’ lives, and to keep and be allowed to spend a reasonable sum of his own money for expenses and small purchases.
2. To have access to individual space for storage for his private use.
3. To see visitors each day.
4. To have reasonable access to telephones, both to make and receive confidential calls.
5. To have ready access to materials for writing letters, including stamps, and to mail and receive unopened correspondence, but:
(a) For the purposes of this subsection, packages are not considered as correspondence; and
(b) Correspondence identified as containing a check payable to a client may be subject to control and safekeeping by the administrative officer of that facility or his designee, so long as the client’s record of treatment documents the action.
6. To have reasonable access to an interpreter if the client does not speak English or is hearing impaired.
7. To designate a person who must be kept informed by the facility of the client’s medical and mental condition, if the client signs a release allowing the facility to provide such information to the person.
8. To have access to his medical records denied to any person other than:
(a) A member of the staff of the facility or related medical personnel, as appropriate;
(b) A person who obtains a waiver by the client of his right to keep the medical records confidential; or
(c) A person who obtains a court order authorizing the access.
9. Other personal rights as specified by regulation of the Commission.
Last modified: February 27, 2006