OUTPATIENT RIGHTS

When you are admitted to an outpatient program or shortly after, you should be informed about your rights.  These rights may be restricted only upon written order of a  physician.  Any such order must be placed in your clinical record and must state the clinical justification for the limitation and the specific time period when it will remain in effect.  Your rights may not be limited as punishment or for the convenience of staff people.

These rights are:

1. The right to a safe and sanitary environment.
2. The right to a balanced and nutritious diet if meals are served at an outpatient program.
3. The right to practice religion.
4. The right to freedom from abuse and mistreatment by employees.
5. The right to a reasonable amount of safe storage space for clothing and personal property.
6. The right to a reasonable degree of privacy, including bathroom privacy.
7. The right to receive visitors at reasonable times, to have privacy when visited, and to communicate freely with persons within or outside the program location.
8. The right to an individualized service plan and a full explanation of the services provided, and the right to participate in the development of your individualized service plan.
9. The right to bring any questions or complaints to the director of the program.
10. The right to authorize family members and other adults who will be given priority to visit, according the patient's ability to receive visitors.
11. The right to receive clinically appropriate care and treatment suited to your needs and skillfully, safely and humanely administered with full respect for your dignity and personal integrity.
12. The right to be treated in a way which acknowledges and respects your cultural environment.

Your outpatient program may inform you about these additional elements, although they are not rights set forth in law or regulation:

1. The name of the staff member who will have primary responsibility, for example, as your principal contact person or personal service coordinator.
2. Alternate treatments available to you.
3. The rules of conduct in your program.
4. The cost of treatment.
5. The limit, if there is one, on how long you can stay in the program.
6. The program’s source of funding.
7. The authority under which the program operates.

FOR ASSISTANCE:

New York State Office of Mental Health
44 Holland Ave. Albany N.Y. 12229
Toll free: 1-800-597-8481 TDD 1-800-624-4143

Protection and Advocacy for Individuals Who Are Mentally Ill (PAIMI)

New York City Region:

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest,
30 W. 21^st St. 9^th  floor New York NY 10010.
Telephone: (212) 727-2270

New York State Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled,
Suite 1002, 99 Washington Ave. Albany NY 12210
Toll free 1-800-624-4143

Hudson Valley Region:

Disability Advocates,
155 Washington Ave. Suite 300 Albany NY 12210
Telephone (518) 432-7861

Western New York Region:

Neighborhood Legal Services,
495 Ellicott Square Building Buffalo NY 14203
Telephone (716) 847-0650

North County Region:

North Country Legal Services,
100 Court St. P.O. Box 989, Plattsburgh NY 12901
Telephone (315) 386-4586

Central New York Region:

Legal Services of Central New York,
The Empire Building,
472 S Salina St. Suite 300, Syracuse NY 13202
Telephone (315) 475-312