Rights of Clients of Adult Residential Services

If you are admitted to a residential facility for adults, you do not lose any legal rights, responsibilities or obligations unless prescribed by law. Residing in a residential facility does not mean you are incompetent to manage your own affairs, to contract, to seek and hold a professional, occupational, or automobile license, or to make a will, to marry or for any other purpose unless prescribed by law. In addition to the above rights of all clients, while in the residence, you are entitled to the following rights:

1. to civil service or merit rating or ranking and appointment;

2. to rights related to the granting, forfeiture, or denial of a license, permit privilege, or benefit pursuant to law;

3. to attend or not attend religious, spiritual and/or support services as you choose;

4. to be visited privately at all reasonable times by your personal physician, clergyperson, and the mental health advocate;

5. to vote and participate in political activity, with reasonable assistance when you want it to register and vote;

6. to be employed in a gainful occupation as your condition permits;

7. to be represented by, and meet privately with, an attorney or an advocate of your choice;

8. to communicate by telephone from the residence with the opportunity to place and receive confidential calls;

9. to receive and send unopened mail from the residence;

10. to visit and have visitors, limited by reasonable restrictions on time and place;

11. to form groups and hold meetings;

12. to enjoy the program's basic goods and services, which include:

• Nutritional meals served in as homelike a setting as possible;
• Arrangements for adequate and clean clothing appropriate to your age and the season;
• Assistance in obtaining prompt, adequate community-based medical care;
• Opportunities for social contacts, activities, recreation and physical exercise; and
• Arrangements for keeping and using personal possessions, including your own clothes, and access to individual storage space;

13. to wear your own clothes and to use your own possessions;

14. to keep and be allowed to spend a reasonable sum of your own money for consumer purchases;

15. to have reasonable prompt access to literature, newspapers, magazines, radio, and television;

16. to have legal assistance regarding your mental health services from the Mental Health Advocate 401-464-2003 or through the Rhode Island Disabilities Law Center 401-831-3150 or through Rhode Island Legal Services 401-274-2652 regarding your treatment during receipt of mental health services;

17. to acquire, retain, and dispose of your own property and to have an individual bank account;

18. to complain about your service or violation of any of your rights through a grievance procedure that will be described in writing to you on admission; and

19. to be informed of any restrictions to your residential rights and to have these restrictions explained to you, noted in your record along with ways to regain the restricted rights, forwarded to family at your request, reviewed within 30 days of implementation and quarterly thereafter, and signed by a responsible Gateway agent. The least restrictive alternative in the restriction of your rights shall be used.

If you would like a copy of your rights at any time during treatment, please ask your clinician or any other staff member.