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TITLE 25HEALTH SERVICES
PART 1DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
CHAPTER 448STANDARD OF CARE
SUBCHAPTER GCLIENT RIGHTS
RULE §448.701Client Bill of Rights

(a) The facility shall respect, protect, implement and enforce each client right required to be contained in the facility's Client Bill of Rights. The Client Bill of Rights for all facilities shall include:

  (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, including, without limitation, the rules and policies related to restraints and seclusion. Your legally authorized representative, if any, also has the right to be and shall be notified of the rules and policies related to restraints and seclusion.

  (8) You have the right to be told before admission:

    (A) the condition to be treated;

    (B) the proposed treatment;

    (C) the risks, benefits, and side effects of all proposed treatment and medication;

    (D) the probable health and mental health consequences of refusing treatment;

    (E) other treatments that are available and which ones, if any, might be appropriate for you; and

    (F) 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 on a regular basis.

  (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 to be told about the times when the information 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 a fair response from the facility within a reasonable amount of time.

  (17) You have the right to complain directly to the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse 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 Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

  (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.

(b) For residential sites, the Client Bill of Rights shall also include:

  (1) You have the right not to be restrained or placed in a locked room by yourself unless you are a danger to yourself or others.

  (2) You have the right to communicate with people outside the facility. This includes the right to have visitors, to make telephone calls, and to send and receive sealed mail. This right may be restricted on an individual basis by your physician or the person in charge of the program if it is necessary for your treatment or for security, but even then you may contact an attorney or the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse at any reasonable time.

  (3) If you consented to treatment, you have the right to leave the facility within four hours of requesting release unless a physician determines that you pose a threat of harm to yourself and others.

(c) If a client's right to free communication is restricted under the provisions of subsection (b)(2) of this section, the physician or program director shall document the clinical reasons for the restriction and the duration of the restriction 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 restriction.


Source Note: The provisions of this §448.701 adopted to be effective September 1, 2004, 29 TexReg 2020; transferred effective September 1, 2004, as published in the Texas Register September 10, 2004, 29 TexReg 8842; amended to be effective June 1, 2006, 31 TexReg 4433

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