Client Rights

Alpha Home Respects and Protects Clients' Rights

The Alpha Home Client Bill of Rights is as follows:

  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.
  8.  You have the right to be told before admission:
    1. Condition to be treated
    2. Proposed treatment
    3. Risks, benefits, and side effects of all proposed treatment and medication
    4. Probable health and mental health consequences of refusing treatment
    5. Other treatments that are available and which ones, if any, might be appropriate for you
    6. 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 Department of State Health Services (DSHS) 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 DSHS.
  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.

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. Even then, you may contact an attorney or DSHS 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.
  4. If a client’s right to free communication is restricted, 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.