Wisconsin Client Rights The Client Rights Office is a unit of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It serves individuals receiving services for developmental disability, mental health, and substance use. Individuals may receive these services in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings, including adult family homes, clinics, community-based residential facilities, facilities operated by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and group homes. Inmates, emergency room patients, and single-person provider clinic patients are not served by the Client Rights Office. The following is a summary of the rights of patients under Wisconsin law and administrative code. Patient rights with an asterisk (*) behind them may be limited or denied for certain reasons. Treatment rights
• Receive prompt and adequate treatment. • Participate in their treatment planning. • Be informed of their treatment and care.
• Refuse treatment and medications unless court ordered. • Be free from unnecessary or excessive medications. Records and privacy access • Staff must keep patient information confidential. • Records cannot be released without patient consent with some exceptions. • Patients may see their records. • They can always see records of their medications and health treatments. • During treatment, access may be limited if the risks outweigh benefits. • Patients may challenge the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or relevance of entries in their records. Communication rights • Have reasonable access to a telephone. * • See (or refuse to see) visitors daily. * • Send or receive mail. • Contact public officials, lawyers, or patient advocates.
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