People receiving services for a developmental disability, mental health, or substance use have rights under Wisconsin law. These include rights related to treatment, records access, communication, and privacy.
Treatment
Every person receiving services has a right to:
- Information about their treatment and care.
- Not receive unnecessary or excessive medicines.
- Participate in treatment planning.
- Prompt and adequate treatment.
- Refuse treatment and medicine (unless it’s court-ordered).
Record privacy and access
Every person receiving services has a right to:
- Challenge the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and relevance of record entries.
- Have their information kept confidential.
- Not have their records released without consent. (This right that may be limited or denied)
- See their records.
- View medicine and treatment records. (This right that may be limited or denied)
Learn more about treatment record confidentiality
Communication
Every person receiving services has a right to:
- Contact public officials, lawyers, or patient advocates.
- See, or refuse to see, visitors. (This right that may be limited or denied)
- Send or receive mail.
- Use a phone. (This right that may be limited or denied)
Individual
Every person receiving services has a right to:
- Be paid for work performed.
- Not be secluded or restrained. (This right that may be limited or denied)
- Reasonable decisions made on their behalf
- Refuse to work. (This right that may be limited or denied)
- Regular and frequent access to the outdoors.
- Regular and frequent chances to exercise.
- The least restrictive environment possible. (This right that may be limited or denied)
- Wear their own clothes and use their own belongings. (This right that may be limited or denied)
Privacy
Every person receiving services has a right to:
- A reasonable amount of storage space for their belongings. (This right that may be limited or denied)
- Not be filmed or taped without consent.
- Receive privacy while using the toilet and bathing. (This right that may be limited or denied)
Miscellaneous
Every person receiving services has a right to:
- Be free from retribution for filing a complaint.
- Be told of costs for their care.
- Be told of their rights.
- Be treated with dignity and respect by staff members.
- File a complaint about a rights violation.
- Refuse drastic treatments.
- Refuse electroconvulsive therapy.
Laws and codes
You can find more information here:
Last Revised: July 2, 2022
