Consumer Rights

When you receive services from the public mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services system, you have many rights supported by law. Understanding your rights will help you stand up for yourself and fully participate in your care. Knowing your rights can help you: Make informed choices about your care, resolve any problems that may occur, know what to expect from your service provider and become a better self advocate for your care and treatment.
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• Dignity and respect - You have the right to be treated with courtesy. Staff should be polite, attentive and responsive to your needs and values.
• Protection from harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation - Your service provider’s employees are required to protect you from harm, abuse, neglect, or exploitation throughout your service/treatment process. Your provider is required to promote a safe and respectful environment by offering procedures that do not subject you to pain.
• Privacy - You have the right to privacy under federal and state laws that protect the confidentiality of your personal information. Your information can only be shared with others with your express consent. However, there are laws that allow exceptions. These exceptions are: a court order, an emergency, as part of an investigation of child abuse, and if you are determined to be a danger to yourself or others.
• Choosing your provider - You have the right to choose the agency that provides your services. Once you begin receiving services from a provider, you also have the right to seek services elsewhere if you wish.
• Individual Service/Treatment Plan - You have the right to be involved in the development and review of your individual service/treatment plan which may include your strengths, needs and preferences.
• Being informed - You have the right to be informed of all policies and procedures that affect you. All service providers are required to keep you informed of your rights. You or your legal representative have the right to be informed in a clear, understandable manner about benefits, potential risks, and possible alternative methods of treatments. This also includes understanding the length of time the consent for services is valid, and the procedures to be followed if you or your representative choose to withdraw consent.
• Understanding payment - You have the right to a full understanding of how you, or outside sources, will pay for or supplement your services.
• Medicaid Right of Appeal - If you are a Medicaid recipient, you have special rights of appeal if you are dissatisfied during the course of your treatment, or if services are reduced, suspended or terminated.
• Protection against restrictive interventions - This right prohibits the use of restrictive interventions without your prior knowledge and understanding of the policies utilized to begin the intervention, including the use of medications that may present a serious risk.
• File a complaint - You have the right to submit a formal complaint at any time against the provider of your services or CenterPoint if you feel you are not receiving clinically appropriate or adequate services. If you wish to file a complaint, you may contact CenterPoint’s Consumer Affairs Department by calling 1-866-804-4323.
• To make advance instructions - You have the right to a written plan called an “advanced instruction for mental health treatment”. This plan describes how you wish to be cared for should you ever become unable to decide or speak for yourself in the event of a crisis.
• To request Special Accommodations - You have the right to request physical accommodations for accessibility and language assistance including teletypewriter (TTY) services, sign language interpretation, interpretative services if you do not speak English and assistance for the visually impaired.
• Other Rights - You have the right to refuse treatment, to be informed of your medications, and to see your records under certain conditions. You also have all rights as related to being a citizen of North Carolina.