Rights and Responsibilities
All consumers of North Coast Area Health Service Mental Health Services have the following:
Responsibilities
- Advising the mental health service if they unable to keep an appointment
- Following their Individual Service Plan developed with the mental health worker
- Informing the worker of significant changes in their lifestyle
- Respecting the worth and dignity of others
- Acknowledging the North Coast Area Health Service policy of zero tolerance of aggression towards people and property
- Ensuring that all mental health workers have a safe working environment when visiting the home or community setting
- Participating in reasonable treatment and rehabilitation processes
Rights
All consumers of North Coast Area Health Service Mental Health Services have the right to:
- High quality, timely & respectful services
- Non-discriminatory services
- Confidentiality, except in circumstances where there is a risk of serious harm to self or others
- Receive written information about their rights at the time of first contact
- Be informed & to make decisions about their mental health issues
- Consent to or refuse any service (except where legislation prevents this)
- Have their culture, gender, sexuality and religious/spiritual beliefs respected and taken into consideration when receiving mental health services
- Choose who will and will not be present at a consultation to the extent that it does not impose serious risk to the consumer or other person/s
- Request transfer of care to another staff member
- Have an advocate
- Have access to relatives and friends
- Fair and timely investigation of complaints
- Continued access to services in a non discriminatory manner after making a complaint
- Refuse to take part in research
- Refuse services from students
- Be involved, contribute and/or participate, as far as possible, in the development of North Coast Area Health Service Mental Health policy.