Individual Rights

Care, treatment, and services will be provided without discrimination based on age, color, race, national origin, gender, religion, and political affiliation, mental or physical disability.

When you began receiving services from ASPIRE, you received handouts that explained your rights and rules for the program. If you feel your rights have been violated, that rules have been broken causing unfair treatment, or you have a question about rights and rules that your case coordinator could not answer you may contact one of the Individual Rights representatives listed below. If you are not an individual, but believe an individual’s rights have been violated, you may also contact one of the representatives listed below.

Summary of Participant Rights

Your rights include:

• The right to receive care suited to your needs.
• The right to receive services that respect your dignity and protect your health and safety.
• The right to be free from abuse, neglect, financial or other exploitation, discrimination, humiliation, and/or retaliation due to any complaint or report made.
• The right to be informed of the benefits and risks of your treatment.
• The right to participate in planning your own treatment and changes made in your treatment program.
• The right to exercise choice of service delivery staff within the agency.
• The right to refuse service, unless a physician or licensed psychologist states refusal would be unsafe for you or others.
• The right to prompt and confidential services, even if you are unable to pay. However, valid subpoenas or court orders may limit your right to confidentiality. Service providers, and participant’s chart, shall be produced in response to a valid subpoena or order from a court of competent jurisdiction. (For Addictive Disease participants, a court order is required.)
• The right to view and obtain copies of your records, unless the physician or other authorized staff documents it is not in your best interest.
• The right to exercise all civil, political, personal, and property rights to which you are entitled as a citizen.
• The right to appropriate assessment and management of pain.
• The right to remain free of physical restraints or time-out procedures unless such measures are required to provide effective treatment, or to protect your safety or the safety of others.
• The right to be free of physical or verbal abuse.
• The right, if you are a residential participant, to converse privately, to have reasonable access to a telephone, to receive and send mail, to have visitors, and to retain your personal effects and money.
• The right to be informed of the charges of your treatment.
• The right to request and receive a copy of the agency’s current licensure inspection.
• The right to consult with your own physician or attorney; to file a complaint.
• The right to file a complaint if you think any of these rights have been restricted or denied
• The right to receive a separate Notice of Privacy Practices about confidentiality of your protected health information.
• You are encouraged to ask questions about your services and your rights.
• A summary of the Participant’s Rights Complaint Process is available upon request.

Aspire Individual Rights Representatives

Edward Williams: 229-430-4005
Jennifer Stephens: 229-995-3171
Patrick Smith: 229-430-5100
Gennie Marcus: 229-430-6015
Mike McCaskill: 229-430-6005
Priscilla Smith: 229-430-4140
Pam Dent: 229-725-3333

External Agencies

It is our goal to address all concerns. Please give us the opportunity to do so. You may also contact the following external agencies if you feel the rights of an individual has been violated. Complaints and grievances will not cause retaliation against the individual or advocate.