Client Rights & Grievances

Rights of Persons Served

Every person served by Miami Valley Recovery has the following rights:

• The right to be treated with consideration and respect for personal dignity, autonomy, and privacy.
• The right to freedom from discrimination. No person is discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, HIV status whether asymptomatic or symptomatic, AIDS, veteran status, marital status, or source of payment.
• The right to equal access to treatment for all persons in need.
• The right to reasonable protection from physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and from inhumane treatment.
• The right to protection from sexual exploitation.
• The right to freedom from psychological abuse, including humiliating, threatening, and exploiting actions, and from fiduciary abuse.
• The right to freedom from physical punishment.
• For adults receiving substance use disorder treatment: the right to write and receive uncensored, unopened correspondence.
• The right to receive services in the least restrictive, feasible environment.
• The right to be informed of one’s own condition.
• The right to be informed of available program services and of the cost of services.
• The right to consent to or refuse any service, treatment, or therapy, and to be informed of the consequences of that decision.
• The right to evidence-based information about alternative treatments, medications, and modalities sufficient to facilitate decision making.
• The right to participate in the development, review, and revision of one’s own individualized treatment plan, and to receive a copy of it.
• The right to express preferences regarding choice of case manager, therapist, or other service provider.
• The right to freedom from unnecessary or excessive medication and from unnecessary physical restraint or seclusion.
• The right to be informed of and to refuse any unusual or hazardous treatment procedure.
• The right to be advised of and to refuse observation by techniques such as one-way vision mirrors, audio recorders, video recorders, television, film, or photographs.
• The right to consult with independent treatment specialists or legal counsel at one’s own expense.
• The right to confidentiality of communications and of all personally identifying information, within the limitations and requirements for disclosure under state and federal law, including 42 C.F.R. Part 2.
• The right to access one’s own client record in accordance with program procedures and with clinical staff supervision, and to a timely response to a request for copies.
• The right to obtain authorizations for release of information and to revoke them.
• The right to access and referral to guardians, conservators, self-help groups, advocacy services, and legal services.
• The right to protection from the behavioral disruptions of other persons served.
• The right to be informed in advance of the reason for terminating participation in a program, and of the reason for any denial of service.
• The right to be informed of all client rights and to exercise them without reprisal.
• The right to be informed of appeal and grievance procedures, to initiate a grievance, to have oral and written instructions for filing a grievance, and to appeal to unbiased sources.

How Your Rights Are Protected

Notification and posting

Upon admission, each client is provided with a copy of the client rights, communicated in a manner understandable to the person served, and the client’s dated signature acknowledging receipt is kept in the client record. Upon written request, any other person may receive a copy of this policy. The client rights and grievance procedure are posted prominently at each Miami Valley Recovery location where clients and visitors may review them. In a crisis or emergency situation, the client is at minimum advised of their immediately relevant rights. Rights are communicated in a manner understandable to the person served, including through interpretation and alternate formats.

Advocate access

Miami Valley Recovery designates a Client Rights Officer who is available to persons served during core service hours. Advocate access may be provided on site or by videoconference; where videoconference access is offered, Miami Valley Recovery provides a private space on site with the necessary equipment. Annually, the Client Rights Officer arranges mandatory staff training on client rights.

Restrictions on rights

Any restriction on the rights of a person served is clinically justified, documented in the clinical record, time-limited, and reviewed. Program policies define how a restriction on privileges is applied, reviewed, and discontinued. Miami Valley Recovery promotes maximum integration and inclusion of persons served through regular evaluation of any restrictions placed on rights, and reports the results of that evaluation to the Performance Improvement Committee.

Grievance Procedure

A grievance may be initiated verbally or in writing. All written grievances should be dated and signed by the client and should include the date, approximate time, a description of the incident, and the names of the individuals involved in the incident or situation being grieved. Grievances should be given to the client’s counselor, or, if the counselor is not on the premises, to the CEO. Any counselor will assist you in filing a grievance upon your request. If your grievance is against a staff member who is involved in a step of the grievance procedure, you have the right to skip that step and move to the next.

Step 1 — Primary counselor

If a conflict between a client and Miami Valley Recovery arises, the primary counselor will first attempt to facilitate a resolution. Within three (3) working days of receiving the grievance, the counselor will meet with the client, receive all the information, and provide the client with written acknowledgment that includes:

• The date the grievance was received;
• A summary of the grievance;
• An overview of the grievance investigation process;
• A timetable for completing the investigation and notifying you of the resolution;
• The treatment provider contact person’s name, address, and telephone number; and
• The findings and decision made by the counselor.

Step 2 — Chief Executive Officer

Should a resolution not occur at Step 1, the CEO will intervene and assist in seeking a resolution. The CEO and counselor will again meet with the grievant and provide a written explanation of the resolution within seven (7) working days of the initiation of the complaint.

Step 3 — Appeal to the Clinical Director

If you are still not satisfied, you may appeal to the Clinical Director within three (3) working days of receiving the decision of the CEO and counselor. Within three (3) working days of your appeal, the Clinical Director will schedule a time to meet with you. Within four (4) working days of that meeting, you will be provided, in writing, the Clinical Director’s determination regarding your complaint.

Final resolution and records

A final resolution decision will be made within twenty-one (21) calendar days of receipt of the complaint. Any exceptions that cause this time period to be extended will be documented in the grievance file, and written notification will be given to the client filing the grievance. Miami Valley Recovery maintains the records of written grievances for two (2) years, including a copy of the grievance, documentation of the resolution, and a copy of the letter to the grievant reflecting the resolution. Grievances and appeals are reviewed annually by the President to identify trends and areas for performance improvement. Both a client and his or her family members may use the grievance procedure.

Filing With an Outside Organization

Upon the client’s written request to the counselor, the client has the option of filing a grievance with an outside organization, and Miami Valley Recovery will forward information concerning the grievance to any outside agent with an approved, signed release. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to:

• Montgomery County ADAMHS Board (Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services)
• Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH)
• Disability Rights Ohio
• The applicable federal office (for example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights)

The Client Rights Advocate can provide current addresses and telephone numbers for each of these organizations on request.

Regulatory Authority

This page reflects Miami Valley Recovery’s policies adopted under Ohio Administrative Code 5122-26-18 (client rights and grievance procedure), the CARF 2026 Behavioral Health Standards, 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164 (HIPAA), and 42 C.F.R. Part 2 (Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records). The full text of Policies 600, 601, and 602, and related policies, is available on request.