You Have the Right To:

All civil rights guaranteed by state and federal law; Suggest changes in our services; Expect us to look into your complaints; Help make up your own treatment plan; Refuse our services and be told what will happen if you do; Talk with your own doctor or lawyer; Obtain a copy or summary of your client record unless the program director recommends otherwise.

You Have the Right to Expect that Program Staff Will Not:

Abuse and neglect you;

Give out information about you without your permission; or

Require you to be part of any research if you don’t want to

and:

If you are in a hospital, halfway house, or other live-in setting, you have some additional rights. All of these rights have some special limits. Check with your program rights advisor for further details.

These additional rights include the right to:

Know all the rules about having visitors-

• Not be restrained – physically or by drugs, unless authorized by a physician

• Refuse to do work for us unless the work is part of your treatment plan

• Have space to put your personal belongings

• Keep your own money

If you want to know more about your rights, please read the recipient rights poster in the lobby or ask the rights officer/advisor for a more complete list of your rights.

Your Responsibilities:

• You are responsible for payment of your bill

• You are responsible for knowing if your insurance company will pay for part or all of your bill

• You are responsible for providing clear and accurate information about yourself

• You are responsible for following rules of our program

• You are responsible for being considerate of the rights of others who are recipients of services, or our staff

You and Your Rights Officer/Advisor

If you think your rights have been violated at our program, please talk to your rights officer/advisor. This person is interested in listening to your complaint and helping you find a solution.

Your rights officer/advisor’s name and phone number are on the back of this brochure. Please contact your rights officer/advisor if you believe your rights have been violated

What Can You Do:

• Talk to the rights officer/advisor. Maybe together you can find a simple solution to your complaint.

• If that doesn’t work, you can fill out a formal complaint. Your rights officer/advisor has complaint forms.

After you give your complaint to your rights officer/advisor, the complaint will be investigated. You will get a written answer to your complaint within 30 working days. If you don’t accept the written answer to your complaint, you have 15 working days to file an appeal to the regional rights consultant. Your rights officer/advisor will provide you with appeal forms or you can send for one by writing to the address on the back of this brochure.

Within 30 working days, the regional rights consultant will give you a written answer to your appeal.

If you don’t agree with the written answer to your appeal, you can file another appeal to the state rights coordinator.

TBHS Recipient Rights Office

Syndi Neeb - Recipient Rights Officer
Cindy Mitchell - Recipient Rights Advisor
Phone: (989)673-6191 or (800)462-4814

For additional information or to obtain forms to initiate a complaint, contact your local agency.

Substance Abuse Coordinating Agency at:
503 West Ionia Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Phone: (517) 253-7525 or (844)405-3095

Rights & Substance Use Policy PDF

You will be given notice when a decision is made that denies your request for services or reduces, suspends, or terminates the services you already receive. You have the right to file an "appeal" when you do not agree with such a decision. There are time limits on when you can file an appeal once you receive a decision about your services.

You may:

Ask for a "Local Appeal" by contacting Customer Service at Phone (888)482-8269.

Customer Service Flyer
Customer Service Brochure

If you have Medicaid/Healthy Michigan plan, you can ask at any time for a Medicaid Fair Hearing before an administrative law judge (a state appeal) after your local appeal is done and you still do not agree with the final decision.

If you do not have Medicaid or Healthy Michigan plan, you can request a MDHHS Alternative Dispute Resolution after your local appeal is done and you still do not agree with the final decision. Your appeal will be completed quickly, and you will have the chance to provide information or have someone speak for you regarding the appeal. You may ask for assistance from Customer Services to file an appeal.

Process for Grievances

You have the right to say that you are unhappy with your services or supports or the staff who provide them, by filing a "grievance." You can file a grievance any time by calling, visiting, or writing to the Customer Services, 909 Washington Avenue, Suite 3, Bay City, MI 48708. Assistance is available in the filing process by contacting Customer Services at 888.482.8269. You will be given detailed information about grievance and appeal processes when you first start services and then again annually. You may ask for this information at any time by contacting the Customer Services Office at the phone number above.