Your Rights and Your Rights and ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

A picture guide to your rights A picture guide to your rights and responsibilities as a and responsibilities as a

person who receives services person who receives services from the DMRfrom the DMR

6/2008

Your RightsYour Rights Everyone has rights and responsibilities.Everyone has rights and responsibilities. Rights are like laws or rules that allow us Rights are like laws or rules that allow us

to do what we want to do, to go where we to do what we want to do, to go where we want to go, to be with who we want to, want to go, to be with who we want to, and to be treated with respect and dignityand to be treated with respect and dignity..

Some people have a guardian, who is Some people have a guardian, who is assigned by a judge, who can help assigned by a judge, who can help them to make important decisions them to make important decisions about their rights.about their rights.

Your ResponsibilitiesYour Responsibilities Responsibilities are like rules about how we Responsibilities are like rules about how we

should behave towards each other and ourselves should behave towards each other and ourselves in a safe and adult manner. in a safe and adult manner.

This booklet contains a list of rights that you have This booklet contains a list of rights that you have

and the responsibilities that go with them.and the responsibilities that go with them.

You have the right to be treated in a fair You have the right to be treated in a fair and equal manner with respect and dignityand equal manner with respect and dignity

You have the responsibility to behave in a You have the responsibility to behave in a respectful and dignified way.respectful and dignified way.

You have the responsibility to treat others You have the responsibility to treat others with respect and dignity in the same way with respect and dignity in the same way that you would like to be treated that you would like to be treated

You have the right not to be hurt, You have the right not to be hurt, hit or abused in any way.hit or abused in any way.

You have the responsibility to not hurt othersYou have the responsibility to not hurt others You have the responsibility to let someone You have the responsibility to let someone

know if you are being hurtknow if you are being hurt

You have the right to You have the right to “Informed Consent”.“Informed Consent”. This means that other people need to This means that other people need to

explain all the important things that are explain all the important things that are happening in your life to you, so that you happening in your life to you, so that you

can make good choices.can make good choices.

You have the responsibility to You have the responsibility to speak up for yourself, and to speak up for yourself, and to ask questions if you do not ask questions if you do not

understand somethingunderstand something..

You have the right to live in the You have the right to live in the

community as independently as you can.community as independently as you can.

You have the responsibility to be You have the responsibility to be a good member of your a good member of your community.community.

You have the right to be in control of your You have the right to be in control of your life by making choices about what you want life by making choices about what you want to do. This could include what to eat, what to do. This could include what to eat, what to wear, what to do for fun, where to work.to wear, what to do for fun, where to work.

You have the responsibility to accept the You have the responsibility to accept the consequences for your choices and actions. consequences for your choices and actions. If you choose to not to wear a hat on a cold If you choose to not to wear a hat on a cold day, you will be the one to feel the cold.day, you will be the one to feel the cold.

You have the right to spend your You have the right to spend your own money.own money.

You have the responsibility to make sure You have the responsibility to make sure that you save enough money for the that you save enough money for the things that you really need. things that you really need.

Staff or family can help you to budget your Staff or family can help you to budget your money so that you will have enoughmoney so that you will have enough

You have the right to have fun and You have the right to have fun and participate in social, recreational, and participate in social, recreational, and

community activities with your friendscommunity activities with your friends..

You have the responsibility to keep You have the responsibility to keep yourself and others safe, and to act yourself and others safe, and to act like a responsible adult.like a responsible adult.

You have the right to have family or You have the right to have family or friends visit you at your home.friends visit you at your home.

You have the responsibility when You have the responsibility when entertaining visitors to respect the entertaining visitors to respect the house rules and the other people house rules and the other people who live in your home.who live in your home.

You have the right to be in a You have the right to be in a romantic relationship and to romantic relationship and to enjoy private time with your enjoy private time with your

boyfriend or girlfriend.boyfriend or girlfriend.

You have the responsibility and the You have the responsibility and the right to become educated about right to become educated about relationships, mutual affection, and safe relationships, mutual affection, and safe sex. sex.

You have the responsibility to treat your You have the responsibility to treat your partner with respect and dignity and to partner with respect and dignity and to engage in activities in a safe way. engage in activities in a safe way.

You have the right to privacy You have the right to privacy unless you need help.unless you need help.

You have the responsibility to act safely You have the responsibility to act safely when you are enjoying your privacy.when you are enjoying your privacy.

You have the responsibility to give other You have the responsibility to give other people privacy when they want it.people privacy when they want it.

You have the right to be supported by your team in You have the right to be supported by your team in order to learn to behave in a manner that will order to learn to behave in a manner that will support you to have a happy and productive live at support you to have a happy and productive live at home and in the community.home and in the community.

You, your family, your guardian, your staff, clinicians, You, your family, your guardian, your staff, clinicians, and service coordinator may agree that you could and service coordinator may agree that you could benefit from a behavior plan. The plan would have to benefit from a behavior plan. The plan would have to be agreed upon by you and your guardian, be be agreed upon by you and your guardian, be reviewed by the human rights committee. The plan reviewed by the human rights committee. The plan would also be evaluated annually to insure that it is would also be evaluated annually to insure that it is still working, and that it is still needed.still working, and that it is still needed.

You have the right to have the plan evaluated to You have the right to have the plan evaluated to insure that it is appropriate and necessary for you. insure that it is appropriate and necessary for you. You have the right not to have a plan in you do not You have the right not to have a plan in you do not need one.need one.

You have the responsibility to work with your team in You have the responsibility to work with your team in learning new behavior which will enable the plan to learning new behavior which will enable the plan to be reduced or eliminated.be reduced or eliminated.

You have the right to send and You have the right to send and receive personal phone calls and receive personal phone calls and

mail, with privacy.mail, with privacy.

You have the responsibility to use the You have the responsibility to use the mail and telephone appropriately.mail and telephone appropriately.

You have the right to know what is You have the right to know what is in your file and to be able to look at in your file and to be able to look at

your recordsyour records

You have the responsibility to use your You have the responsibility to use your record seriously, like to help you to make record seriously, like to help you to make important decisions about your services.important decisions about your services.

You have the right to have the medical You have the right to have the medical care that you need from the medical care that you need from the medical

provider of your choiceprovider of your choice..

You have the responsibility to take You have the responsibility to take care of your health and to work with care of your health and to work with your medical providers.your medical providers.

You have the right to have your own You have the right to have your own things and to be able to keep them in a things and to be able to keep them in a safe place. Nobody can take your stuff.safe place. Nobody can take your stuff.

You have the responsibility to respect the You have the responsibility to respect the right of other people to have their things right of other people to have their things kept in a safe place. kept in a safe place.

You cannot take anybody else’s things You cannot take anybody else’s things without their permission.without their permission.

You have the right to practice the You have the right to practice the religion of your choice.religion of your choice.

You have the responsibility to respect You have the responsibility to respect other people’s religious beliefs and other people’s religious beliefs and practices.practices.

You have the right to vote.You have the right to vote.

You have the responsibility to learn You have the responsibility to learn about the candidates and the issues about the candidates and the issues to be voted on.to be voted on.

You have the right to speak up if you feel that You have the right to speak up if you feel that your rights are being violated. There is a human your rights are being violated. There is a human rights officer at your home who you can speak to. rights officer at your home who you can speak to. You can also speak to your service coordinator, You can also speak to your service coordinator, your family, or any staff person.your family, or any staff person.

You have the responsibility to tell the truth You have the responsibility to tell the truth when you are talking about your human when you are talking about your human rights.rights.

Protection from AbuseProtection from Abuse

If you feel that you have been If you feel that you have been abused, mistreated or neglected you abused, mistreated or neglected you have the right to call the Disabled have the right to call the Disabled Persons Protection Commission. The Persons Protection Commission. The D.P.P.C. is an independent agency D.P.P.C. is an independent agency whose purpose is to protect people whose purpose is to protect people with disabilities from abuse. with disabilities from abuse.

D.P.P.C.D.P.P.C. .1-800-426-9009..1-800-426-9009.