Resident Rights

At minimum, residents have all of the rights that are offered to them under the law. All recovery homes seeking to meet quality housing criteria established by OhioMHAS should ensure that their resident rights statements are consistent with OAC 5122-30-22.1. In addition to OAC 51122-30-22.1 there are other legal considerations when developing your resident rights, including

• – Federal and state Fair Housing Laws
• – Landlord Tenant Laws
• – Laws that protect the privacy and confidentiality of resident information

See sections on the resident agreement and privacy policies for more information and links to further resources about these laws. It is highly recommended that you contact legal counsel for a review of your resident rights statements and other documents to ensure that you are aware of all resident rights and your obligations under the law. For the purposes of the resident rights statement, your resident rights statement should contain information on the legal rights that residents have under these laws.

In addition to legal rights, quality recovery homes ensure that other resident rights are respected. Recovery homes agree to take specific actions to ensure the following

• – Residents will be treated with dignity and respect
• – Residents will be informed of available services and supports
• – Residents will have all financial information explained to them before they sign any agreements or make any payments
• – Residents will be provided with receipts for payments and statements of account when requested
• – Residents will be provided with a clean, safe and homelike environment

In addition to thinking about activities that you are committed to doing, it is also helpful to think about things that should never happen in a recovery home. When considering your resident rights statement, think about activities that should not happen in recovery homes. For example,

• – Residents should be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation
• – Residents should be free from restraint and seclusion

Residents have the right to participate in specific activities. This means that you will not prevent or prohibit a resident from engaging in activities such as

• – Residents will always be allowed to file a grievance in accordance with house policies
• – Residents will be able to ask for help when filing a grievance if they need it
• – Residents will not be treated differently or be subject to penalties for filing a grievance
• – Residents have the right to seek physical or mental health care at their own expense
• – Residents have the right to seek legal advice at their own expense