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Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Posted
Updated
ByCognitive Organics

At Cognitive Organics, every client has basic rights that guide how we provide care. As a staff member, you are responsible for knowing these rights, honoring them in your daily work, and helping clients access them when needed.

This section explains the core rights our clients have, what we expect from clients in return, and what you should do if someone has concerns or wants to file a complaint.

Our Commitment

We believe every client deserves to be:

  • Treated with dignity and respect
  • Involved in decisions about their care
  • Informed about their options
  • Safe to speak up if something isn’t working

Patient rights are not “extra paperwork.” They are the foundation of trust, safety, and ethical practice.

Core Patient Rights

Clients at Cognitive Organics have the right to:

1. Dignity, Respect & Non-Discrimination

  • Be treated with courtesy, kindness, and respect at all times.
  • Receive care without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or family status, disability, age, national origin, insurance status, or any other protected characteristic.

2. Privacy & Confidentiality

  • Have their personal health information kept private and confidential, within the limits of the law.
  • Expect that conversations and records are handled discreetly and securely.
  • Be informed of limits to confidentiality (for example, abuse reporting or serious safety concerns).

3. Participation in Care & Informed Decision-Making

  • Receive clear, understandable information about their condition (to the extent known), treatment options, potential benefits and risks, and alternatives.
  • Ask questions and have information explained in a way they can understand.
  • Participate in decisions about their treatment and services, including the right to include or exclude family members or supports when appropriate.

4. The Right to Accept or Refuse Treatment

  • Accept or refuse recommended services or treatment, to the extent permitted by law.
  • Be informed of the possible outcomes or risks of refusing treatment.
  • Change their mind and withdraw consent for services, within legal and safety limits.

5. Know Who Is Involved in Their Care

  • Know the name and role of the professionals involved in their care.
  • Ask about the training or role of the people providing services to them (for example: NP, therapist, case manager, field tech).

6. A Safe & Supportive Environment

  • Receive services in a safe, clean, and respectful environment.
  • Be free from abuse, neglect, harassment, or exploitation.
  • Speak up if they feel unsafe or mistreated.

7. Access to Information in Their Record

  • Request access to their health information and records, within legal and policy guidelines.
  • Ask for corrections or clarifications where appropriate.

8. Continuity & Coordination of Care

  • Have reasonable continuity of care, including coordination between providers and services.
  • Be informed of options for referrals or additional services when needed.
  • Participate in discharge or transition planning.

9. Voice Concerns, Complaints, or Grievances Without Retaliation

  • Express concerns or complaints about their care, staff behavior, or the environment.
  • File a formal grievance and receive a response, according to our grievance policy.
  • Do so without fear of retaliation, punishment, or negative impact on their services.

Patient Responsibilities

Cognitive Organics is a partnership between the client and the care team. Clients also have responsibilities that help us provide safe and effective care. Clients are expected to:

  • Provide accurate information about their history, symptoms, medications, and relevant life circumstances.
  • Tell us about changes in their condition, safety, or important life events that affect their care.
  • Ask questions when they do not understand something about their diagnosis, treatment, or plan.
  • Follow agreed-upon treatment plans to the best of their ability, or let us know when something is not working.
  • Respect staff, other clients, and the environment, including following safety rules and basic standards of behavior.
  • Keep appointments or notify us as early as possible if they need to cancel or reschedule, according to our policies.
  • Address financial responsibilities related to their care, including providing up-to-date insurance information and communicating about billing concerns.

We communicate these responsibilities to clients in a respectful, non-shaming way, recognizing that life circumstances and mental health symptoms can make some responsibilities difficult at times.

Grievances & Complaints

We want clients to tell us when something is wrong or not working for them.

Clients have the right to:

  • Share feedback, concerns, or complaints with any staff member.
  • Request to speak with a supervisor or member of leadership.
  • File a formal grievance if they believe their rights have been violated or they have been treated unfairly.

Your role as staff:

If a client says, “I’m not happy with my care,” “I want to complain,” or “I don’t feel heard,” you should:

  1. Listen and validate.
    • Thank them for speaking up.
    • Acknowledge that their experience matters.
  2. Explain their options.
    • Let them know they can talk to your supervisor or another leader.
    • Offer information about how to submit a formal complaint or grievance (for example, a form, an email address, or a phone number – according to our current policy).
  3. Connect and communicate.
    • Help them get in touch with the appropriate person (such as your supervisor, Clinical Director, or designated contact).
    • Follow internal procedures for documenting and reporting complaints or grievances.
  4. Avoid defensiveness or retaliation.
    • Do not argue, become defensive, or minimize their experience.
    • Never treat a client differently or reduce essential services because they raised a concern.

If you are unsure what to do, ask your supervisor immediately. It is always better to ask than to ignore or dismiss a concern.

What This Means for You as Staff

In practice, honoring patient rights means you:

  • Treat every client with respect and non-judgment, regardless of their background or diagnosis.
  • Protect privacy and confidentiality in all communications and documentation.
  • Invite clients into decisions about their care and explain things in plain language.
  • Respect a client’s right to say “no” and respond by exploring options and consequences, not by punishing or shaming.
  • Know how to direct clients who want to see their records, ask questions about their rights, or file a complaint.
  • Speak up if you see something that does not align with these rights, and bring it to your supervisor or leadership.

Patient rights are everyone’s responsibility—not just leadership’s or clinicians’. How you answer the phone, how you handle frustration, and how you respond when someone is unhappy all contribute to whether clients feel safe and respected here.

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