Community Grievance Decision Digest
RELIGIOUS WORSHIP, RIGHT TO
THE LAW:
Each patient
shall..."Have the right to religious
worship within the facility if the patient desires such an opportunity
and a clergyman of the patient's religious denomination or society is
available to the facility. The
provisions for such worship shall be available to all patients on a
nondiscriminatory basis. No
individual may be coerced into engaging in any religious activities."
§ 51.61(1)(l), Wis. Stats. [Emphasis
added]
"(1) All inpatients
shall be allowed to exercise their right to religious
worship as specified under s. 51.61(1)(l), Stats., and this section.
(2) The director of each
treatment facility serving inpatients
shall seek clergy to be
available to meet the religious needs of the inpatients.
(3) The director or
designee shall make reasonable provision for inpatients to attend religious services either inside or outside the facility, except for
documented security reasons, and shall honor any reasonable request for religious
visitation by the representative of any faith or religion.
(4) Visiting clergy shall have the same access to inpatients as staff
clergy except that visiting clergy may be required to work with and be
accompanied by staff clergy.
(5) A patient whose disruptive
behavior interferes with other patients' right to worship shall be
removed from worship services."
HFS 94.16, Wis. Admin. Code [Emphasis
added.]
DECISIONS
- The alcohol treatment program did not
require the individual to attend
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or the steps that have religious aspects.
Thus, his right to be freedom of religious worship was not violated. (Level III decision in Case No. 98-SGE-02 on 10/13/98,
upheld at Level IV.)
Last Updated: November 08, 2006 |
