Centers for the Developmentally Disabled
Applies to: Anyone who is receiving services for
a developmental disability in any of the three centers operated by the state of
Wisconsin:
Northern
Wisconsin Center in Chippewa Falls (NWC)
Central
Wisconsin Center in Madison (CWC)
Southern
Wisconsin Center in Union Grove (SWC)
Patient rights rules for individuals receiving services from state
centers are listed in:
-
Sec. 51.61
(exit DHFS; PDF), Wisconsin Statutes,
and
-
HFS 94
(exit DHFS; PDF), Wisconsin
Administrative Code
These individuals also have rights under federal law and HFS
134 (exit DHFS), Wisconsin Administrative
Code, for facilities serving people with developmental disabilities.
These additional rights are explained in a pamphlet
(PDE-330) handed out to parents and
guardians upon admission of their child / ward to the Center. Each living
unit also has a poster listing the rights of individuals at the Center.
(See Forms, Publications and Posters.)
Anyone receiving services from a state Center or their
parent or guardian can file a grievance if they feel any of these rights
are being violated. They can file a complaint with the Center’s Client
Rights Specialist or the Division
of Quality Assurance (DQA), or both.
The
name and phone number of the Center’s Client Rights Specialist may be
obtained by contacting the Center.
The Division Long Term Care (DLTC), which
operates the state Centers, has a four-stage grievance
resolution process (PDF, 7 KB) for complaints.
Complaints of rights violations may also be taken directly
to court under Sec.
51.61(7)
(exit DHFS; PDF), Wisconsin Statutes
(scroll to page 54).
The use of the grievance procedure is not required
before going to court, but a grievance can be dismissed at the stage it is
being considered once the matter is taken to court.
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Last Updated: May 08, 2008 |
