TRUST · CLIENT RIGHTS
Client Rights & Grievances
Clients at Healing Sands have specific rights throughout addiction treatment, including dignity, informed consent, confidentiality, participation in treatment planning, and the right to raise concerns about their care.
This page explains those rights and the process for filing a grievance at our Palm Springs facility.
Your rights as a client at Healing Sands, and the process for raising a concern or filing a formal grievance if something goes wrong.
- YOUR RIGHTS
Your rights remain with you throughout treatment.
Every client has the right to be treated with dignity and respect throughout care. These rights apply during detox, residential treatment, dual-diagnosis care, and the transition toward greater independence.
Clients also have a voice in decisions about their treatment and the right to understand what is being recommended before agreeing to it.
01
You have the right to be treated with respect.
Every client has the right to dignity throughout treatment and to receive care without abuse, neglect, humiliation, or inappropriate treatment by staff or other clients.
This protection applies from the first days of detox through residential treatment and later stages of care.
02
You have the right to understand before agreeing.
Clients have the right to understand a proposed treatment before agreeing to it.
Staff explain the purpose of treatment, relevant risks, and available alternatives rather than simply asking a client to sign a consent form without explanation.
03
Your voice is part of your treatment plan.
Clients can participate in developing their own treatment plans, including discussing goals, pace, and aspects of therapy used during substance use and co-occurring mental health treatment.
That participation continues as care changes and clients move toward step-down support.
04
Saying no to one treatment doesn't automatically end care.
A client may refuse a particular treatment, medication, or therapy method within applicable safety and clinical limits.
Staff explain what refusing a recommendation may mean for the overall treatment plan and, where possible, work with the client to identify another approach.
Refusing one part of treatment does not by itself mean automatic discharge, including when medication-assisted treatment is involved.
PRIVACY & PROTECTION
Speaking up does not take away your rights.
Client rights include control over private treatment information, access to personal treatment records, and protection from retaliation when raising concerns or disagreeing with part of a treatment plan.
The Right to Confidentiality
Your treatment information is private.
Clients have the right to confidentiality regarding their treatment information.
These protections apply under HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 and cover treatment records as well as protected communications with staff.
The Right to Access Records
You can request your treatment records.
Clients can request access to their own treatment records.
Requests should be made in writing, and staff will explain the applicable process and timeframe. Clients may also request corrections when information in their records appears inaccurate or incomplete.
Freedom From Retaliation
Raising a concern cannot be used against you.
Clients will not face retaliation in their care for raising a concern, refusing a treatment, or filing a grievance.
This includes inappropriate changes to treatment, discharge decisions, or how a client is treated by staff because they exercised a protected right.
Rights Throughout Care
Your rights don't end when your level of care changes.
These protections continue as a client moves through treatment.
Transitioning from detox to residential treatment or toward step-down care does not remove the client’s rights to privacy, participation, dignity, or the ability to raise concerns.
GRIEVANCE PROCESS
How to raise a concern about your care.
A client or someone acting on the client's behalf with appropriate written authorization can raise a grievance about treatment, staff conduct, confidentiality, discrimination, or another aspect of care.
Concerns can be discussed with staff or submitted in writing to facility leadership.
Concerns can be raised verbally or in writing.
A client can speak with a staff member about a concern or submit a written grievance to facility leadership.
Someone acting on behalf of a client may also file when appropriate written authorization has been provided.
For written grievances, staff will explain the expected response timeframe when the grievance is submitted.
Facility leadership reviews the concern.
After a grievance is filed, facility leadership reviews what happened.
This may include speaking with involved staff, reviewing relevant documentation, or looking at the client's treatment plan.
The client is informed of the outcome and any steps being taken in response. If the client remains dissatisfied, they may ask about further review or available outside complaint options.
COMPLAINTS & SUPPORT
You have options inside and outside the program.
Clients can raise concerns directly with Healing Sands and may also have the option to submit complaints about licensed substance use disorder treatment services to the appropriate California oversight agency.
A concern does not need to become a formal grievance before someone talks with facility leadership.
You can contact the state directly.
Clients can submit complaints concerning California substance use disorder treatment or recovery programs to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Licensing and Certification Division, which oversees licensed treatment programs in the state.
Using an outside complaint process does not remove a client’s protections against retaliation within treatment.
You don't have to wait to speak up.
Facility leadership at our Palm Springs location can explain the grievance process and what to expect at each stage.
A concern does not have to wait until discharge or become a formal written complaint before it can be discussed. Smaller issues can be raised as they happen so staff have an opportunity to address them.
- CLIENT RIGHTS FAQ
Common questions about rights and grievances.
Can a client refuse a specific medication without leaving the program?
Yes. A client can refuse a specific medication or treatment method, within applicable safety and clinical limits.
Staff will explain how that decision may affect the treatment plan and work with the client to identify another approach where possible. Refusing one part of treatment does not automatically mean discharge.
How long does it take to hear back after filing a grievance?
Response time depends on the nature of the concern.
Staff will explain the expected timeframe when a grievance is filed. Written grievances typically receive a response within the timeframe established by the facility's grievance process.
Will filing a grievance affect the quality of care someone receives?
No. Retaliation against a client for raising a concern or filing a grievance is prohibited.
A grievance should not reduce the quality of treatment or change how staff treat the client because they exercised their rights.
Can a family member file a grievance for a client?
A family member or another person may act on a client's behalf when appropriate written authorization has been provided.
This protects the client's right to control who can act for them and who has access to information about their treatment.
What's the difference between a grievance and a HIPAA complaint?
A grievance can address broader concerns involving treatment, staff conduct, program practices, discrimination, or other aspects of care.
A complaint specifically involving the handling or disclosure of protected health information follows the applicable HIPAA privacy complaint process.
If you're in immediate danger, call 911. For mental-health crisis support, call or text 988.
Every conversation is confidential — protected by HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2.
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