Information about CAMH for clients and families

Your rights

Your legal rights

The Ontario Mental Health Act, 1990 sets out what happens when people with mental illnesses are admitted to psychiatric facilities. It states the legal rights of patients admitted to a hospital and addresses other legal issues relating to admission and discharge from the hospital.

As a health care facility, CAMH is also governed by the Public Hospitals Act, 1990.

The Health Care Consent Act, 1996 governs treatment in Ontario and creates a system of substitute decision making for individuals who are incapable of making their own treatment decisions. Under the Act, informed consent must be obtained from the individual, or a substitute decision maker if the person is incapable, before treatment can be administered. The Act also permits a substitute decision maker to authorise an incapable person’s admission to a psychiatric facility for the purposes of treatment, as long as the incapable person does not object to the admission. This is called an “informal admission.”

CAMH’s physicians and other staff make every effort to inform patients about their condition and the proposed treatment. This is to make sure that they—or their substitutes—can participate fully in treatment decisions and to protect their rights and interests. Information on patient rights under mental health law is available through Ontario’s Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office by calling (416) 535-8501 ext. 3099.

Some of this information will be different for clients in our Law and Mental Health Program who fall under the Ontario Review Board or a treatment order. Please see the CAMH booklet The Forensic Mental Health System in Ontario for more information.

CAMH Bill of Client Rights

CAMH's Bill of Client Rights promotes the dignity and worth of all the people who use our services. It sets out clients' rights, including the right to be treated with respect, to receive quality services that comply with standards, and to complain. You can get a copy of the Bill from the CAMH Client Relations Service at 416 535-8501 ext. 2028, from our website at www.camh.net, or from any of the sources listed at the end of this brochure.

CAMH Client Relations Service

Our Client Relations Service is available to listen to and deal with all forms of feedback from clients and their families—from compliments to complaints—concerning any of CAMH’s programs and services. The Client Relations Service acts as the ombudsperson for clients who have questions or concerns about CAMH or about their care.

Any information you give to the Client Relations staff is confidential and does not go on your health record.

The Client Relations staff can also give you information on how to find your way around the services at CAMH, as well as some mental health and addiction services outside CAMH.

Questions or concerns? To reach the Client Relations Service, please call 416 535-8501 ext. 2028.

Empowerment Council

CAMH’s Empowerment Council represents the voice of clients. The Council:

advocates on issues relating to the mental health and addiction systems
gives clients access to information
educates clients on choices, self-advocacy, leadership and political awareness.
educates mental health and addiction workers and other members of the community.

To learn more about what the Empowerment Council does and how you can join, please call the Empowerment Coordinator at (416) 535-8501 ext. 4022.

Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office (PPAO)

You can learn more about your rights under mental health law in Ontario through the Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office (PPAO).

The PPAO is an independent and confidential advocacy service—PPAO staff members are not employed by CAMH. They provide free advocacy and rights advice to clients and to people planning to use psychiatric services. The PPAO helps clients to know their rights and make informed decisions about their care and treatment.

The PPAO office at CAMH’s Queen Street site can be reached at 416 535-8501 ext. 3099. The PPAO website is at www.ppao.gov.on.ca.

Privacy and confidentiality

CAMH is committed to protecting privacy.

At CAMH, a nurse, doctor or clinician may ask you about your own health and the health of people in your family. This information is kept in your health record. We need your health information to make sure we can give you the best possible care.

While at CAMH, you may visit other areas of the hospital for treatment. If you do this, or talk to another doctor at CAMH, they will also need to see your health record and may add new information. During your treatment at CAMH, we may need to share your health information with other doctors, hospitals or organizations that are helping with your care. This is called sharing your health information within your “circle of care.”

In most cases, before we use or share your health information we will ask for your permission (your consent). You can decide when you want us to share health information with others and how you want us to use your information. Consent can be either verbal or written. You can refuse or take away your consent.

In special cases, the law says we can or must share information with others, even if we don’t have your consent. For example, information may be disclosed without your consent to public health units, children’s aid societies, other health care providers (in an emergency), the police or the courts. If you would like more information about consent, please see the CAMH brochure Privacy: Your Right. Our Responsibility.

Protecting your health information

At CAMH we protect health information from theft, loss or unauthorized access. Our staff is trained in CAMH’s Privacy Policy. They know it is important to keep your health information private and confidential.

If you have questions or would like more information about CAMH’s Privacy Policy, please contact the CAMH Privacy Office at 416 535-8501 ext. 3314, or e-mail privacy@camh.net.

Accessing your health record

You have the right to see and have a copy of your health information, with some limits. There may be a fee if you would like a copy of your health record. You have the right to ask us to correct health information if it is wrong or incomplete. To see your health information, contact the Health Records Department at 416 535-8501 ext. 2318 (for Queen Street and most other sites), or ext. 6438 (for College Street site).

< < Part 2 | Part 4 > >