Chapter DHS 94

DHS 94.15(2) (2) Patients may only be required to perform tasks that are equivalent to personal housekeeping chores performed in common or private living areas of an ordinary home. Personal housekeeping tasks may include light cleaning of shared living quarters if all patients sharing those quarters participate as equally as possible in the cleaning chores.

DHS 94.15(3) (3) Payment for therapeutic labor authorized under s. 51.61 (1) (b), Stats., shall be made in accordance with wage guidelines established under state and federal law.

DHS 94.15(4) (4) Documentation shall be made in the treatment record of any compensated, uncompensated, voluntary or involuntary labor performed by any patient.

DHS 94.15(5) (5) The document used to obtain informed consent for application of a patient’s wages toward the cost of treatment shall conspicuously state that the patient has the right to refuse consent without suffering any adverse consequences.

DHS 94.15 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1987, No. 373, eff. 2-1-87; am. (2), (3), Register, June, 1996, No. 486, eff. 7-1-96.

DHS 94.16 DHS 94.16 Religious worship.

DHS 94.16(1) (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.

DHS 94.16(2) (2) The director of each treatment facility serving inpatients shall seek clergy to be available to meet the religious needs of the inpatients.

DHS 94.16(3) (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.

DHS 94.16(4) (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.

DHS 94.16(5) (5) A patient whose disruptive behavior interferes with other patients’ right to worship shall be removed from worship services.

DHS 94.16 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1987, No. 373, eff. 2-1-87.

DHS 94.17 DHS 94.17 Confidentiality of records. All treatment records are confidential. A patient or guardian may inspect, copy and challenge the patient’s records as authorized under s. 51.30, Stats., and ch. DHS 92.

DHS 94.17 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1987, No. 373, eff. 2-1-87; correction made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, April, 2000, No. 532; correction made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register November 2008 No. 635.

DHS 94.18 DHS 94.18 Filming and taping.

DHS 94.18(1) (1) No patient may be recorded, photographed, or filmed for any purpose except as allowed under s. 51.61 (1) (o), Stats., and this section.

DHS 94.18(2) (2) A photograph may be taken of a patient without the patient’s informed consent only for the purpose of including the photograph in the patient’s treatment record.

DHS 94.18(3) (3) The informed consent document shall specify that the subject patient may view the photograph or film or hear the recording prior to any release and that the patient may withdraw informed consent after viewing or hearing the material.

DHS 94.18 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1987, No. 373, eff. 2-1-87.

DHS 94.19 DHS 94.19 Mail.

DHS 94.19(1) (1) Each inpatient shall be allowed to send and receive sealed mail in accordance with s. 51.61 (1) (cm) 1., Stats., and this section.

DHS 94.19(2) (2) Any inpatient who has been determined indigent under the facility’s operating policies shall, upon request, be provided with up to 2 stamped non-letterhead envelopes each week and with non-letterhead stationery and other letter-writing materials.

DHS 94.19(3) (3) Mail shall be delivered to inpatients promptly by the facility’s normal distribution procedures.

DHS 94.19(4) (4) Upon request of an inpatient or his or her guardian, mail shall be opened by a facility staff member and read to him or her. The initial request shall be documented in the treatment record.

DHS 94.19 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1987, No. 373, eff. 2-1-87; correction in (1) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2003 No. 576.

DHS 94.20 DHS 94.20 Telephone calls.

DHS 94.20(1) (1) Inpatients shall be allowed reasonable access to a telephone to make and receive a reasonable number of telephone calls as authorized by s. 51.61 (1) (p), Stats., and this section.

DHS 94.20(2) (2) Patients shall be permitted to make an unlimited number of private telephone calls to legal counsel and to receive an unlimited number of private telephone calls from legal counsel.

DHS 94.20(3) (3) 

DHS 94.20(3)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), each inpatient shall be permitted to make a reasonable number of private, personal calls. The number and duration of the calls may be limited for legitimate management reasons, but the facility shall provide every patient the opportunity to make at least one private, personal telephone call per day.

DHS 94.20(3)(b) (b) This subsection does not prohibit a facility under s. 980.065, Stats., from recording patients’ personal telephone calls or monitoring the resulting recordings.

DHS 94.20(4) (4) Inpatients who have been determined indigent under a facility’s operating policies shall be permitted to make telephone calls under sub. (2), and at least one private, personal call per day free of charge.

DHS 94.20(5) (5) Treatment facilities shall provide the number of regular or pay telephones necessary to meet requirements of this section, subject to restrictions imposed by local telephone companies regarding installation of pay telephones.

DHS 94.20 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1987, No. 373, eff. 2-1-87; am. (1), (3), (4), Register, June, 1996, eff 7-1-96; CR 00-151: am. (3) Register January 2002 No. 553, eff. 2-1-02.

DHS 94.21 DHS 94.21 Visitors.

DHS 94.21(1) (1) Each inpatient shall be permitted to see visitors each day, as authorized by s. 51.61 (1) (t), Stats., and in accordance with this section.

DHS 94.21(2) (2) Adequate and reasonably private space shall be provided to accommodate visitors so that severe time limits need not be set on a visit.

DHS 94.21(3) (3) Every visitor who arrives during normal visiting hours shall be permitted to see the patient unless the patient refuses to see the visitor.

DHS 94.21(4) (4) The treatment facility may require prior identification of potential visitors and may search visitors but only when there are documented security reasons for screening or searching visitors.

DHS 94.21(5) (5) Visits may not be limited to less than one hour, except under documented special circumstances.

DHS 94.21 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1987, No. 373, eff. 2-1-87.

DHS 94.22 DHS 94.22 Voting.

DHS 94.22(1) (1) The director of each treatment facility serving inpatients shall ensure that inpatients have an opportunity to vote, unless they are otherwise restricted by law from voting, by:

DHS 94.22(1)(a) (a) Surveying all patients 18 years of age or over to ascertain their interest in registering to vote, obtaining absentee ballots and casting ballots. The survey shall be conducted far enough before an election to allow sufficient time for voter registration and acquisition of absentee ballots;

DHS 94.22(1)(b) (b) Making arrangements with state and local election officials to register voters and to enable interested inpatients to cast ballots at the facility; and

DHS 94.22(1)(c) (c) With a patient’s consent, assisting election officials in determining the patient’s place of residence for voting purposes.

DHS 94.22(2) (2) A treatment facility director may not prohibit an inpatient from receiving campaign literature or placing political advertisements in his or her personal quarters and shall permit candidates to campaign during reasonably regulated times at designated locations on facility property.

DHS 94.22 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1987, No. 373, eff. 2-1-87.

DHS 94.23 DHS 94.23 Discharge of voluntary patients.

DHS 94.23(1) (1) When a voluntary inpatient requests a discharge, the facility director or designee shall either release the patient or file a statement of emergency detention with the court as provided under ss. 51.10 (5), 51.13 (7) (b) and 51.15 (10), Stats., and this section.

DHS 94.23(2) (2) If a voluntary inpatient requests a discharge and he or she has no other living quarters or is in need of other services to make the transition to the community, the following actions shall be taken by the facility director or designee prior to discharge:

DHS 94.23(2)(a) (a) Counsel the patient and, when possible, assist the patient in locating living quarters;

DHS 94.23(2)(b) (b) Inform the applicable program director, if any, of the patient’s need for residential and other necessary transitional services; and

DHS 94.23(2)(c) (c) If no living arrangements have been made by the time of discharge, refer the patient to an appropriate service agency for emergency living arrangements.

DHS 94.23 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1987, No. 373, eff. 2-1-87.

DHS 94.24 DHS 94.24 Humane psychological and physical environment.

DHS 94.24(1) (1) Clean, safe and humane environment. Treatment facilities shall provide patients with a clean, safe and humane environment as required under s. 51.61 (1) (m), Stats., and this section.

DHS 94.24(2) (2) Comfort, safety and respect.

DHS 94.24(2)(a) (a) Staff shall take reasonable steps to ensure the physical safety of all patients.

DHS 94.24(2)(b) (b) Each patient shall be treated with respect and with recognition of the patient’s dignity by all employees of the service provider and by all licensed, certified, registered or permitted providers of health care with whom the patient comes in contact.

DHS 94.24(2)(c) (c) A treatment facility may fingerprint a patient only if the patient is unknown, has no means of identification, cannot otherwise be identified and fingerprinting is required for identification. This restriction does not apply to patients transferred to the facility under s. 51.35 (3) or 51.37, Stats., or committed under ch. 971 or 975, Stats.

DHS 94.24(2)(d) (d) Only inpatients may be subjected to a body search. All body searches shall be conducted as follows:

DHS 94.24(2)(d)1. 1. A personal search of an inpatient may be conducted by any facility staff member:

DHS 94.24(2)(d)1.a. a. Before a patient leaves or enters the security enclosure of maximum security units;

DHS 94.24(2)(d)1.b. b. Before a patient is placed in seclusion;

DHS 94.24(2)(d)1.c. c. When there is documented reason to believe the patient has, on his or her person, objects or materials which threaten the safety or security of patients or other persons; or

DHS 94.24(2)(d)1.d. d. If, for security reasons, the facility routinely conducts personal searches of patients committed under ch. 971 or 975, Stats., patients residing in the maximum security facility at the Mendota mental health institute or a secure mental health unit or facility under s. 980.065, Stats., and persons transferred under s. 51.35 (3) or 51.37, Stats.;

DHS 94.24(2)(d)2. 2. A strip search of an inpatient may be conducted:

DHS 94.24(2)(d)2.a. a. Only in a clean and private place;

DHS 94.24(2)(d)2.b. b. Except in an emergency, only by a person of the same sex;

DHS 94.24(2)(d)2.c. c. Only when all less intrusive search procedures are deemed inadequate; and

DHS 94.24(2)(d)2.d. d. Only under circumstances specified under subd. 1. a. to c.;

DHS 94.24(2)(d)3. 3. A body cavity search of an inpatient may be conducted:

DHS 94.24(2)(d)3.a. a. Only in a clean and private place;

DHS 94.24(2)(d)3.b. b. Only by a physician and, whenever possible, by a physician of the same sex;

DHS 94.24(2)(d)3.c. c. Only when all less intrusive search procedures are deemed inadequate; and

DHS 94.24(2)(d)3.d. d. Only under circumstances specified under subd. 1. a. to c.

DHS 94.24(2)(e) (e) The room and personal belongings of an inpatient may be searched only when there is documented reason to believe that security rules have been violated, except that searches may be conducted in forensic units, the maximum security facility at the Mendota mental health institute or a secure mental health unit or facility under s. 980.065, Stats., in accordance with written facility policies.

DHS 94.24(2)(f) (f) Each inpatient shall be assisted to achieve maximum capability in personal hygiene and self-grooming and shall have reasonable access to:

DHS 94.24(2)(f)1. 1. Toilet articles;

DHS 94.24(2)(f)2. 2. Toothbrush and dentifrice;

DHS 94.24(2)(f)3. 3. A shower or tub bath at least once every 2 days, unless medically contraindicated;

DHS 94.24(2)(f)4. 4. Services of a barber or beautician on a regular basis; and

DHS 94.24(2)(f)5. 5. Shaving equipment and facilities.

DHS 94.24(2)(g) (g) Each patient shall be given an opportunity to refute any accusations prior to initiation of disciplinary action.

DHS 94.24(2)(h) (h) No patient may be disciplined for a violation of a treatment facility rule unless the patient has had prior notice of the rule.

DHS 94.24(2)(i) (i)

DHS 94.24(2)(i)1. 1. Each inpatient shall have unscheduled access to a working flush toilet and sink, except when the patient is in seclusion or for security reasons or when medically contraindicated.

DHS 94.24(2)(i)2. 2. Upon request of the patient, the legal guardian of an incompetent patient or the parent of a minor, staff of the same sex shall be available to assist the patient in toileting or bathing.