Know Your Rights

You Have Rights!

If you are a person with a developmental disability and receive services from the State, you have rights.

Some of these rights include

• The right to privacy and dignity
• The right to choose your friends
• The right to make decisions about your daily activities
• The right to participate in treatment decisions
• The right to be free from abuse and neglect
• The right to voice complaints without retaliation

Exercise your rights: Resolve complaints.

Contact the provider or facility.

• You may speak directly with staff and try to resolve the issue.
• If that does not resolve the conflict, you can raise the issue with a person in charge.
• Depending on where you live, you can talk to a family or resident group.
• You may also file a written complaint or grievance with the provider or facility.

Contact the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)

• Your DDA Case Manager or Social Worker will help you resolve complaints about the services and staff who provide developmental disabilities services.
• If your Case Manager/Social Worker cannot help you, ask for the assistance of a supervisor.
• If a DDA supervisor is unable to assist you, the supervisor will help you make a formal complaint with the DDA Regional Administrator’s Office.
• If the DDA Regional Administrator’s Office is unable to resolve your complaint, you may request that your complaint be sent to DDA Headquarters for final resolution.

Other contacts

If you are experiencing an emergency and need immediate assistance, call 9-1-1.

To report suspected abuse, neglect, abandonment, or financial exploitation of a child or vulnerable adult, call 1-866-363-4276 (1-866-ENDHARM). Or you may report online.

When making a report, here are some things to consider:

• The hotline may take a message or redirect the caller to another number.
• You do not need proof to make a report, and you do not need to give your name.
• To complain about nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult family homes, institutions for persons with disabilities, including Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs), and certified supported living settings, including the State Operated Living Alternatives (SOLAs), contact the Complaint Resolution Unit at 1-800-562-6078.
• To complain about the sharing of your health information, contact the DSHS Privacy Officer at 360-902-8278.
• For assistance addressing resident concerns in nursing homes, adult family homes, and assisted living facilities, contact the Long-Term-Care Ombudsman at 1-800-562-6028.
• For information and resources on disability-related legal rights and self-advocacy strategies, contact Disability Rights Washington for Technical Assistance at 1-800-562-2702.