Section 19Sec./Art. 19

Duties and Responsibilities of Mental Health Facilities. - Mental health facilities shall:

(a) Establish policies, guidelines, and protocols for minimizing the use of restrictive care and involuntary treatment;

(b) Inform service user of their rights under this Act and all other pertinent laws and regulations;

(c) Provide every service user, whether admitted for voluntary treatment, with complete information regarding the plan of treatment to be implemented;

(d) Ensure that informed consent is obtained from service users prior to the implementation of any medical procedure or plan of treatment or care, except during psychiatric or neurologic emergencies or when the service user has impairment or temporary loss of decision-making capacity;

(e) Maintain a register containing information on all medical treatments and procedures administered to service users; and

(f) Ensure that legal representatives are designated or appointed only after the requirements of this Act and the procedures established for the purpose have been observed, which procedures should respect the autonomy and preferences of the patient as far as possible.