Knowing Your Rights in a Forensic Facility

Lecture Notes

PS: Will my phone calls be restricted? A: The facility must have a policy on when the phone is available for use. They may not allow you to use the phone during treatment hours but if you want to call the Florida Abuse Hotline, the Florida Local Advocacy Council, the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities or your attorney, you must be permitted to use the phone anytime it is safely possible. Your access to the telephone can be delayed if you are in seclusion or restraints, but you must be permitted to make the call to the Florida Abuse Hotline within 4 hours from the time that you request to use the telephone to report abuse. Your right to communicate freely can be restricted if it is determined to be harmful to yourself or others. If restricted, you must be provided with a written notice stating the reason and the length of the restriction. The order must be reviewed every 7 days.