Your Mental Health Rights: How They Protect and Support Your Recovery
Your Rights to Social Interaction and Communication

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Your Mental Health Rights: How They Protect and Support Your Recovery
Your Rights to Social Interaction and Communication

You have rights to social interaction and communication. These rights tell everyone that you are part of the community, and that you can live, work and do things in the community like everyone else. These rights tell other people that you can have friends and be a part of what goes on in your neighborhood and community. These rights tell other people that you can say what you think.

Your Right to Decide What You Do with Other People

It is your right to decide what you do with other people. This right can support your recovery because making your own decisions makes you more independent, and helps you do what is right for you; and making your own decisions can help you feel better about yourself.

Use your rights. Say yes to doing things you want to do with other people. Say no if you do not want to do things with other people.

Other people should help you use your rights. Other people:

• should not keep you from doing the things you want to do with other people;
• should not make you feel bad because of what you want to do; and
• should not make you feel bad if you do not want to do something.

Your Right To Have Friends, and be Able to Spend Time With Them

It is your right to have friends, and be able to spend time with them. This right can support your recovery because:

• friends can give you support and strength;
• they can be a support system when you need one;
• having friends can give you the chance to be with people who understand your feelings, and what you are going through;
• friends can help you feel like you are not alone, and that you do not have to deal with things all on your own;
• having friends may help you get better at sharing, talking and developing relationships; and
• having friends can help you feel better about yourself.

Use your rights. Have friends and spend time with them. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about having friends and wanting to spend time with them.

Other people should help you use your rights. Other people:

• should not keep you from having friends or spending time with them; and
• should not make you feel bad about having friends and wanting to spend time with them.

Your Right To Register to Vote, and to Vote

It is your right to register to vote, and to vote. If you need it, you also have the right to take a person you choose into the voting booth with you to help you make your vote (you have to ask for this). This right can support your recovery because voting:

• gives you a say in what happens in your community;
• gives you a say in making and changing the laws that you have to live by;
• may help you feel that you are part of the community and that you are giving something to it; and
• can help you feel important.

Use your rights. Register to vote, and vote on voting day. Ask for help:

• if you do not know how to register;
• if you need help getting to your voting place on voting day;
• if you need special help at the voting place (special help can be someone to read the ballot to you, or someone to help you cast your vote at the booth; ask for this kind of help as far ahead of time as you can); and
• if you need help understanding what you are supposed to be voting on.

If you can't vote on voting day, or if you can't get to the voting place on voting day, use an "absentee ballot" to vote. Get it about a month before voting day and send it in before voting day. Ask about getting an "absentee ballot" at your local board of elections.

Other people should help you use your rights. Other people should talk with you about your right to vote. If you need it and ask for it, the people who are in charge at your voting place must let you take a person you choose into the voting booth with you to help you make your vote. (Making your vote is also called "casting your vote"). No one is allowed to keep you from voting. No one should try to force you to vote for something or someone you don't want to vote for.

Your Right To Live in the Community

It is your right to live in the community. This right can support your recovery because:

• living in the community gives you freedom, and the chance to grow as a person;
• living in the community allows you to live your life with the people you want to be around; and
• being part of the community can give you a feeling of belonging.

Use your rights. If you are not living in the community, find out why. If you are not living in the community and you want to, tell people. For example, tell your treatment team that you want to live in the community.

Other people should help you use your rights. Other people (especially people who are on your treatment team) must ask you where you want to live. If you say that you want to live in the community, those people must try to find fair ways to help you live in the community. Other people should know that you have the right to live in the community if you want to, and if your doctors say it's OK and if there is a fair way for you to get the services that you need in the community.

Your Right To Have a Chance to Work, or Do Activities That are Important to You

It is your right to have a chance to work, or do activities that are important to you. Also, there are laws and rules that protect you from being treated unfairly at work because of your mental illness. This right can support your recovery because working can help you:

• feel better about yourself;
• get more independent, especially because you will have your own money;
• feel like you are doing something good for yourself and in your community; and
• learn skills and deal with people.

Use your rights. Find out if there is a job that is right for you. Ask for help finding a job, or for getting the education or training you need to get a job that is right for you. Find out about the laws and rules that protect you from being treated unfairly at work because of your mental illness.

Other people should help you use your rights. Other people should help you learn about what you have to do to get a job. No one should treat you unfairly at work because of your mental illness. Also, it is against the law for you to be fired from a job, just because you have a mental illness.

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