§ 7509. Treatment; right of access

(a) Upon admission to the hospital pursuant to section 7503, 7508, 7617, or 7624 of this title, the person shall be treated with dignity and respect and shall be given such medical and psychiatric treatment as is indicated.

(b) All persons admitted or held for admission shall be given the opportunity, subject to reasonable limitations, to communicate with others, including visits by a peer or other support person designated by the person, presence of the support person at all treatment team meetings the person is entitled to attend, the reasonable use of a telephone, and the reasonable use of electronic mail and the Internet.

(c) The person shall be requested to furnish the names of persons he or she may want notified of his or her hospitalization and kept informed of his or her status. The head of the hospital shall see that such persons are notified of the status of the patient, how he or she may be contacted and visited, and how they may obtain information concerning him or her. (Added 1977, No. 252 (Adj. Sess.), § 16; amended 1997, No. 114 (Adj. Sess.), § 1a; 2013, No. 192 (Adj. Sess.), § 8.)