Pursuit of Independence
Member Rights and Responsibilities
All of the members who access services through Pursuit of Independence under Medicaid have
the same fundamental rights as anyone else living in the community. It is the responsibility of
Pursuit of Independence to ensure that these rights are met, honored and protected.
Mission Statement for Pursuit of Independence
We believe each person is unique with individual needs and dreams. It is our mission to
empower each member to live a happy, healthy lifestyle of their choice, as a step toward more
independence. We help people believe in their goals so they can achieve their goals.
The rights that all persons have are:
1. The right to be treated according to your age. You will not be treated as a child even
though you are an adult. If you are under the age of 18, you will be treated as any
other person, according to your age. (If you are 15, you will be treated as any other 15year old person.)
2. You have the right to private conversations with your staff. If there is anyone who
insists upon listening to your conversations while in the community or in your home, you
have the right to ask staff for a meeting or appointment in the office where you will be
free to speak with your staff in private. You also have the right to have these
conversations protected and kept private unless there is an accusation or fear of abuse
from someone in your home or in the community. If this is the case, a report must be
made to the Department of Human Services as all staff and employees of Pursuit of
Independence are mandatory abuse reporters.
3. You have the right to be free of abuse or manipulating circumstances and relationships.
If Pursuit of Independence staff feels that there is abuse or you are being taken
advantage of, staff will try to discuss this concern with you first. If there is abuse or
manipulation and a report to the Department of Human Services is warranted, it is
mandatory that Pursuit of Independence makes this report. If a visit with you is not
possible before the report is made, there will be a private visit with you within 24-hours
of the report to the Department of Human Services.
4. You have the right to receive the services that you need, require and/or request. If
someone in your life or on your team does not think that you require the services that
are requested, Pursuit of Independence staff will advocate for these services to their
extent possible while maintaining a respectful and courteous relationship with all
members of your team.
5. You have the right to enter into contracts. If you are under the age of 18 or you have a
legal guardian, they must also sign the contract, but you have the right to make or have
a voice in the decision. If you do not agree to a contract that your guardian is
requesting you enter into, you have the right to disagree and formally make a complaint
against this contract. Just because you may either be a minor or have a legal guardian
does not mean that you have to agree with everything that is decided for you.
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Member Rights and Responsibilities
6. You have the right to choose where you would like to receive services. If your home is
not conducive to the services that the team has agreed upon, you may choose to attend
or go to another setting in order to maximize the services you receive.
7. You have the right to meet with all members of your team upon your request. If you
have any concerns or do not agree with the goals that you are working on, you have the
right to request a meeting to change these. At the same time, if the team feels that the
goals that you are working on are not in your best interest or do not meet your current
needs, the team will call a meeting and request your presence.
8. You have the right to request a different staff member. Sometimes, people don’t get
along with each other due to personality differences. If this is the case, a meeting with
you, your legal guardian if you have one and that staff person’s supervisor to discuss
why the change is being requested. If a solution cannot be found during this meeting,
the supervisor will do their best to find a staff member that best suits your needs and
your personality. This may not be an immediate change but all attempts will be made to
have this change made as quickly as possible.
9. You have the right to attend Pursuit of Independence activities in the community. You
are a recipient of services through Pursuit of Independence and this also entitles you to
attend activities.
10. You have the right not to be discriminated against in any way for any reason. This
includes your sex, sexual orientation, race, age, religious background or beliefs,
disability or national origin.
11. You and/or your legal guardian have the right to review your personal file after
submitting a written request. Pursuit of Independence staff will be required to provide
you this information within 24 business hours.
If you feel that these rights have been violated or infringed on, you have the right and the
responsibility to report this to your staff first. If you feel at that time, the problem has not
been resolved, you have the right and the responsibility to report this to the staff member’s
supervisor as quickly as possible.
The responsibilities that all members have are:
1. You have the responsibility to meet with your team when a meeting is requested. You
have the responsibility to let your team know what you want and need to have for your
goals.
2. You have the responsibility to participate in the assessment process so that Pursuit of
Independence is able to advocate to your team regarding your service needs and wants.
3. You have the responsibility to participate in services in order to meet your goals.
4. You have the responsibility to let staff know at least 24-hours in advance, when
possible, if you are not going to be able to meet with staff. If 24-hours advance notice is
not a possibility, you have the responsibility to notify staff as quickly as possible.
5. Pursuit of Independence staff will be coming to visit you in your home and we
understand that all people have the right to have pets. If you have large or dangerous
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Member Rights and Responsibilities
pets (such as snakes) it is your responsibility to make sure that these pets are either in
their cages/containers, in a different room, or in a place where they will not be able to
harm, injure or scare Pursuit of Independence staff. If you have a pet that is either very
large or potentially dangerous and you would like to share this pet or show this pet to
your staff, please let staff know in advance and make sure that staff is OK with this pet.
Some people are scared of animals, as small as birds and it is only respectful to make
sure they are not scared of your pet.
6. It is your responsibility to let staff know if you require or are requesting a private
conversation so that staff is able to make arrangements to meet your needs.
All Pursuit of Independence members have the right and the responsibility to appeal any
decision that they do not agree with. If you receive a notice of decision that you do not like or
agree with, Pursuit of Independence has a procedure in place to protect your rights and to
make the appeal process as fair as possible to all consumers. You will always be given a copy of
the appeal procedure on the back of all notices of decision. The following is the procedure:
You must first notify the Pursuit of Independence Executive Director, Betty Marxen at 641-3332221 and let her know who you are, what decision you are appealing and if needed, who you
are appealing for. You have 10 days from the date of the notice of decision to notify the
Executive Director of your request for an appeal.
If you do not feel that your questions or concerns have been addressed or resolved, you may
request an appeal hearing in writing to the Pursuit of Independence Board of Directors. In this
letter, you must include the original date of the decision, what the original decision was, whom
you are appealing for, the decision reached upon the first appeal with the administrator and
why you are continuing to appeal the decision. Please send this letter to:
Pursuit of Independence Board of Directors Chairperson, Randy Simmons
514 Court St.
Bedford, IA 50833
You will be notified within five business days of the date of your appeal hearing. After the
hearing, the Board of Directors will have up to 10 business days to notify you of their decision.
Pursuit of Independence understands that everyone is different and no one person’s disabilities
are the same as other consumers. Pursuit of Independence will make every effort possible to
accommodate your disability so that you may benefit as much as possible from services.
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Pursuit of Independence
Member Rights and Responsibilities
Services selected:
Habilitation: Supported Employment
Waiver Services:
CDAC
Half/Full Day Habilitation
Home-Based Hab.
Supported Employment
Supported Community Living Daily/Hourly
These rights and responsibilities will be reviewed once upon admission to Pursuit of
Independence services and then reviewed annually for every year you participate in services. By
signing below, you are stating that you understand these rights and responsibilities and that a
copy has been provided to you for your records.
Participant
Date
Pursuit of Independence Staff
Date
Parent or Legal Guardian
Date
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