CONFIDENTIALITY
In general, laws protect the privacy of all communications between a client and a psychologist, and I cannot release the assessment report to other treating providers without your written permission unless this assessment was court ordered.
There are a few exceptions to confidentiality, and they include the examples listed below. These situations have rarely occurred in my practice. If a similar situation occurs, I will make every effort to fully discuss it with you and your family members before taking any action.
- There are some situations in which I am legally obligated to take action to protect others from harm, even if I have to reveal some information about a client’s treatment. For example, if I learn of suspected or alleged abuse /neglect of a child, elderly person, or disabled person, I must file a report with the appropriate state agency. If a minor witnesses domestic abuse or drug abuse in the home, these are also reportable concerns.
- If I believe that a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another, I am required to take protective action. These actions may include notifying the potential victim, contacting the police, or seeking hospitalization for the client. If the client threatens to harm himself/herself, I may be obligated to seek hospitalization for him/her or to contact family members or others who can help provide protection.
- I may occasionally find it helpful to consult other professionals about a case. During a consultation, I make every effort to avoid revealing the identity of my client. The consultant is also legally bound to keep the information confidential. If you don’t object, I will not tell you about these consultations unless I feel that it is important to our work together.
- If a minor reveals to me that s/he is at risk for self-harm through high-risk behaviors or suicidality, these issues will discussed with parents.
- As noted above, another exception to confidentiality occurs when this is a court ordered psychological evaluation. Court ordered evaluation reports are not provided to the client directly – rather, the report is submitted to the court representative requesting the evaluation. If this is a court ordered psychological evaluation through Children’s Welfare Services (aka, Child Protective Services), this report will be reviewed first for quality review through a clinical staff member contracted by Children’s Welfare Services prior to being released to the protective social services worker assigned to your case. The social services worker will share the findings with the court. Test protocols are protected by the test publisher’s copyright laws.
While this written summary of exceptions to confidentiality should prove helpful in informing you about potential problems, it is important that we discuss any questions or concerns that you may have. CONFIDENTIALITY & PRIVACY POLICY
The law protects the relationship between a client and a psychotherapist, and information cannot be disclosed without written permission.
Exceptions include:
- Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse, for which I am required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
- If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person/s, I must notify the police and inform the intended victim.
- If a client intends to harm himself or herself, I will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in ensuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, I will take further measures without their permission that are provided to me by law in order to ensure their safety.