Counseling Services values the privacy of its clients and the confidentiality of the personal and health information entrusted to us. In order to protect this privacy, we have policies and procedures to limit disclosures of personal information to those minimally necessary for the medical care of the client, those for which the client has given permission, and/or those required by law or public safety.
Policies and Procedures of Confidentiality:
- Maintaining privacy - Counseling Services is required by law to maintain the privacy of protected counseling information and to provide and abide by this notice of its legal duties and privacy practices.
- Treatment - Counseling information may need to be shared with Counseling Services counselors, psychologists, and staff psychiatrists as well as physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals in the Wellness Center in order to provide effective and efficient care.
- Public health and safety - Personal counseling and health information may be disclosed to the proper authorities to report intent to harm self or others, deaths, certain infectious diseases, occupational injuries and diseases, child or incapacitated adult abuse/neglect, problems with medications and other products as required by law to prevent/control disease, injury or disability to the client or to others.
- Legal requirements - Counseling information may be disclosed as required by court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful processes.
- Other uses - Uses and disclosures of health and personal information other than described above will be made only with the client's (your) written authorization. Such authorization when given may be revoked in writing by the client (you) at any time.
The client also has certain rights. These include:
- The right to inspect and obtain copies of counseling records - Any such requests must be made in writing by the client utilizing the Counseling Services authorization for release of information form or in the case of information to be released to another health care provider the form provided by that provider. Counseling Services may deny, in writing, the release or viewing of personal counseling information if the Administration of the Counseling Services department determines that the release of the information may be harmful to the client or another person. When such a request is denied, the client may request, in writing, a review of the denial.
- The right to request limits on the amount or types of counseling information released - Such requests must be made in writing. Counseling Services may not agree with this request when it is felt to be in the client's best interest to release the information and/or when such a release is mandated by the procedures and policies outlined above.
*f you have any questions or concerns about the information above, feel free to talk to the Wellness Center staff or refer to the ACA/APA ethical/legal guidelines.
