Client Confidentiality Policy
Your contact with the Counseling and Wellness Center is confidential except in certain situations which are discussed below. We are not allowed to discuss your counseling, or even that you have sought counseling, with anyone outside this office, unless you give us written permission to do so. Within the office, counselors may consult with other counselors, sharing only information necessary to address the clinical concerns. There are some exceptions to these rules of confidentiality. Under the law, there are conditions that require your counselor to take some action and this may mean breaking confidentiality. If your counselor:
- believes that you intend to either seriously harm or kill yourself
- believes that you intend to either seriously harm someone else or their property
- suspects child abuse/neglect
- suspects dependent adult abuse/neglect on your part
- suspects elder abuse/neglect on your part
In such instances he/she is legally and ethically bound to report this to the appropriate authorities.
- Further, if you are a survivor of child abuse, and your abuser has current access to children, your counselor is legally and ethically bound to make a report if there is a reasonable suspicion of current child abuse.
- We may be required to release records by court order, however we will first contact you to explain your options. In the case of a legal subpoena for your records, we will not release your records without your written consent.
To safeguard confidentiality, counselors do not use e-mail to communicate with clients about clinical issues. With you permission, we may use e-mail to remind you about your scheduled appointment.