CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality is a cornerstone of mental health treatment and is protected by the law. Aside from emergency situations, information can only be released about your care with your written permission. If insurance reimbursement is pursued, insurance companies also often require information about diagnosis, treatment, and other important information (as described above) as a condition of your insurance coverage. Several exceptions to confidentiality do exist that actually require disclosure by law: (1) danger to self – if there is threat to harm yourself, we are required to seek hospitalization for the client, or to contact family members or others who can help provide protection; (2) danger to others – if there is threat of serious bodily harm to others, we are required to take protective actions, which may include notifying the potential victim, notifying the police, or seeking appropriate hospitalization; (3) grave disability – if due to mental illness, you are unable to meet your basic needs, such as clothing, food, and shelter, we may have to disclose information in order to access services to provide for your basic needs; (4) suspicion of child, elder, or dependent abuse – if there is an indication of abuse to a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person, even if it is about a party other than yourself, we must file a report with the appropriate state right to agency; (5) certain judicial proceedings – if you are involved in judicial proceedings, you have the right to prevent us from providing any information about your treatment. However, in some circumstances in which your emotional condition is an important element, a judge may require testimony through a court order. Although these situations can be rare, we will make every effort to discuss the proceedingswith you accordingly. We also reserve the right to consult with other professionals when appropriate. In these circumstances, your identity will not be revealed and only important clinical information will be discussed. Please note that such consultants are also legally bound to keep this information confidential.