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About the Center
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 Confidentiality
The law protects the privacy of all
communications between a patient and psychologist.
In most situations, your counselor at Central DuPage Pastoral
Counseling Center (CDPCC) can only release information about your
treatment to others if you sign a written Authorization form that meets
certain legal requirements imposed by HIPAA and /or
Illinois
law.
However, in the following situations, no
authorization is required:
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Your counselor may occasionally
find it helpful to consult other health and mental health
professionals about a case. During
consultation, he or she will make every effort to avoid revealing
your identity. The
other professionals are also legally bound to keep the information
confidential. If you
don’t object, your therapist will not tell you about these
consultations unless he or she feels that it is important to your
work together. Your
counselor will note all consultations in your Clinical Record
(office contacts with insurance companies will be in PHI.
Therapist contacts will be in psychotherapy notes).
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You should be aware that we
practice with other mental health professionals and that we employ
administrative staff. In
most cases, we need to share protected information with these
individuals for both clinical and administrative purposes, such as
scheduling, billing and quality assurance.
All of the mental health professionals are bound by the same
rules of confidentiality. All
staff members have been given training about protecting your privacy
and have agreed not to release any information outside of the
practice without the permission of a professional staff member.
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We also have contracts with
insurance companies, psychiatric consultants, professional schools
(practicum students), legal services, accounting firms, electronic
billing organizations, computer consultants and collection agencies.
As required by HIPAA, we have a formal business associate
contract with this/these business(es), in which it/they promise to
maintain the confidentiality of this data except as specifically
allowed in the contract or otherwise required by law.
If you wish, your counselor can provide you with the names of
these organizations and/or blank copy of this contract.
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Disclosures required for health
insurers or for overdue fees are discussed elsewhere in this
Agreement.
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If you are involved in a court
proceeding and a request is made for information concerning your
diagnosis and treatment, such information is protected by the
psychologist-patient privilege law.
Your counselor cannot disclose any information without a
court order. If you are
involved in or contemplating litigation, you should consult with
your attorney to determine whether a judge would likely to order
your counselor to disclose information.
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If a government agency is
requesting the information for health oversight activities, we may
be required to provide it for them.
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If a client files a complaint or
lawsuit against a therapist at CDPCC, the therapist may disclose
relevant information regarding that client in order to defend his or
her self.
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If you file a worker’s
compensation claim, your counselor in rendering treatment or
services in accordance with the provisions of Illinois Workers’
Compensation law, may upon appropriate request, be required to
provide a copy of your record to your employer or his/her
appropriate designee.
There are some situations in which a counselor is legally
obligated to take action, which he/she believes is necessary to attempt
to protect others from harm and he/she may have to reveal some
information about a client’s treatment.
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If a counselor has reasonable
cause to believe that a child under 18 known to that counselor in
his or her professional capacity may be an abused child or a
neglected child, the law requires that the counselor file a report
with the local office of Department of Children and Family Services.
Once such a report is filed, the counselor may be required to
provide additional information.
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If a counselor has reason to
believe that an adult over the age of 60 living in a domestic
situation has been abused or neglected in the preceding 12 months,
the law requires that the counselor file a report with the agency
designated to receive such reports by the Department of Aging.
Once such a report is filed, the counselor may be required to
provide additional information.
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If you have made a specific
threat or violence toward another or if your counselor believes that
you present a clear, imminent risk of serious physical harm to
another, your counselor may be required to disclose information in
order to take protective actions.
These actions may include notifying the potential victim,
contacting the police, or seeking hospitalization for you.
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If your counselor believes that
you present a clear, imminent risk of serious physical or mental
injury or death to yourself, your counselor may be required to
disclose information in order to take protective actions.
These actions may include seeking your hospitalization or
contacting family members or others who can assist in protecting
you.
If such a situation arises, your counselor will
make every effort to fully discuss it with you before taking any action
and he/she will limit their disclosure to what is necessary.
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 now or in the future. The
laws governing confidentiality can be quite complex, and we are not attorneys.
In situations where specific advice is required, formal legal
advice may be needed.
507A Thornhill
Drive ~ Carol Stream, Illinois 60188 ~ (630) 752-9750
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