The security of your sensitive information is of the utmost importance to us, and we are bound by law to protect your confidentiality. Any disclosure of your treatment to others will require your explicit written consent. As described above, basic information about your treatment may be disclosed to your insurance company for purposes of prior authorization, if necessary.
There are exceptions to this confidentiality, where disclosure is mandatory. These include the following:
If there is a threat to the safety of others, we will be required by law to take protective measures including reporting the threat to the potential victim, notifying police, and seeking hospitalization.
When there is a threat of harming yourself, we are required to seek immediate hospitalization and will seek the aid of family members or friends to ensure your safety.
In legal hearings, you do have the right to refuse our involvement in the hearing. There are rare circumstances, however, in which we will be required by a judge to testify on your emotional or cognitive condition.
In situations where a dementing illness, epilepsy or other cognitive dysfunction prevents you from operating a motor vehicle in a safe manner, we will be required to report this to the DMV. If a mental illness prevents you from providing for your own basic needs such as food, water, shelter, we will be required to disclose information to seek hospitalization.
These situations rarely occur in an outpatient setting. If they do arise, we will do our best to discuss the situation with you before acting. In rare circumstances providers may find it helpful to consult with other professionals specializing in such situations (without disclosing your identity with them Our HIPAA policies are available for you to review.