Confidentiality
The general right of an individual to control the disclosure of personal information and to be protected against external intrusions
What is Privacy
Due to legal obligation, reluctance to rely on memory, better communication to other professional, availability of important data, the documentation of services provided, and most importantly to benefit the client
What is the importance of keeping notes.
What do boundaries help prevent.
What is preventing harm to the patient
The client, supervisee and supervisor
A person who has committed child abuse
-Parents of the child
-Spouse or former spouse of the child’s parents
-A paramour (lover) or former paramour of the child’s parent
-a person 14 years of age or older and responsible for the child’s welfare or lives in the home
-individual 18 years of age or older who does not reside in the same home as the child but is related within the third degree
What is a perpetrator.
The statutory mechanism by which certain designated professionals are exempt from disclosing patient information in a courtroom ( in PA a psychologist is considered to be one of these professionals)
What is Privileged Communication
The importance of including an ICD code/ diagnosis in your notes.
What is insurance companies require this for reimbursement.
Putting the needs of oneself before the needs of the patient.
What is a boundary violation.
Who should document your supervision?
What is the supervisor and the supervisee. The date of the supervision and what was discussed should be included.
When someone fails to act which means that they knew abuse was occurring, but did not take steps to intervene or prevent it
What is a perpetrator.
The treating professional is prohibited from disclosing information about a client to a third party without the client’s consent, considered an ethical principal.
What is Confidentiality
The general guideline that your notes should include diagnosis, treatment plan and goals to achieving treatment plan, essentially the information someone would need to know what you are doing and why.
What is substance of services
Consider the outcomes, look up ethical decision making models, try to identify who it is benefiting (the patient or the therapist)
What is making a decision about crossing a boundary.
The information clients should have regarding your supervision.
What is, knowing you are being supervised, knowing the supervisors identity and how to contact the supervisor. An informed consent should be signed stating the client knows this information.
The closeness of relationships between two people.
First degree= parent and child
Second degree=grandparents, aunts/uncles, nephews/nieces, cousins.
Third degree= great (grandparents, aunts/uncles, nephews/nieces) children of first cousins
What is consanguinity or affinity
- Duty to warn (Law)
- Mandated reporting of child abuse (Law)
- Danger to self or to others
- Elder abuse (in certain settings)
- Court orders
- Client consent through release of information
What are limits to confidentiality
Who do the notes belong to and who has property interest?
What is the notes belong to the therapist but the patient has property interest and can have access to their record (unless you can prove it would be an extreme risk to their health or well being to see the notes)
An aspect of ethical decision making regarding the influence you (the therapist) has in relation to the client.
What is power.
The cases a supervisor is responsible for
What is, every case you have on your workload, regardless if it is brought up in supervision. A supervisor is legally and ethically responsible for every case their supervisee has, they have a duty to the clients and the service being provided.
Reports of suspected serious mental injury, serious physical neglect, or sexual abuse.
What is have not time limit (must be reported as long as the child in question is less than 18 years of age)
A lawyer calls and asks you to send over all your patients progress notes, you do not have a consent for them nor has your patient brought up legal problem, how do you proceed?
What is decline providing notes and discuss matter with your patient, if a subpoena from a judge is not provided you are not required to provide confidential information.
A patient asks you to not write down anything regarding your sessions because they fear the notes will be subpoenaed in their upcoming divorce hearing, what do you tell them?
What is reviewing confidentiality and informing the legal and ethical reasons note taking is required.
A client gives you a Rolex watch (costs: $2,000) for your birthday, what do you do.
What is have a conversation with the client abut why you can not accept gift as it crosses a boundary, small gifts are ok however a watch at that price is too much.
At your site your supervisor does not observe you in person (either via audio, video or in person) during the entire length of your practicum.
What is not ok within supervision, you should be observed at least once per semester by your supervisor to assess how you are doing and where you need improvement. If not you need to contact widener as it is an APA requirement.
A female client age 16, admits reports during a session her step father touched her inappropriately when she was 13 years old. She no longer lives with him and has not been touched since.
What is required reporting as the child is under 18, and sexual abuse occurred, even though is was not recent (within the past two years), there is no time limit on sexual abuse when the child is still under the age of 18.