Ethics, Client Welfare & Safety Help And Healing On The Hill

Clearly, confidentiality is essential to the healing process. However, though it may appear to be a relatively easy concept, its application in the therapeutic atmosphere has proven to be quite complex (Younggren & Harris, p. 589). One issue that causes confusion for many professionals pertains to the differences between confidentiality and legal privilege. Quite often, ethical obligations overlap with the legal requirements. Frequently, the practitioner is not well informed about these particular limits on confidentiality and this lack of knowledge can place both the client and the helping professional at risk (Younggren & Harris, p.590, 598).

The nature of therapist-client relationship and understanding the therapist’s role is vital in making sure that the client’s rights are not jeopardized. The client must be willing to trust the therapist. The therapist can earn the trust of the client will confidentiality guidelines that are established by requiring informed consent. The therapist-client relationship is based on counseling approach as well as relationship with the client. The therapist’s role is to understand the client’s needs, help them get their needs met mentally, and to develop the proper plan that fits the client’s needs. The therapist must fully

First is the privacy rule, which is meant to guard the confidentiality of all protected health information. This is defined as any information that includes the patient’s name or other identifiers, such as a birth date or medical record number. Protected health information can be data that is written, spoken, or in electronic form. The privacy rule came about because many healthcare workers have been far too willing to talk casually about their patients without thinking how this violates their confidentiality, The Final Rule modifies the Privacy Rule to extend direct liability for disclosures of PHI by business associates. However, the rule does not subject

Explanation: According to both HIPAA and ARRA regulations, healthcare organizations compels to allow all reasonable efforts to limit the disclosure of information to the minimum necessary data to accomplish the purpose of the request (McWay, 2010). Based on the information provided, the request for PHI fails to specify the date of validity of the release of PHI. According to the HIPAA privacy rule, a request for the release of PHI is invalid if the request meets the following specifications (1) expiration date not specified that is related to purpose of disclosure, or the date on the request for information has elapse, (2) If the authorization request have been revoked, (3) failure to clearly state the intended purpose of release of information, (4) failure to provide signature and date of authorizing the disclosure of information ( or failure to provide specification of the representative’s authority to act on behalf of the patients), and (5) failure to specify the entity disclosing and the recipient entity (Department of Health & Human Services, 2004). There

According to HIPAA “the disclosure of PHI is prohibited, except when the patient has signed a release of information form that authorizes PHI to be released or disclosed to a specific party (Sheahan)”. With the release of information there are different rules that need to be followed in order to protect the patient’s privacy. With mental health information in a patient’s medical record, it makes the release of information more difficult and there are different rules that need to be followed in order to protect the patient’s privacy.

Providing information to patients or staff who have questions about HIPAA and their privacy protections

In conclusion, as long as information that is provided without the individual’s consent has been de-identified, and can help that particular individual, or help others with research, it is a good thing that information can be provided to those who request the PHI. The HIPPA law makes sure that no personal, private information can be disclosed without the patients consent. And any other information is not provided without first obtaining the individual’s consent.

Video presentation: The video clip was quite interesting I found it to be very educational as to the legal obligations of therapists in the mental health field. There were issues that were brought up that were quite important, such as therapists need to understand confidentiality, privileged information, and a therapists responsibility related to reporting suspected child abuse, elder abuse, and/or suicidal ideations, and possibly the most important of them all is a therapists duty to warn. The first case they were

2. For Health Care Operations: Help and Healing on the Hill may disclose your PHI to facilitate the efficient and correct operation of its practice. Example: Quality control - Help and Healing on the Hill may provide your PHI to its office personnel, accountants, practice consultants, attorneys and others to make sure that Help and Healing on the Hill is in compliance with applicable practices and laws. It is Help and Healing on the Hill’s practice to conceal all client names in such an event and maintain confidentiality. However, there is still a possibility that your PHI may audited for such purposes.

3.) Under HIPAA, covered entities (healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouse) must comply with the privacy rules. A covered entity may develop its own privacy rules that would accommodate its own needs of protected health information (PHI) management but it most comply with the HIPAA guidelines. It is the responsibility of the entity to put in place a privacy official to oversee the policies, procedures and be on hand and available to be contacted in reference to the privacy rule. A patient should be given a privacy notice act at his/her health facility stating how their (PHI) is being used and to whom it will be shared. The covered entity should include in the notice their duty to assure the patients privacy as well as how and whom to contact if there is a complaint or they feel that their rights have been violated. As of 2009 the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) handles complaints that are made on privacy policies, procedure and practices of HIPAA covered entities.

2. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI: You have the right to ask that Help and Healing on the Hill limit how it uses and discloses your PHI. While Help and Healing on the Hill will consider your request, it is not legally bound to agree. If Help and Healing on the Hill does agree to your request, it will put those limits in writing and abide by them except in emergency situations. You do not have the right to limit the uses and disclosures that Help and Healing on the Hill is legally required or permitted to make.

3. The Right to Choose How YOUR NAME Sends Your PHI to You: It is your right to ask that your PHI be sent to you at an alternate address (for example, sending information to your work address rather

The principles that allow covered entities such as government agencies to release protected health information only with the patient’s consent is that PHI will be released in compliance with the regulations governing reporting requirements. There are times where the government can release protected health information, the HIPAA Privacy Rule provides that protected

Therapy relationships with clients. The psychologist to patient relationship during therapy is a crucial aspect. It is within ethical guidelines that the psychologist clearly establish his role whether it be with an individual, group, or family therapist. These roles need to be understood for the variety of issues that may arise; one of which is the disclosure of information. Psychologists, for obvious reasons, are not to have sexual relationships with patients or former patients within a

Confidentiality and privacy are hallmarks of health care in Ontario. A person’s health information belongs to that person and they have a right to consent to the use, collection and disclosure of that information, with limited exceptions. They also have the right to access their personal health information. Most people are very concerned about their privacy, especially when it comes to matters of their health. Moreover, privacy and confidentiality are cornerstones of establishing trust in the therapeutic relationship between the practitioner and the patient/client. This includes keeping any other personal information about a patient/client confidential. A patient/client who can trust that his/her personal health information is being protected is more likely to provide a complete health history, which would enable more effective treatment (CKO, 2013).

As a counsellor I have an obligation to follow professional standards and apply appropriate behaviour defined by mental health associations. The purpose of this is to prevent harm to clients as well as to define my own professional values.