Human service agencies obtain a great deal of personal information from their clients. Often, it is essential for these agencies to share this information with others in order to best serve the client. This week, you will learn about confidentiality for the client and their family.
Please read the following chapter in your text:
Chapter 6: Confidentiality: Ethical and Legal Issues
Library Readings
Brown, K. E. (2013). Human services: Sustained and coordinated efforts could facilitate data sharing while protecting privacy. GAO Reports, 1.
Gostin, L. O., Halabi, S. F., & Wilson, K. (2018). Health Data and Privacy in the Digital Era. JAMA, 320(3), 233234. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.8374
Lvseth, L. T. (2017). The hidden stressor of child welfare workers: client confidentiality as a barrier for coping with emotional work demands. Child & Family Social Work, 22(2), 923931. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12312
Mohammadi, M., Larijani, B., Emami Razavi, S. H., Fotouhi, A., Ghaderi, A., Madani, S. J., & Shafiee, M. N. (2018). Do patients know that physicians should be confidential? A study on patients awareness of privacy and confidentiality. Journal of Medical Ethics & History of Medicine, 11(1).
Moss, L. S. (2017). Collaboration, confidentiality, and care. Psychological Services, 14(4), 443450. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000155
Rigg, T. (2018). The ethical considerations of storing client information online. Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 49(5/6), 332335. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000217
Solomon, P., Molinaro, M., Mannion, E., & Cantwell, K. (2012). Confidentiality Policies and Practices in Regard to Family Involvement: Does Training Make a Difference? American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 15(1), 97115. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487768.2012.655648
QUICK LINK
National Organization for Human Services. (2015). Ethical standards for human services professionals. https://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals
Please review Standards 3, 4, 42, and 44.
To further your study of clients important rights of privacy and confidentiality, you will do some research on your own. This will assist you in learning the history of these rights and examining their implications for ethical practice. Then, you will create a plan for how you will ensure you respect these rights in your future practice. Use the readings, and the internet to research the development of clients rights of privacy and confidentiality.
Please respond to the following:
1. Discuss the history and the basis of clients rights to privacy and the development of the right of confidentiality.
2. Why are these rights necessary and important for clients receiving services?
3. How do these rights impact service delivery by human service professionals?
4. Develop a plan to protect your future clients rights to privacy and confidentiality. Discuss ways you intend to implement these ideas in your practice.
