Privacy & Confidentiality
We act with your best interest at heart
The CALM Center adopted this version of its Ethics Code during the April 8, 2019 session.
The current Code became effective on May 1, 2019.
1.01 Maintaining Confidentiality
Mental health counselors have a primary obligation and take reasonable precautions to protect confidential information obtained through or stored in any medium, recognizing that the extent and limits of confidentiality may be regulated by law or established by institutional rules or professional or scientific relationship.
1.02 Discussing the Limits of Confidentiality
(a) Mental health counselors discuss with persons (including, to the extent feasible, persons who are legally incapable of giving informed consent and their legal representatives) and organizations with whom they establish a scientific or professional relationship (1) the relevant limits of confidentiality and (2) the foreseeable uses of the information generated through their counseling activities.
(b) Unless it is not feasible or is contraindicated, the discussion of confidentiality occurs at the outset of the relationship and thereafter as new circumstances may warrant.
(c) Mental health counselors who offer services, products, or information via electronic transmission inform clients/patients of the risks to privacy and limits of confidentiality.
1.03 Recording
Before recording the voices or images of individuals to whom they provide services, mental health counselors obtain permission from all such persons or their legal representatives.
1.04 Minimizing Intrusions on Privacy
(a) Mental health counselors include in written and oral reports and consultations, only information germane to the purpose for which the communication is made.
(b) Mental health counselors discuss confidential information obtained in their work only for appropriate scientific or professional purposes and only with persons clearly concerned with such matters.
1.05 Disclosures
(a) Mental health counselors may disclose confidential information with the appropriate consent of the organizational client, the individual client/patient, or another legally authorized person on behalf of the client/patient unless prohibited by law.
(b) Mental health counselors disclose confidential information without the consent of the individual only as mandated by law, or where permitted by law for a valid purpose such as to (1) provide needed professional services; (2) obtain appropriate professional consultations; (3) protect the client/patient, mental health counselor, or others from harm; or (4) obtain payment for services from a client/patient, in which instance disclosure is limited to the minimum that is necessary to achieve the purpose.
1.06 Consultations
When consulting with colleagues, (1) mental health counselors do not disclose confidential information that reasonably could lead to the identification of a client/patient, research participant, or other person or organization with whom they have a confidential relationship unless they have obtained the prior consent of the person or organization or the disclosure cannot be avoided, and (2) they disclose information only to the extent necessary to achieve the purposes of the consultation.
1.07 Use of Confidential Information for Didactic or Other Purposes
Mental health counselors do not disclose in their writings, lectures, or other public media, confidential, personally identifiable information concerning their clients/patients, students, research participants, organizational clients, or other recipients of their services that they obtained during the course of their work, unless (1) they take reasonable steps to disguise the person or organization, (2) the person or organization has consented in writing, or (3) there is legal authorization for doing so.