Confidential Client Relationships free essay sample

Confidential Client Relationships Greenville Technical College Client confidentiality in the field of human services is a matter of ethics, legal obligations, and a right to privacy; therefore, a human service professional must provide a helping relationship that is conducive to providing client confidentiality. In respect to the matter of confidentiality, a human service professional must understand, acknowledge, and adhere to the privacy of his or her clients; consequently, understanding when there is an ethical or legal responsibility to breaking the rules of confidentiality. The human service field is constantly in contact ith sensitive and private information; it is the responsibility of the human service professional to use the confidential information they gather to empower the client and to maintain confidentiality during the process. Confidentiality is imperative in regards to maintaining a client relationship and building rapport; therefore is it vital to adhere to and understand the concept of confidentiality in regards to the human service field while adhering to the agency standards and abiding by the congress mandated HIPAA standards, which protect confidentiality for client records in print nd electronic format. Confidentially is defined by Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary as, containing information whose unauthorized disclosure should be prejudicial (Mish, 2012, p. 61). Clients often involve his or her family systems in the helping relationship. While information from the family system is helpful in a productive helping relationship, boundaries are to be established at the initial meeting. A signed informed consent to disclose information should be included in the clients permanent record. If the client has the mental capacity to make his or her own ecisions, he or she can also choose which family members can access confidential information. The client has the right to revise this consent as situations change. Without approval to release information, the human service professional is liable for ethical and legal consequences. The agency, which provides services, is also bound to client confidentially. Confidential information as it pertains to the human service helping relationship with the client and the agency is immense. A general statement of what should be considered confidential should include all information included in a clients record. Documentation is a process that is involved in all phases of the helping relationship. The documentation becomes a part ot the client record. Woodside and McClam (2013) define the client record as, any information relating to a clients case, including history, observations, examinations, diagnoses, consultations, and financial and social information (p. 25). The agency providing services should have a standard procedure that covers the issue of confidentiality and the employee is obligated to understand and maintain the agency standards as long as the agency is not in direct violation of the clients personal privacy rights or thical guidelines. A helping relationship begins with confidentiality, and therefore the helper must be fully aware of how to maintain confidentiality while providing an empowering relationship. The human service professional should be competent in knowledge of standard operating procedures that the agency maintains before any services begin. A human service professional is obligated to assurances of confidentiality starting from the first initial contact with a client. In addition, negotiation is an ongoing process with the client in regards to confidentiality. The client has the right to advise he case manager of what information is communicated or disclosed to family, friends, and other human service professionals. Without obtaining a signed informed consent from the client, the case manager should refrain from violating the clients right to keeping his or her record confidential (Woodside and McClam, 2013, pp. 118-119. ) Woodside and McClam (2013) list five standards for confidentiality [which] must be stated: 1. The case manager keeps client information confidential except when the client intends to harm self or others. . When the client needs to share nformation with colleagues, the case manager will inform the client of three factors: (1) who will be told; (2) the reason for the disclosure; and (3) what information will be disclosed. 3. If the client consents, some information will be disclosed to family and friends. 4. The case manager must ask for the clients permission to release information. (p. 117) There are instances when huma n service professional is obligated to break confidentiality without the consent of the client. The legal term that ensures the right of professionals not to reveal information about their clients is rivileged communication licensed therapists have been given privileged communication with their clients but human service professionals have not [been given this right] (Neukrug, 2013, p. 86). Therefore, the client should be notified in the beginning of the relationship that if subpoenaed, a human service professional is required by a court of law to give testimony. In the circumstance, that a violation of confidentiality does occur, the helping relationship will suffer, As clients become cognizant that their private medical information can be assessed without their nowledge or permission, the trust implicit in the helping relationship could erode (Kuczynski and Gibbs-Wahlberg, 2005, p. 286). In addition to the guidelines listed above, human service professionals are obligated to confidentiality by The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. In April 2003, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 went into effect. The primary goal of HIPAA was to allow clients ease of access to his or her own medical records in addition to providing mandated guidelines that require patient confidentiality (Woodside and McClam 2013, p. 18). HIPAA has affected the human service professional and client relationship in favorable ways. According to Joan Szabo, the provider [ot services is] required to provide written notice ot their privacy practices and patients [or clients] rights in regards to confidential healthcare and services (2002, p. 52). Overall, HIPAA does create a safer, smarter healthcare environment for everyone (Banks, 2006 p. 50). In addition to securing private information, the federal government modified Medicare and Medicaid by computerizing billing information, which leads to agencies saving money versus the omplicated manual paper claims filing system, which was formerly in place (Kuczynski and Gibbs-Wahlberg, 2005, p. 283). HIPAA also considers the changing society that depends on electronic and digital communication. In the past, the human service professional relied on written documentation and physical storage of files; however, because of the emergence of social media sites and the use of e-mail for communication a new threat to confidentiality has evolved. The HIPAA guidelines applies to all patient records that are kept in electronic form (Szabo, 2002, p. 52). Human service professionals are affected by the HIPAA guidelines because the agencies and staff are responsible for setting rules and guidelines concerning how communication will be conducted. Using the internet can leave an agency vulnerable to cyber theft of private client records. However, these digital offenses can be remedied if agencies and employees use access-control servers, firewalls, intrusion detection, network scanning, encryption, and virtual private networks (Kuczynski and Gibbs-Wahlberg, 2005, p. 284). In conclusion, confidentiality is multi-faceted and an important part of the human ervice field. Without knowing the how to protect a clients confidentiality, a human service professional can be in violation of federal and local laws in addition to violating ethical guidelines. The entire process of case management includes issues with maintaining confidentiality and disclosures must be approved by the client and used sparingly.