How to Maintain Confidentiality in Counseling
Provide informed consent., Explain protection procedures., Give the patient a form to sign., Get parental permission for minors., Describe research.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Provide informed consent.
To give informed consent, the counselor must explain the benefits and risks of counseling as well as its alternatives.
The counselor must request permission to record counseling sessions in writing or via video and audio.
Counselors have a wide range of issues they should raise during a discussion of informed consent.
These include the purposes, goals, techniques, and limitations of counseling.
The counselors should discuss their qualifications, their credentials, their relevant experience, their approach to counseling and provisions for continuation of service should the counselor become unavailable to continue treatment.
You should also explain fees, billing, and procedures in case of nonpayment.
If any supervisors or peers will review records, this should be noted in the informed consent procedure. -
Step 2: Explain protection procedures.
To obtain informed consent you need to explain how you will protect confidentiality.
This includes detailing how records will be stored.
It also includes explaining cases in which the client’s comments are not confidential.This applies to electronic communications as well, including after hour phone calls, text messages, email, and skype sessions.
You should discuss how confidentiality shall be maintained in such circumstances, and what risks to client confidentiality emerge when you are contacted after hours., You should provide a written form for the patient to sign, authorizing informed consent.
This should remain in your patient’s file.
The language of the form is subject to change, but it should be inviting and easy to read.
It should also cover most of the aforementioned points.
It is advisable that you keep a copy of the form in the lobby so that patients can read it before speaking to you., When counseling those under 18, informed consent must come from a parent.
You should have two separate forms, one informed consent form that the minor signs and another consent for treatment of minors form that the parent signs., If the sessions will be the basis for published research, this should be disclosed to the patient.
Whether or not they will be anonymous and how their anonymity will be protected must be discussed. -
Step 3: Give the patient a form to sign.
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Step 4: Get parental permission for minors.
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Step 5: Describe research.
Detailed Guide
To give informed consent, the counselor must explain the benefits and risks of counseling as well as its alternatives.
The counselor must request permission to record counseling sessions in writing or via video and audio.
Counselors have a wide range of issues they should raise during a discussion of informed consent.
These include the purposes, goals, techniques, and limitations of counseling.
The counselors should discuss their qualifications, their credentials, their relevant experience, their approach to counseling and provisions for continuation of service should the counselor become unavailable to continue treatment.
You should also explain fees, billing, and procedures in case of nonpayment.
If any supervisors or peers will review records, this should be noted in the informed consent procedure.
To obtain informed consent you need to explain how you will protect confidentiality.
This includes detailing how records will be stored.
It also includes explaining cases in which the client’s comments are not confidential.This applies to electronic communications as well, including after hour phone calls, text messages, email, and skype sessions.
You should discuss how confidentiality shall be maintained in such circumstances, and what risks to client confidentiality emerge when you are contacted after hours., You should provide a written form for the patient to sign, authorizing informed consent.
This should remain in your patient’s file.
The language of the form is subject to change, but it should be inviting and easy to read.
It should also cover most of the aforementioned points.
It is advisable that you keep a copy of the form in the lobby so that patients can read it before speaking to you., When counseling those under 18, informed consent must come from a parent.
You should have two separate forms, one informed consent form that the minor signs and another consent for treatment of minors form that the parent signs., If the sessions will be the basis for published research, this should be disclosed to the patient.
Whether or not they will be anonymous and how their anonymity will be protected must be discussed.
About the Author
Grace Simmons
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in hobbies and beyond.
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