Confidentiality at CMHS
Counseling is most effective when you feel comfortable speaking openly with your counselor. We care about protecting your privacy, and we abide by current codes of professional ethics as well as by state and federal laws protecting your private health information. No information about your contact with CMHS is available to anyone outside of Health Services without your written permission. This includes university personnel, parents, family members, friends, or outside agencies.
Exceptions to Confidentiality
If we deem it necessary to protect you or someone else from physical harm, we are legally obligated to take steps to help prevent the harm from happening. In a situation such as this, your counselor may need to contact your family and/or university officials. Other exceptions include the following:
- If you provide information indicating child or elder abuse
- In the event of a psychiatric hospitalization
- In the event of a court order
Forms
The CMHS Client Rights and Responsibilities and Informed Consent Statement summarizes of your rights based on the Massachusetts law called The Patient's Bill of Rights. It explains confidentiality and briefly describes how to get the most out of your counseling experience as well as what to expect from counseling. When you schedule a new appointment at CMHS, you will receive this form to consent to counseling.
The CMHS Release of Information Form is used when you want to give us permission to speak with another person, office, or agency on your behalf.