Other
Exceptions to Confidentiality for Mental Health Providers (in California)
- Course
- Institution
Exceptions to Confidentiality for Mental Health Providers (in California)
[Show more]
Content preview
Exceptions to Confidentiality for Mental Health Providers(in California)
The following is a list of exceptions to confidentiality for health care providers in California. It is
stated in a manner that is “user friendly” for a patient who is beginning treatment and is being
informed by the new treating therapist about confidentiality and its limits. Please note that laws are
subject to revision and that this list may not represent all the current exceptions to confidentiality.
Although psychologists must always honor your privacy by maintaining confidentiality about your
disclosures and securely preserving your records, there are exclusions to this rule. Psychologists can
(or must) break confidentiality, and take other appropriate actions, as warranted, if:
1. You are a danger to yourself and threaten to harm yourself (e.g., suicidal).
2. You threaten to harm another specific person (e.g., assault, kill).
3. A member of your family informs your treating therapist that you seriously intend to harm
another.
4. You are seeking psychological services to enable someone to commit a crime, or to
avoid detection or apprehension yourself.
5. You are being evaluated by a court-appointed psychologist.
6. You are being evaluated to determine your sanity in a criminal proceeding.
7. You are involved in a proceeding where your mental competence is at issue.
8. You disclose something that your treating therapist is required to report (e.g., child
abuse, child sexual assault, and elder abuse). In these cases psychologists are
required to telephone and file a written notification to the relevant public office, such
as Child Protective Services. There is no choice in the matter of reporting.
9. You are under 16 years old and are the victim of a crime.
10. You are under 18 years old and your treating therapist reasonably suspects that you
are a victim of child abuse.
11. You are over 65 and your treating therapist believes that you are the victim of physical
abuse. Also, psychologists may break confidentiality if you are over 65 and the victim of
emotional abuse (but they are not required to do so).
12. You die, and the information you had disclosed is known by your therapist or documented
in your record is important to an issue between parties making claims through you
(litigation).
13. You die, and the information being released by your psychologist is important in
a. Ascertaining your intent, or
b. Deciding an issue, concerning a deed of conveyance, will, or other writing of
yours affecting your interest in property (real estate claims).
14. You file a lawsuit against your psychologist for breach of duty (e.g., incompetence)
or your psychologist files a lawsuit against you.
15. You have filed a lawsuit against anyone and are claiming mental or emotional
damages as a part of the suit.
16. You have waived your rights to privilege or give consent in writing to limited
disclosure by your psychologist.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller AnswersCOM. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
79223 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now
