Confidential information may not be released or discussed with anyone, other than Center clinical staff without the written consent of the client, except in accordance with law.    The Authorization for Release of Information (Appendix H) form must be signed and dated by the client for the form to be valid.   All records released by the Counseling Center will be stamped “Confidential…This information may not be re-released.”

 

Requests for information from government agencies and attorneys or by court order or subpoena will be honored only upon advice of the University’s legal counsel and in accordance with the law.  A signed consent must be obtained whenever confidential information is to be released to a person or agency outside the Counseling Center, including to Cumberland University staff and faculty.

 

It is important to note that Residential Life staff and other campus offices have their own guidelines for the reporting of critical information and incidents, and are often accustomed to freer sharing of information in their work environment than is allowable for counselors.  They may need to be reminded from time to time that counselors are ethically and legally bound to much tighter constraints in this regard, and do not have the prerogative to share some types of information which other campus staff might ordinarily expect to exchange.