Confidentiality and Informed Consent

Any files, notes or records kept on individual students are accessible only to the authorized professional staff of Counseling Services and are kept in locked cabinets at all times. (These records are the property of counseling services and are maintained for seven years from date of last contact with students.)

When it is the judgment of the therapist that the student is voicing or poses a life threat to her/himself or others, it becomes the ethical responsibility of the therapist to report that to the appropriate persons. This is the only circumstance in which student’s confidentiality will not be honored.

The basic position of Counseling Services is that no information, even the fact of attendance, is routinely given to anyone (e.g. college officials, faculty, family members or friends of the student). Certain limited, pertinent information may be given to those with a verified, legitimate interest, provided the informed consent of the student is obtained. Even when this consent has been given, in our judgment we may deem it in the student’s best interest to withhold such information.

The interest of the individual student is of paramount importance and normally this is best served by the thorough and consistent protection of confidence and privacy.

Student employees (e.g. work-study) do not have access to any student records, nor do they make appointments.

When any outside source (e.g. graduate schools, prospective employers, faculty members, family, a member of the legal system) requests information about a student- even when accompanied by a formal, signed release from the student- these requests will not be honored unless the following conditions are met:

A direct contact is made with the student and an understanding is reached regarding the exact nature of the information released. On those exceptionally rare occasions when contact is impossible, information may be given only if it is obviously in the student’s best interest to do so.

Those requesting information must make specific what information is requested and for what purpose the information is being requested.