Policies & Procedures

Confidentiality

Confidentiality

Transition Projects touches the lives of many people. It is our legal and ethical responsibility to require all staff, both paid and volunteer, to hold in confidence all personal information which they receive while working at Transition Projects.

Our clients and residents may experience mental health or alcohol/drug issues that are covered under federal regulations of confidentiality (42 CFR Part 2) and/or under the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996). Transition Projects has made a commitment to respect all personal and private information whether or not the information falls under one of these standards.

To facilitate confidentiality, Transition Projects requires adherence to the following policies:

• All files, charts, notes and other written materials concerning clients or former clients will be secured at all times.
• No information about clients or former clients will be shared with families, friends, agencies or professionals outside of Transition Projects.
• Information regarding a client will not be released unless:
  1. the client has provided written consent, or
  2. the disclosure is part of a court order, or
  3. there is immediate danger or medical emergency, in which case employees may disclose essential information to authorities responding to the situation.
• Releases of information must be specific and name the information that has been approved to share. We do not release information about clients to anyone not authorized by the client on a signed release of information. All current ROIs are located in the client’s file. ROIs with a signed date that exceeds one year are considered expired and therefore no longer valid.
• Discussions concerning clients or former clients may not be conducted in public areas.
• Access to client files must be approved by the Case Manager or program supervisors.
• Information about agency business and its employees is also of a confidential nature and must not be discussed with unauthorized persons.
• The personal information of employees, interns and volunteers of Transition Projects will receive the same respect and be subject to the same code of ethics and rules as that of clients.
• Employees may not remove documents or printouts of electronic data or forward electronic data from Agency premises unless doing so is specifically authorized by a supervisor or manager.
• Client paperwork that is no longer needed, including anything with a client’s name on it, should be shredded or placed in a shred bin. Confidential paperwork should never be recycled, turned into scrap paper or taken out of the building.
• There are many times when client issues need to be shared between co-workers. Information should only be shared if applicable to the work being done. Staff should never talk about client information just for the sake of sharing or talking. Information should be objective and professional.
• Confidential information should not be shared in common areas of buildings. Information shared at the RA or CSC desk should be kept at a minimum and with discretion.
• Mental health information is to be shared from staff to staff on the need to know basis.
• We do not confirm or deny that a client is a resident or is receiving services from Transition Projects unless it is known that a caller has been included on a ROI signed by the client.
• Callers asking to speak to residents will be informed they have reached a message phone only. Tell the caller we can take and post a message.
• If someone wants to leave a message for a client or a resident, we do so stating that we are a public message center, not a homeless shelter.
• No surveys of residents will be conducted without the prior approval of the supervisor.

Information concerning the care of a client is always personal in nature and, therefore, any information about her/his condition, care, treatment or personal data is absolutely confidential and must not be discussed with anyone other than those directly responsible for her/his care and treatment. Only designated employees of the agency may release information about clients including acknowledging whether a client receives services/lives at Transition Projects. Unauthorized release of information about clients, due to carelessness or thoughtlessness, is unethical. We urge you to be discreet in your conversations.

A violation of confidential information is a violation of agency ethics. Staff may be dismissed immediately for breaching confidentiality and actions deemed unethical.

At in-processing, each employee receives an overview of Transition Projects rules on confidentiality, and is required to sign a Confidential Information Agreement.

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