CAPS staff regards your inquiries and discussions as private and confidential. No information of any kind is given to anyone unless you specifically request it in writing. You can learn more about the limits of confidentiality by reading CAPS confidentiality statement.
Counseling and Psychological Services Statement of Confidentiality
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is dedicated to providing high quality counseling, therapy, and testing services. By maintaining a strict policy of confidentiality, your privacy is respected and better care is promoted. An important way of insuring confidentiality is to provide you with detailed information on CAPS policy on confidentiality and South Carolina law regarding privileged communication between you and a mental health professional.
Therapy and testing records are protected by state and federal confidentiality regulations as well as the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association. Exceptions to confidentiality can occur only under certain circumstances. These exceptions include serious immediate threat to your life or welfare or to the life or welfare of another person, including child abuse or imminent danger to the community at large. No one outside the CAPS staff may have access to your records and no one outside CAPS may be given information without your written consent. However, when necessary, CAPS and Redfern Health Center colleagues may exchange relevant information to coordinate care. Access by Redfern staff is limited to those who have legitimate need to know.
Under Section 19-11-95 of the South Carolina Code, counseling records are available for your review with your therapist. This law outlines a protected relationship between licensed mental health professionals and clients. This privileged relationship means that clinicians may not reveal or be compelled by law to reveal any communication, observation, test result or other information gained as a result of the treatment relationship. Information conveyed to CAPS by someone other than clients is not considered confidential and may be shared. Privileged communication between client and therapist may be waived by a judge in child custody or adoption cases, in law suits where mental condition is an important consideration, and in criminal law suits.
In attempts to provide our clients with high level care, there may be times when CAPS staff will need to contact you or respond to you via voice mail, facsimile machine, cellular phone and/or answering machine, unless you instruct us otherwise. It is important for you to realize there is the potential that these messages could be inadvertently received or overheard by an unintended third party.
Although counseling records are maintained separately from general health records, some information is maintained in the medical records of Redfern Health Center for coordinated health care purposes. This may include: 1) referrals for psychiatric consultations; 2) visits with Redfern medical staff; and 2) psychotropic medication prescriptions.
Participation in therapy is voluntary; the risks, benefits, and reasonable alternatives to therapy will be explained to you by your therapist. At your request, your therapist will clarify the purpose of any specific procedure or intervention.
If you have any questions on confidentiality or other procedures, please bring them to the attention of your therapist. CAPS encourages you to help us maintain high quality care through your active participation and knowledge.
