Counseling
Mount Ida College Counseling Center Informed Consent Statement on Confidentiality
Mount Ida College Counseling Center endorses the recommended standards of the American College Health Association that in any college health or counseling program, the relationship between the student and therapist is strictly confidential.
The Counseling Center’s policy on confidentiality is that no information, including fact of attendance, is disclosed to anyone. The student’s record is available only to the individuals involved in his/her care. Information from this record is released only upon receipt of a student’s written authorization to do so or under the circumstances described below.
Under Massachusetts law, confidentiality will be broken only if such disclosure:
a) Threatens serious harm to another, in which case the therapist may notify a potential victim, the police, and/or seek your hospitalization. If you threaten harm to yourself the therapist may also seek hospitalization or contact family members or others who can help protect you;
b) Involves a case of apparent abuse of a child or an elderly or disabled person; or
c) Is ordered through a court process.
A licensed therapist cannot be ordered by a court to testify without your permission except in certain cases (child custody, adoption, personal injury, psychiatric hospitalization, and sexual assault). An unlicensed therapist (except a psychology student under the supervision of a licensed psychologist) can be ordered by the court to testify without your permission in any legal proceeding.
Any notes made by therapists relating to visits at the Counseling Center are kept separately and are not a part of your medical record. Your therapist has access to your medical record and may choose to review it. All communications are confidential and are available only to those clinicians involved in students’ care.
Your therapist may also disclose information about your case to supervisors as part of clinical training and case management.
Counseling Center staff welcome any further questions or concerns regarding confidentiality.