Case Study
Patient Demographic: Client Age: 42 Sex: Female Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Ethnicity: Caucasian Relationship Status: Divorced Counseling Setting: Agency Type of Counseling: Individual and Group Presenting Problem: Social Anxiety Diagnosis: Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia), Provisional 300.23 (F 40.10)
Mental Status Exam: Mental Status: The client is meticulously dressed and well groomed. She is cooperative and periodically exhibits a nervous smile. The client is fidgety and frequently repositions herself when seated. Her mood is anxious, and she becomes tearful when discussing feeling “stupid” during job interviews. She exhibits cohesive thinking, and her insight and judgment are intact. The client is oriented to person, place, situation, and time. Her affect is reserved. She denies suicidal and homicidal ideation as well as audio/visual hallucinations.
Presenting Problem: You are a certified mental health counselor working in a community mental health center. Your client is a 42-year-old white female who presents today with symptoms of social anxiety disorder. The client reports debilitating anxiety when interacting with others, particularly when meeting unfamiliar people or going somewhere for the first time. She states that she cannot sleep and has a poor appetite on the days leading up to social events. When encountering anxiety-provoking situations, she says that her hands shake, she sweats excessively, and her voice trembles. The client is recently divorced and, after more than 15 years of being out of the workforce, she is seeking employment. She explains that job interviews have been “humiliating” because of what she perceives as an “inherent lack of knowledge and a substantially impaired skill set.”
Other Contexts:     History of Condition: The client first noticed symptoms of social anxiety when her family moved north during the summer of her 8th-grade school year. When she began high school, she received unwanted attention for being the “new girl.” She explains that she was often teased because of her Southern accent and was labeled “country” and “ignorant.” Before meeting her husband, the client remembers drinking before going on a date stating, “It just helped settle my nerves.” Her social anxiety lessened after becoming a stay-at-home mom to her two now-teenage children. However, she noticed a sharp increase in social anxiety after her divorce, particularly when attempting to reenter the job force and trying to find new social circles. She denies current drug use and states that she is a social drinker. Family History: The client’s parents both live out of town and run a business together. The client’s father has been treated for alcohol use disorder and is now in recovery. Her mother takes medication for anxiety and depression. The client has two teenage girls. Both girls have had a difficult time with the divorce. Her youngest child is seeing a therapist for depression. The client’s ex-husband is a prominent attorney in their town. This is the client’s first experience with counseling, and she asks many questions when filling out the intake paperwork.  You cover administrative and clinical protocols when reviewing paperwork with the client, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule

Question: You cover administrative and clinical protocols when reviewing paperwork with the client, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. Which one of the following statements is true of HIPAA?
(A): HIPAA serves as an authorization (i.e., consent) to counseling services.
(B): HIPAA ensures that confidential information will not be used in legal proceedings.
(C): HIPAA protects and safeguards confidential electronic records from potential security risks.
(D): HIPAA gives clients the right to be informed of privacy and confidentiality policies before providing consent.

Correct Answer: HIPAA protects and safeguards confidential electronic records from potential security risks.
Explanation: HIPAA protects and safeguards confidential electronic records. Components of the HIPAA Privacy Notice include protecting electronic records from being tampered with, destroyed, or disclosed to unsanctioned persons. The notice further stipulates that protection under HIPAA applies to intentional and unintentional acts. Privilege applies to protecting confidential information in legal proceedings. State and legal mandates dictate information used in court, and mandates vary from state to state. HIPAA is not the same as informed consent. You are not providing consent to treat, nor is the client authorizing information to be released to third parties. HIPAA signatures and initials simply indicate that the client has received or was offered the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. Informed consent (rather than HIPAA) covers the client’s rights and responsibilities, including the right to be informed beforehand of privacy and confidentiality policies before consent for treatment is provided. Therefore, the correct answer is (D)
Competency: professional practice and ethics