Source: https://www.ncsc.org/sitecore/content/microsites/future-trends-2012/home/Privacy-and-Technology/Substance-Abuse.aspx
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 11:55:19+00:00

Document:
Protecting confidentiality is critical in substance abuse treatment and child welfare. Both fields need to guard clients’ rights to privacy and protect against the stigma that might cause clients to avoid treatment. Yet while monitoring cases, child welfare professionals regularly need information related to diagnosis and participation in treatment. Child welfare practitioners should be familiar with the rules and regulations that govern confidentiality and the legal methods of accessing otherwise protected information.
In the substance abuse field, confidentiality is governed by federal law (42 U.S.C. § 290dd-2) and regulations (42 CFR Part 2) that outline under what limited circumstances information about the client’s treatment may be disclosed with and without the client’s consent. Determining when 42 CFR Part 2 is applicable and how to legally access information about substance abuse treatment requires practitioners to work through a series of questions.
What Programs Are Covered by Federal Confidentiality Laws?
2) is regulated or assisted by the federal government (42 U.S.C. § 290dd-2; 42 C.F.R. § 2.11-2.12).
42 CFR Part 2 applies to all records relating to the identity, diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment of any patient in a substance abuse program that is conducted, regulated, or directly or indirectly assisted by any department or agency of the United States.
How Can Protected Information Be Shared?
When used in the criminal-justice setting, expiration of the consent may be conditioned upon the completion of, or termination from, a program instead of a date.
42 CFR Part 2 allows for disclosure where the state mandates child-abuse-and neglect reporting (42 C.F.R. § 2.12(c)(6); 45 C.F.R. §164.512(b)(1)(ii)); when cause of death (42 C.F.R. § 2.15(b)) is being reported; or with the existence of a valid court order.
Programs are permitted to disclose patient-identifying information in cases of medical emergency (45 C.F.R. § 164.506(c); 42 C.F.R. § 2.51); in reporting crimes that occur on program premises or against staff (45 C.F.R. § 164.502(j)(2), 164.512(f)(2); 42 C.F.R. § 2.12 (c)(5)); to entities having administrative control (45 C.F.R. § 164.502(a)(1), 164.506(a), (c); 42 C.F.R. § 2.12 (c)(3)); to qualified service organizations (45 C.F.R. § 160.103, 164.504(e), (c); 42 C.F.R. § 2.12 (c)(4)); and to outside auditors, evaluators, central registries, and researchers (45 C.F.R. § 164.501, 164.506, 164.512; (c); 42 C.F.R. § 2.53 (c)-(d); 42 C.F.R. § 2.52; 45 C.F.R. § 164.512(i)(1)(ii)).

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