Opinion ID: 2351723
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: ) Confidentiality and Social Worker Client Privilege as they Relate to the Treatment Records

Text: Petitioners first ask this Court to decide whether a subpoena issued by the Board in order to investigate a complaint against a licensed social worker for failure to report suspected child abuse overrides any statutory authority concerning confidential and/or privileged communications between the accused social worker and her clients, petitioners. In order to make a decision, we must first look to what the laws of this State provide in terms of privileged and confidential communications as they relate to social workers and their clients, as well as to any existing exceptions to those privileges. Md.Code (1973, 1998 Repl.Vol.), § 9-121 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article provides for a social worker  client privilege relating to communications made while the client was receiving counseling from the social worker. The statute provides, in pertinent part: § 9-121. Communications between licensed social worker and client. (a) Definitions.  (1) In this section, the following words have the meanings indicated. (2) `Client' means a person who communicates to or receives services from a licensed certified social worker regarding his mental or emotional condition, or from any other person participating directly or vitally with a licensed certified social worker in rendering those services, in consultation with or under direct supervision of a licensed certified social worker. (3) `Licensed, certified social worker' means any person licensed as a certified social worker under Title 19 of the Health Occupations Article. (4) `Witness' means a licensed certified social worker or any other person participating directly or vitally with a licensed certified social worker in rendering services to a client, in consultation with or under direct supervision of a licensed certified social worker. (b) Privilege established.  Unless otherwise provided, in all judicial or administrative proceedings, a client has a privilege to refuse to disclose, and to prevent a witness from disclosing, communications made while the client was receiving counseling. [Emphasis added.] This statute affords social workers and their clients similar protections that have long been applicable to other relationships where privacy issues and the need for open communication are of paramount importance, e.g., marital privilege, attorney  client privilege, psychiatrist/psychologist  patient privilege, clergyman  communicant privilege, etc. The reasoning behind such privileges is obvious  the privileges provide for an environment in which open communication can occur without the fear that the communication will later be used in a court or administrative proceeding against the person making the communication. As can be seen from its passage of § 9-121 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, the Legislature was of the opinion that such an umbrella of privilege should also apply to the relationships between licensed social workers and their clients. [7] Likewise, Md.Code (1982, 2000 Repl.Vol.), § 4-302 of the Health  General Article, which deals with the broader category of confidentiality of medical records, states, in pertinent part: § 4-302. Confidentiality and disclosure generally. (a) In general.  A health care provider[ [8] ] shall: (1) Keep the medical record of a patient or recipient confidential; and (2) Disclose the medical record only: (i) As provided by this subtitle; or (ii) As otherwise provided by law. [Footnote added.] As can be seen after examining the statutes, the scope of the social worker  client privilege established under § 9-121(b) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article is not identical to the scope of confidentiality of medical records established under § 4-302 of the Health  General Article. Section 4-302 makes confidential any information found in the medical record, i.e., any information that [i]s entered in the record of a patient or recipient ... [i]dentifies or can readily be associated with the identity of a patient or recipient; and ... [r]elates to the health care of the patient or recipient. Section 4-301 of the Health-General Article (defining medical record). The social worker  client privilege of § 9-121(b) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, however, protects only those communications made while the client was receiving counseling. Because the treatment records relating to Ms. F's counseling services to petitioners were created pursuant to her rendering services to petitioners and they are undoubtedly to be considered medical records for the purposes of those statutes relating to the confidentiality of medical records, see §§ 4-301 et seq. of the Health  General Article, we consider the information contained in those treatment records to be both confidential and privileged. Therefore, we must examine the Board's claim that its subpoena power and obligation to oversee the conduct of the licensed social workers of this State provides an exception to petitioners' privilege and confidentiality rights as provided by law.