Notice of Privacy Practices/Informed Consent
Counseling & Student Development Center(CSDC)
Effective Date: August 23, 2007
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW PSYCHOLOGICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Confidentiality: How Your Privacy Is Protected
Counseling is confidential. We will use and protect your information in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Code of Virginia.
Counseling records are kept separate from academic, disciplinary, and medical records to ensure your privacy and confidentiality. Counseling records are maintained in an electronic database that is stored in a secured, password protected environment and accessible only to CSDC staff. Further, all CSDC staff and computer support technicians sign a binding confidentiality agreement that prohibits the unauthorized release of client information. To further protect your confidentiality, CSDC staff members do not acknowledge that they are familiar with clients while outside the Center, unless the client acknowledges the staff member first.
Information obtained during counseling sessions will not be disclosed to anyone outside the Center without your knowledge and written consent. If you sign a written authorization allowing us to disclose information, you can later cancel your authorization in writing, and we will not disclose any further information after we receive your cancellation.
The only exceptions to these strict confidentiality rules are rare instances where psychologists and counselors are required to reveal particular information by federal or state laws. Such exceptions include when:
- We believe that a client presents an imminent danger to her/himself or another person unless protective measures are taken.
- We have reasonable cause to believe that a child is being abused or neglected or an aged or incapacitated adult is being subject to abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
- We receive a court order upon good cause shown or in compliance with a subpoena.
- We are approached by authorized federal officials for information related to national security and intelligence activities. By law, we may not be able to reveal to the client when we have disclosed such information to the government.
- We need to seek legal advice from JMU's Policy & Legal Affairs Advisor.
- The parents of a minor (i.e., a student who is under the age of 18) request information.
Please discuss any concerns about confidentiality with your counselor.
Use of Electronic Mail
Because of the high value we place on the privacy of those utilizing our services, staff members of the CSDC use email only to schedule and cancel appointments. Further, we cannot guarantee that e-mail messages will be read regularly or within an appropriate period of time, especially in emergency situations. If you have a need to communicate about matters other than scheduling, please contact us either in-person (Varner House) or by phone (540-568-6552).
Faxing of Confidential Information
With your consent, the CSDC may fax confidential information to other professionals to facilitate your care. When faxing confidential information, CSDC staff complete a cover sheet which states that the information contained in the fax is confidential, attempt to fax the document at a time when it will be immediately retrieved by the recipient, and request confirmation from the recipient that the fax was received.
Training/Supervision
To provide you with the best possible care, your counselor may consult with or receive supervision from another member of our clinical staff. To facilitate consultation and supervision, many counseling sessions at the CSDC are recorded for case review and training purposes. The recordings never leave the Center and are deleted after the counselor and her/his supervisor have the opportunity to review the case. Recording will only be done with your consent. Recorded material is treated with the same regard for confidentiality as is other client information.
Requests for Confidential Information by Non-Treatment Agencies
Acceptance into certain academic programs and/or fields of employment (e.g., law, government, Peace Corp, military) may be contingent upon a student's willingness to permit the release of confidential counseling information. To protect the privacy of students, it is the general policy of the CSDC to not release information gained in therapeutic work to non-treatment agencies. Further, we decline to make judgments about the suitability of a former client for a position, whether s/he is a security risk, or similar evaluations.
Research
The CSDC collects client information for our own internal planning, quality assurance, and accreditation efforts and to educate the University's faculty and staff about the issues and needs confronting JMU's students. All data is presented in group form, and to maintain confidentiality, no information about individual students is provided.
As A Client, You Have The Right To
- Request and provide written authorization to release information. You have the right to revoke your authorization in writing at any time.
- Review your file with your counselor and to request a treatment summary.
- Request that your counselor amend any information in your file that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
- Request that communications from our office be delivered via alternative means or at alternative locations. Due to concerns about the confidentiality, email can be used only to schedule and cancel appointments.
- Request an accounting of disclosures of information made about you. Other than the exceptions previously outlined, no disclosures will be made about you without your written consent.
- Obtain an additional copy of our privacy practices at any time during treatment.
The CSDC Has The Responsibility To
- Maintain the privacy and confidentiality of the information you share with us. We will not use or disclose your protected information without your authorization, except as described in this notice.
- Abide by the terms of this notice for as long as it is in effect. We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected information we maintain. Should our information practices change, we will create and post a revised notice.
- Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate information by alternative means or at alternative locations.
Questions or Complaints about Confidentiality
If you are concerned that we have violated your privacy rights or disagree with a decision we made about access to your records, you may contact the Director of the CSDC at (540) 568-6552. All complaints must be submitted in writing.If you file a complaint, we will not take action against you or change our treatment of you in any way.
Introduction To Counseling
Counseling varies depending upon the personalities of the client and the counselor. There are many different methods you and your counselor may use to deal with the problems you are experiencing. Counseling is not like a visit to a medical doctor. It calls for a very active effort on your part.In order to be successful, you will have to commit to working on issues both when meeting with your counselor and during your daily life. Practicing the ideas and skills discussed in counseling sessions is what can really make the difference.
Counseling can have benefits and risks. Because counseling often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, and helplessness. On the other hand, counseling has been shown to lead to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress. There is no way to predict specifically what you will experience.
If you ever have questions or concerns about what you and your counselor are doing in your sessions, please inform your counselor. If you have concerns about the professionalism of your counselor and would be uncomfortable speaking directly to her/him about this matter, please contact the Director or Associate Director of the CSDC.
Initial Appointment
Your first appointment is an intake session, so the person you see may or may not become your permanent counselor. The intake counselor will work with you to determine if the CSDC is able to provide the kind of assistance you need and which staff member would be most appropriate to assist you. If you need or request services beyond the scope of what we can provide, we will refer you to an appropriate outside agency.
Scheduling Policy
With the exception of emergency situations, services at the CSDC are provided on an appointment basis. Appointments typically last 50 minutes. When you request services at the Center, time is reserved on a counselor's schedule for your appointment. Thus, missed and canceled appointments prevent valuable, limited staff time from being offered to other students in need.
In an effort to ensure that the Center is providing services in the most effective manner possible, we have established the following policies:
- The CSDC operates under a short-term treatment model under which the student and the counselor collaboratively identify and address the student's primary concerns within a limited number of sessions. Students who request or require longer-term treatment are referred to community resources.
- Please call if you will be late or need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. We would appreciate as much advance notice as possible, preferably, at least 24 hours prior to your appointment time.
- To be fair to those students waiting for appointments, the Center may terminate counseling services if two consecutive or three total appointments are missed (i.e., not canceled 24 hours prior to the session). Services may also be terminated if an excessive number of sessions are canceled.
Psychiatric Services
At times, medication may help a student deal more effectively with their concerns. A limited number of psychiatric hours are available to students through the CSDC's Psychiatrist who works with other clinical staff to provide integrated, quality psychiatric care to students at James Madison University. Only students who are currently engaged in regular, ongoing treatment at the CSDC (e.g., weekly, twice-monthly, or at least monthly sessions) are eligible to receive services from the Psychiatrist. Any other JMU student who is interested exclusively in psychiatric services will be given an off-campus referral.
Contacting the CSDC in an Emergency
During regular office hours, emergency appointments can be scheduled by phone (568-6552) or in person. Emergency appointments are handled on a first-come, first-serve basis, according to counselor availability and the urgency of the request. After working hours and on weekends, contact the Campus Police and Public Safety Office (568-6911) and ask them to contact the counselor on call.
If you are dealing with a crisis situation that demands an immediate response, please proceed to the Rockingham Memorial Hospital Emergency Room or contact the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Community Services Board (434-1941) for assistance.
We appreciate your consideration of these policies. Please speak with your counselor if you have any questions.
Court-Mandated Services
The CSDC does not provide services to students who are required to receive pre-adjudication and/or court-mandated mental health treatment or assessment. Students seeking such services will be provided referrals to professionals in the Harrisonburg community.
