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Policy

The Clinicians Collective subscribes to the APA's guidelines on disclosure. We ask that all members of the community (regardless of your particular specialty) abide by these guidelines as well.

In short, we ask that when posting to the group, members of the community do not disclose confidential, personally identifiable information concerning their clients/patients, students, research participants, organizational clients or other recipients of their services that they obtained during the course of their work.

In addition, we encourage caution and professionalism when posting to the listserv about other providers. If you have a specific concern about a provider please communicate offline.

Below are specific excerpts from the APA's Policy on Privacy and Confidentiality:

Standard 4: Privacy and Confidentiality


4.01 Maintaining Confidentiality
Psychologists have a primary obligation and take reasonable precautions to protect confidential information obtained through or stored in any medium, recognizing that the extent and limits of confidentiality may be regulated by law or established by institutional rules or professional or scientific relationship. (See also Standard 2.05, Delegation of Work to Others.)

4.02 Discussing the Limits of Confidentiality
(a) Psychologists discuss with persons (including, to the extent feasible, persons who are legally incapable of giving informed consent and their legal representatives) and organizations with whom they establish a scientific or professional relationship (1) the relevant limits of confidentiality and (2) the foreseeable uses of the information generated through their psychological activities. (See also Standard 3.10, Informed Consent.)

(b) Unless it is not feasible or is contraindicated, the discussion of confidentiality occurs at the outset of the relationship and thereafter as new circumstances may warrant.

(c) Psychologists who offer services, products, or information via electronic transmission inform clients/patients of the risks to privacy and limits of confidentiality.

The APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, in full text, can be found at the following link: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

Thank you for your mindful adherence to these guidelines.