Which of the following is NOT a circumstance under which federal regulations allow disclosure of client information?

Which of the following is NOT a circumstance under which federal regulations allow disclosure of client information?

• A. When the client has consented in writing
• B. When the disclosure involves internal communications
• C. When there is a medical emergency
• D. When there is a request for information for marketing purposes

Answer: (D)

Protecting client confidentiality is tightly controlled; disclosures are allowed only in a few narrow, consent-based or emergency situations. The best-known allowed path is a written consent from the client that specifies what may be shared and with whom. Disclosures can also occur within the program to staff who need the information to provide treatment or to operate the program, and to medical personnel in a medical emergency so they can treat the client effectively. Marketing the client’s information, however, is not a permitted reason for disclosure under these federal protections. The rules are designed to prevent sensitive treatment information from being used for promotional purposes, and marketing disclosures fall outside the approved categories.

Protecting client confidentiality is tightly controlled; disclosures are allowed only in a few narrow, consent-based or emergency situations. The best-known allowed path is a written consent from the client that specifies what may be shared and with whom. Disclosures can also occur within the program to staff who need the information to provide treatment or to operate the program, and to medical personnel in a medical emergency so they can treat the client effectively.

Marketing the client’s information, however, is not a permitted reason for disclosure under these federal protections. The rules are designed to prevent sensitive treatment information from being used for promotional purposes, and marketing disclosures fall outside the approved categories.