Board of directors

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Freedom House is ordinarily prohibited by ethical and legal constraints from disclosing information about you without your written permission. However, there are some situations in which disclosure without permission is ethically and legally possible, but even in these situations we would notify you in advance if feasible, of the disclosure and attempt to secure your permission. Client records are held for 5 years prior to being shredded.

The situations in which disclosure of information without your permission could occur include the following:

1. If you present a threat of physical harm to either yourself or other persons and disclosure is made to advert the potential for physical harm.

2. If the court orders that we disclose information in a legal action brought against you.

3. If you bring legal action that in some way relates to your Tx.

4. If you have been assigned a legal guardian or if you have appointed someone that has power of attorney over your affairs, that person may authorize release of information on your behalf.

5. If your medical records must be reviewed or audited to abide by government or area program regulates, including but not limited to clinical supervision.

6. If an insurance company, Medicaid, Sate government, or any other third party pays for part or all of your care, the payer must review your record to determine that you are eligible and that serv ices paid are provided according to payer guidelines.

7. Federal law and regulations do not protect any information regarding crimes committed by a patient at the program or against any person who works for the program or any threat to commit such a crime.

8. Federal laws and regulations do not protect any information about suspected child abuse or neglect from being reported under State law to appropriate State or local authorities

(See 42 USC 290dd-3 and 42 USC 290ee-3 for Federal laws and 42 CFR Part 2 for Federal regulations)