Welcome to the first section of the confidentiality training. Relax and go through this training at your own pace. This is not a race so please take your time and focus on learning the policy and guidelines.

In this section you will learn to:

• Define the general rule.
• Give the correct response to inquires.
• Describe what is confidential.

This training will outline general rules for disclosure of confidential information. These Guidelines are based on Federal and State statute, regulation, and policy. Where standards differ, the most stringent standard applies.  

More complete information is contained in the Policy and Guidelines which you can access at any time from the navigational links on the left of your screen. You may also want to print these for your own reference.

The General Rule

One of the most difficult issues for many people who receive services from BDS is the negative stereotypes and social stigma associated with mental illness, mental retardation, autism, and substance abuse.  In the course of providing services to our clients, we obtain a lot of personal information, some of it about very private aspects of their lives.  Unauthorized disclosure of this information can result in not only embarrassment and loss of trust but also in clients losing their homes or jobs.  For these reasons confidentiality regarding personal information is protected by professional codes of ethics, by regulations, and by state and federal laws.