CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

Employees, volunteers, and board members of Vietnamese Community of Houston and Vicinities, (VNCH) are bound by ethical and legal codes to protect the confidentiality and privacy of our clients and to protect and maintain the confidentiality of all information learned about clients, their family members and acquaintances in the course of providing services to them. Confidential communications include conversations, reports, forms, correspondence, and computer generated communications with, about or involving in any way any client of VNCH. Minors are entitled to confidentiality also, and only the guardian of the minor can waive the confidentiality. Access to documentation shall be limited to an “as needed/need to know” basis.

Storage of Records

VNCH and its employees have an ethical and legal obligation to respect the privacy of our clients, and to protect and maintain the confidentiality of all information that we obtain about clients, their friends, acquaintances and family members in the course of providing services to them. Client records are legally protected confidential records and must be treated as such. This means that client records maintained by  VNCH must be kept in a locked file at all times except when being reviewed or updated. Client records should always be maintained in office only. It is unethical to discuss clients with family or friends, unless you are ordered to do so by a court or otherwise required by law. If someone insists on obtaining information and the client has not authorized it, immediately notify the Executive Director.

Areas of Confidentiality

Confidential communications include conversations, correspondence, forms, reports and computer generated communications with, about, or involving in any way any clients. Client confidentiality will be broken only under certain conditions.

1. When the client is a threat to others or self. Under the law, if you have any reason to suspect a child or adult is being sexually, physically, or psychologically abused or neglected, then you are required to report the situation to Adult or Child Protective Services.  Any person or institution who has cause to suspect that any juvenile is abused, neglected, or dependent, or has died as the result of maltreatment, shall report the case of that juvenile to the Director of the Department of Social Services in the county where the juvenile resides or is found. The report may be made orally, by telephone, or in writing. The report shall include information as is known to the person making it including the name and address of the juvenile; the name and address of the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or caretaker; the age of the juvenile; the names and ages of other juveniles in the home; the present whereabouts of the juvenile if not at the home address; the nature and extent of any injury or condition resulting from abuse, neglect, or dependency; and any other information which the person making the report believes might be helpful in establishing the need for protective services or court intervention. If the report is made orally or by telephone, the person making the report shall give the person’s name, address, and telephone number.  

2. If client files are subpoenaed.