Confidentiality and Parental Involvement

There are important issues and concerns regarding confidentiality when delivering SBIRT services to consider. How do we balance a parent or guardian’s right to know about their child’s health and the adolescents right to privacy of sensitive information? State and local laws are in existence and pertain to parental notification and minor consent. Instead of viewing confidentiality as a barrier, focus on educating adolescents on information sharing as a way to ensure better services. Educate adolescents about consent and who you may share information with. Implement the use of routine consent forms that are approved by your organization. It is also important to look at your organizations billing procedures to see how these services are documented and coded (and how to ensure confidentiality is maintained). The following are resources on Confidentiality.