All A Helping Heart, Inc. (AHH) program staff are required to sign a Confidentiality Contract.  Federal and state laws regarding clients’ rights to privacy require careful management of all information.  AHH employees are legally and ethically bound by the same regulations that govern A Helping Heart, Inc. as an agency.  The National Association of Social Workers states that “the social worker should respect the privacy of clients and hold in confidence all information obtained in the course of professional service.”  More specifically, “the social worker should share with others confidences revealed by clients, without their consent, only for compelling professional reasons.” 

 

Note:  With the use of social media being so commonplace today, staff must take extra care to NOT post anything about the workplace or the clients in their care on social media.

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When an AHH program staff breaches confidentiality, various actions may be taken based upon the specific details of the situation.  Actions will range from discussions with AHH staff, additional training, a written note of a rule violation and accompanying plan of correction, or, in extreme cases, termination.