February 7, 2012 

IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals shall preserve, protect, and respect their clients' right to confidentiality.

1. IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals shall comply with the federal and state laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to client confidentiality.

2. IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals shall guard professional confidences and shall reveal such confidences only in compliance with the law or only when there is a clear and imminent danger to an individual or society.

3. IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals must inform the client and obtain agreement in areas likely to affect the clients' participation including the recording of an interview, the use of interview material for training purposes and observation of an interview by another person.

4. IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals must discuss the information obtained in clinical or consulting relationships only in appropriate settings and only for professional purposes clearly concerned with the case. Written and oral reports must present only data germane to the purpose of the evaluation and every effort must be made to avoid undue invasion of privacy.

5. IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals must use clinical and other material in classroom teaching and writing only when the identities of the persons involved are adequately disguised.

6. The general requirement that IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals keep information confidential does not apply when the best interests of clients, welfare of others, obligations to society, or legal requirements demand that confidential information be revealed. IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals consult with other professional when they are unsure of whether an exception to confidentiality exists.

7. Before confidential information is disclosed over the client’s objection, because of legal requirements, IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals shall request to the court that the disclosure not be required and explain why disclosures are harmful to clients. Steps are taken to limit the extent of the unwanted disclosure. A counselor shall not, however, be obligated to violate any state or federal law, or the order of competent jurisdiction.

8. When circumstance require the disclosure of confidential information, only information that is essential is to be revealed. To the extent possible, clients are informed before confidential information is disclosed.

9. At the beginning of the counseling relationship, IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals discuss with clients the relevant limitations of confidentiality and the foreseeable uses of information generated through counseling services.

10. IAODAPCA Certified AODA Professionals shall explain the fact that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in group counseling and communicate that clearly to group members.

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