yellowducky's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confidentiality Break You know what's ironic? What's ironic is that my entire job is about confidentiality. The location, the people who stay there, the details of there lives. If the school calls me to tell me their child is sick and I don't have a release of information, I HAVE to say: "I'm sorry, I can't confirm or deny the presence of that person. I can take a message and post it. If they are here, they'll get it." We shred any paperwork with names or other identifying information. I guard my clients privacy as if it were State Secrets--because their very lives depend on it. Which takes me back to today's irony. I learned the one time we open up our files. The one time we freely give over names, dates and phone numbers. When I stop protecting my client. When I lift the ban of confidentiality. It's when I get a call telling me that one of my former clients is dead and the police need to find her next of kin. I hope to God I never have to break confidentiality again. The worst thing is the "What If's". What if I had done this.... What if I had tried this..... Said that.... Given her this resource..... would she still be alive? I keep remembering her vitality and desire to create a better life for herself. It didn't happen, though, and I can't help but feel as if I failed her..... 5:24 p.m. - April 09, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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