Confidentiality

You might need the counselor/advocate to share your confidential information with other professionals that are helping you. For example, if you are working with a therapist or with an attorney, you might want to give the counselor permission to talk to them about what you told him/her. Also, the counselor/advocate might be looking for other agencies or community resources to help you, such as the housing authority, and may need to talk about the abuse you have been through.

If the counselor asks your permission to share confidential information, you have the right to ask who does s/he need to share it with, why s/he needs to share the information, the possible consequences of sharing the information (i.e. the fact that once the information is shared it is no longer protected), and any other questions you may have. Based on his/her answers, you can decide if you want to consent to the counselor sharing the information.