Confidentiality

Your contact with Forty Carrots’ clinicians through therapy and consultation services is confidential, except in certain situations which are discussed below. We will not share information regarding your participation in therapy services with others within Forty Carrots Family Center, or with anyone outside our agency, unless you give us written permission to do so. You may ask for release forms to complete and sign if you would like us to obtain or release records or information with other people. For families that take part in other Forty Carrots programs, your confidential information will not be shared with other professionals involved in your child’s life, such as teachers, Parenting Educators, or administrative staff. Your relationship with your Forty Carrots therapist is protected and valued, so we diligently uphold confidentiality in all situations.

There are exceptions to these rules of confidentiality, and under the law there are conditions and circumstances in which your therapist is bound by law to act. These exceptions include:

• If the client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person or themselves (suicide or homicide)
• Suspected child or elder abuse or neglect
• Court order or subpoena signed by a judge

Please note that children (under the age of 17 years old) have the right to confidential exchanges with clinicians. However, if there are issues that pose grave or immediate danger, these issues will be discussed with parents.

Additionally, due to the clinical focus of our work with families (not legal), custody issues will not be addressed. Therapy services are provided to families for the sake of therapeutic treatment and not evaluation; therefore, therapists’ opinions will not be shared in court or for custodial purposes. Please do not ask for copies of our records for these procedures, as they will not be provided.