Participant confidentiality—What must programs do in order to safeguard participant confidentiality?
Each program certified to provide assessments or any level of domestic violence intervention treatment must:
(1) Follow the confidentiality requirements contained in chapter
18.19 RCW for registered counselors and certified professionals;
(2) Require all program participants and guests to agree in writing not to disclose the identity of group participants or personal information about the participants;
(3) Keep all communications between the participant and direct treatment staff confidential unless:
(a) The participant has signed a release of information; or
(b) The program is legally required to release the information; and
(4) Receive written consent, that gives details about the specific uses for the tape, when a program audio or video tapes a group session.
(a) The program must obtain an additional consent statement from each participant to permit use of the tape for any purpose other than the purposes specified in the original consent;
(b) Audio or video recordings must be stored in a locked, secure and confidential location that is not accessible to participants or the public; and
(c) Audio or video recordings must be destroyed when confidential storage is no longer available, before the program closes or before ownership of the program is transferred.
[WSR 19-15-044, recodified as § 388-60B-0360, filed 7/11/19, effective 7/28/19. WSR 18-14-078, recodified as § 110-60A-0360, filed 6/29/18, effective 7/1/18. Statutory Authority: RCW
26.50.150. WSR 18-12-034, § 388-60A-0360, filed 5/29/18, effective 6/29/18.]