consumer starfish

Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 09:58:56 -0800 To: "Calif. Client Activist List" <mhocca@egroups.com> From: "Tom Harkins" <harkins@cwnet.com> Subject: [MHOCCA] Psych Charts

I recently learned that my peers in the new Peer Recovery Center may have access to my charts without my [knowledge/permission]. I find this a bitter pill to swallow! I have known both these people for years, and frequently in adversarial roles, and for them to try and interpret what went on between me and my shrink is a gross violation of what has come to be called ‘confidentiality’. From what I have been reading in the Chron lately about an HMO mistakingly sending a list of patients who were seeing psychs privately had somehow gone public. These folks were outraged that someone would learn that they were just ‘seeing a shrink’, let alone remarks and characterizations of what the dialogue between these two revealed. Would there be any client support for proposing a DMH policy regarding confidentiality to say that NO county employees, or anyone other than a LICENSED CLINICIAN, have access to our medical records without our permission??? I would also like you to consider a policy that requires a ‘checked-out’ sheet, with the time, date, person requesting the chart, and the reason (for instance, a regularly scheduled drs. appt.) so that when we go to look at our charts, we will have a history of our activities. Is there any merit to this concept?? Warm regards, and a happy new year to all — Tom Harkins