Confidentiality Policy
for Facilitators

Background

Confidentiality is an essential part of Living Well trainings. It is important for participants to feel safe enough to share their experiences and their personal concerns. Many times, these issues are of a personal nature, so that they don’t want them to be shared with a parent, caregiver, spouse, roommate, or even their health care provider.

We believe that it is important to acknowledge the role of confidentiality in Living Well trainings. It is equally important to inform participants about those issues that will not be held confidential:

The intent to hurt one’s self (for example, to attempt suicide) or someone else (for example, to commit assault).

 It should be noted that the “intent to commit” an act is different from the need to vent about feelings and actions from the past. Certainly, participants should be allowed and encouraged to appropriately voice these matters in Living Well trainings.

Policy

It is the policy of the Living Well Iowa program to state what is and is not held confidential. During the first Living Well training, as part of the “ground-rules,” facilitators should remind participants of this essential component of Living Well:

Everything said in Living Well classes will be held confidential, with TWO EXCEPTIONS:

1. If a participant discloses in class or in a personal conversation with a facilitator the intent to hurt himself or herself, this will not be held confidential.

2. If a participant discloses in class or in a personal conversation with a facilitator the intent to hurt someone else, this will not be held confidential.

If a participant does self-disclose an intent to hurt himself or herself, or to hurt someone else, it is critical that the facilitator respond to this.

Depending on the circumstances, the facilitator should take one or more of the following steps:

• Assess the immediate intent of the person
• Express concern and support
• Offer to call trusted family or friends to secure help
• Help the individual find community resources to deal with the issues at hand
• Stay with the participant until help is secured

As soon as possible when any immediate danger has passed, the facilitator should inform the project director about the situation and interventions used. Contact:

Kay DeGarmo, Project Director
Center for Disabilities and Development
100 Hawkins Dr - Room 263
Iowa City, IA 52242-1011
319-353-7050
kay-degarmo@uiowa.edu