Privacy of your health information is one of our top priorities. Other than as described
below in
Exceptions to Confidentiality, no one outside of the wellness center staff will have
access to
your medical or mental health information without a student's explicit, written permission.
Academy students do require the authorization of a parent or legal guardian to share
information outside of the Wellness Center. If you are referred to a medical provider
outside of
the Wellness Center, medical information regarding the specific referral will be shared
with the
outside provider. Basic medical and mental health information and diagnoses will be
shared
with insurance companies to facilitate billing. If the student and provider deem it
necessary to
share medical or mental health information with someone outside of the Wellness Center,
the
student (or parent of an Academy student) will be asked to sign an authorization form
to
release the information. Voice mail and email communications to students will not
include
personal health information to maintain privacy.
There are some exceptions to confidentiality. In situations in which there is evidence
of a threat
to oneself or another, the wellness staff is required to take action/disclose information
to
protect the person at the risk of harm. When there is information about, or strong
suspicions of
physical or sexual abuse or neglect of a minor or elder, this must be reported to
the
Department of Social Services. In certain legal situations, including court order,
wellness staff
may be required to disclose information. In addition, any time a student is admitted
to the
Emergency Room, the wellness staff will contact the student's parents. This is a policy
of Bard
Academy and Bard College at Simon's Rock and is in the 2021–2022 Student Handbook
.
If you are a Bard Academy student, the information documented in your record is available
to
your parents or legal guardians, if requested, due to your age (under the age of 18)
and due to
the fact that you are a high school student and not yet a college student. The Wellness
Center
will continue to maintain your confidentiality in terms of specifics discussed during
a counseling
session or medical appointment and will only share information with parents, as clinically
appropriate and/or as specified in the exceptions.