At LifeWorks NW, we are very serious about confidentiality. Any information about someone’s mental health/substance use condition or treatment is kept private.
We have long-established policies and procedures to safeguard health information. We routinely review our systems and procedures to make sure we are keeping private information private.
Persons who use services at LifeWorks hold “privilege.” This means that the person has control over what information is shared and used. We do not give out health information to anyone (e.g., family members, employers, or government case workers) unless the client authorizes it or the law requires or allows it. Some examples of when the law requires or allows it are when there is suspected abuse, if it will help with a medical emergency or threat of harm, when our records are audited, or in response to a court order.
Even when allowed by a client authorization or law, we only use or disclose the minimum amount of information that is necessary to accomplish the required task. Our highest priority is to ensure that we maintain confidentiality wherever possible.
We have a Privacy Officer who can answer any questions or concerns you have related to privacy. To reach the Privacy Officer, please call 503-645-3581 or contact us via email.