Religion and Spirituality in Psychiatry

230 Marcus M. McKinney■■■■supervision, consultation, and active participationin the meetings and affairs of theAssociation.To seek out and engage in collegial relationships,recognizing that isolation can lead to aloss of perspective and judgment.To manage our personal lives in a healthfulfashion and to seek appropriate assistance forour own personal problems or conflicts.To diagnose or provide treatment only forthose problems or issues that are within thereasonable boundaries of our competence.To establish and maintain appropriate professionalrelationship boundaries.Confidentiality Statement of AAPCAs members of AAPC we respect theintegrity and protect the welfare of all personswith whom we are working and havean obligation to safeguard informationabout them that has been obtained in thecourse of the counseling process.All records kept on a client are stored ordisposed of in a manner that assures securityand confidentiality. We treat all communicationsfrom clients with professionalconfidentiality.Except in those situations where the identityof the client is necessary to the understandingof the case, we use only the firstnames of our clients when engaged insupervision or consultation. It is ourresponsibility to convey the importance ofconfidentiality to the supervisor/consultant;this is particularly important whenthe supervision is shared by other professionals,as in a supervisory group.We do not disclose client confidences toanyone, except: as mandated by law; toprevent a clear and immediate danger tosomeone; in the course of a civil, criminalor disciplinary action arising from thecounseling where the pastoral counseloris a defendant; for purposes of supervisionor consultation; or by previously obtainedwritten permission. In cases involving morethan one person (as client) written permissionmust be obtained from all legallyaccountable persons who have been presentduring the counseling before any disclosurecan be made.We obtain informed written consent of clientsbefore audio and/or video tape recordingor permitting third party observationof their sessions.We do not use these standards of confidentialityto avoid intervention when it isnecessary, e.g., when there is evidence ofabuse of minors, the elderly, the disabled,the physically or mentally incompetent.When current or former clients are referredto in a publication, while teaching or in apublic presentation, their identity is thoroughlydisguised.We as members of AAPC agree that as anexpress condition of our membership inthe Association, Association ethics communications,files, investigative reports,and related records are strictly confidentialand waive their right to use samein a court of law to advance any claimagainst another member. Any memberseeking such records for such purposeshall be subject to disciplinary action forattempting to violate the confidentialityrequirements of the organization. Thispolicy is intended to promote pastoral andconfessional communications withoutlegal consequences and to protect potentialprivacy and confidentiality interests ofthird parties.