Confidentiality is critical to the success of a counseling relationship. Employee Assistance Program clinicians are legally required to maintain the confidentiality of client information, with the only exceptions being due to state and federal laws. Information concerning your use of EAP is not in any university medical or personnel record. Records are kept in the EAP office and protected according to confidentiality protocols. At your first visit, your counselor will discuss our confidentiality policies in detail and will also review our program guidelines.
Exceptions to Confidentiality
Any University of Iowa faculty, staff, or family member using the resources of the Employee Assistance Program is assured that all information shared is held in confidence, except in those circumstances defined by federal or state statute.
The exceptions are:
- If there is imminent risk that you will harm yourself or others
- If there is a lawful court-order requiring production of records
- If there is a mandatory reporting requirement, as in the case of a report of child abuse or a report of abuse of a dependent adult (as defined by the Department of Human Services)
In these instances, information will be disclosed as required by law or as required to deal with the life-threatening situations, and the faculty, staff, or family member will be informed of the disclosure. Your rights are also covered in the privacy practice notice offered at the intake.