Difference Between Privacy And Confidentiality In Human Services

Introduction

Workers in the human services field have the obligation to protect their client's right to privacy and confidentiality, as a matter of course. The exception comes when such confidentiality would cause serious harm to the client or others. Another exception, related to the first, is when agency guidelines, local, state, or federal laws state otherwise. Human service professionals are obligated to inform clients of these caveats to confidentiality before rendering services to clients.

Privacy vs Confidentiality: Is There a Difference?

Privacy is the control over the manner and circumstances of sharing oneself with others. For example, a client may not want to be seen entering a place that might stigmatize them, a problem that well may be common in the Human Services field, as there’s a perceived stigma to needing services, whether they be residential, related to child care, or other types of service. The Human Services professional may, in these instances, find themselves agreeing (within the confines of acceptable workplace behavior) to meet with a client in a setting that doesn’t involve their office.

During the informed consent process, clients should be reassured of the fact that what they disclose can and will be kept confidential, except under such circumstances, mentioned in the Introduction, i.e. when laws decree such information be related to authorities for the purposes of protection of the client or others.

The related concepts of Confidentiality and Privacy are integral to the trust needed in a Helper/Client relationship found in the Human Services