Which statement about confidentiality obligations is true?

Which statement about confidentiality obligations is true?

• A. Confidentiality may be overridden by legal duties or when disclosure is required to prevent harm.
• B. There are no exceptions to confidentiality.
• C. Confidentiality always overrides all other duties.
• D. The client can never consent to disclose information.

Answer: (A)

Confidentiality isn’t absolute. The main idea here is that while keeping information private is essential, there are legitimate exceptions where disclosure is required or permitted. Specifically, you may reveal information when there are legal duties to report or when disclosure is needed to prevent serious harm to someone. This includes situations like mandatory reporting laws or responding to a court order, and it can also happen when the person consents to share information for a defined purpose. Those are the reasons this statement is true. Think about why the other ideas don’t fit: there are indeed exceptions to confidentiality, so saying there are none isn’t accurate. Confidentiality doesn’t always override every other duty—safety and legal obligations can take priority. And clients can often authorize disclosure through informed consent for specific people or circumstances, so the notion that a client can never consent isn’t correct.

Confidentiality isn’t absolute. The main idea here is that while keeping information private is essential, there are legitimate exceptions where disclosure is required or permitted. Specifically, you may reveal information when there are legal duties to report or when disclosure is needed to prevent serious harm to someone. This includes situations like mandatory reporting laws or responding to a court order, and it can also happen when the person consents to share information for a defined purpose. Those are the reasons this statement is true.

Think about why the other ideas don’t fit: there are indeed exceptions to confidentiality, so saying there are none isn’t accurate. Confidentiality doesn’t always override every other duty—safety and legal obligations can take priority. And clients can often authorize disclosure through informed consent for specific people or circumstances, so the notion that a client can never consent isn’t correct.