The Danger-to-Self-or-Others Exception to Confidentiality

This book will help practicing mental health professionals understand the sometimes intricate responsibility of breaching clinical confidentiality when clients become dangerous to themselves or others. It examines the basis for clinical confidentiality, presents methods for the evaluation of client dangerousness, and proposes legally and ethically permissible methods to breach confidentiality. The Danger-to-Self-or-Others Exception to Confidentiality contains case-law updates which should help practitioners with situations that require the breach of confidentiality. This text strives to clear up some of the confusing issues surrounding suicide evaluation, death with dignity, inherently dangerous populations, and the role of client commitment in the breach-of-confidentiality process. Ahia also discusses two important concepts - informed consent and privileged communication - as they relate to the rights of clients.