2.1.5 Safely Disclosing Information with Releases and Waivers
Unless you are legally mandated to report the survivor’s situation to authorities, you should never share personally-identifying information or information that the survivor has shares with you without a signed release or waiver from the survivor.
Advocates and their organizations must protect the confidentiality and privacy of the survivors they serve. This includes the safety of adult, youth and child survivors of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, sexual assault and stalking and includes the survivors’ families.
Regardless of whether or not the information has been protected, advocates and their organizations must not disclose, reveal or release any personally-identifying information or individuals’ information collected by the services they provide without a release or waiver.
It’s always the survivor’s decision to sign a release or waiver.
In the release or waiver, the survivor’s consent must be:
Informed,
Written, and
Reasonably time-limited.
It’s essential to provide the survivor with complete and accurate information about releases and waivers so that they can make a well-informed decision.
Information cannot be released if the perpetrator, who may be the survivor’s partner or guardian, signs the release form on the survivor’s behalf.