CLIENT RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Widener University's Counseling Center aims to conform to the Ethical Standards of the American Psychological Association. As a client of the center, you have the following rights and responsibilities.

If you have questions or concerns regarding these rights and responsibilities, please discuss them with us before entering counseling at the center.

You have the right to:

1. Full and complete knowledge of your therapist's qualifications and training.
2. Full and complete knowledge of the terms under which services will be provided to you.
3. A detailed explanation, prior to treatment, of the purpose and nature of any procedure or form of therapy that is recommended to you by a member of the Counseling Center's staff.
4. Refuse evaluation or treatment - unless such evaluation or treatment is court-ordered.
5. Have a summary or other pertinent information from your files shared with any other party so long as you provide the center with a written request for the release/transmittal of this information. Your right to this information is balanced against the Counseling Center's obligation to exercise "therapeutic privilege" and not share information with you if we believe this would be harmful to you. The physical record remains the property of the Counseling Center, and Pennsylvania law requires that we maintain these records for seven years.
6. Meet with an intern, practicum student, or licensed member of our staff with whom you feel comfortable, including the right to request a change of staff if you so desire.
7. Know the name of the person who is supervising the services you are receiving from an intern or practicum student working at the center.
8. Question the treatment recommendations made to you, and be informed of the safety and efficacy of the recommended approach, as well as of alternative approaches and their safety and efficacy.
9. Question the adequacy of the treatment which you are receiving and/or the competence of the staff person working with you, question or bring complaint about the adequacy or competence to the attention of the staff person's superior, or file a formal complaint regarding these matters with relevant professional bodies or judicial entities.
10. Request a copy of the ethics codes and other guidelines and procedures that govern the services that you are receiving at the Center.
11. Terminate treatment at any time or, in the case of court-ordered or administratively (university) ordered treatment, refuse to participate in therapy - but recognizing that you may face legal or administrative (university) consequences as a result of such refusal to pursue treatment.
12. Receive a summary of the results of your testing/assessment at the center and, when appropriate, recommendations for addressing issues identified by the testing/assessment.
13. Have any and all information regarding services that you receive at the center withheld from any person or organization - except in cases where you are receiving services on a court-ordered or administratively (university) ordered basis, in cases where it is judged that you are at risk of harming yourself or someone else, in cases that you are abusing a child, or in cases where such information is subpoenaed in a criminal judicial proceeding.