LIFELINE Employee Assistance Program

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Confidentiality and the LIFELINE Program

The HealthQuest LIFELINE Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers a wide array of services. The success of the program depends, in large part, on the confidential nature of the program and the very strict laws protecting your private information.

As most of you know, the LIFELINE program was initiated in 1988 and is an excellent education, information and short-term counseling resource available to benefits eligible State of Kansas employees and their immediate family members. The LIFELINE program is designed to help deal with life’s ups and downs--those day-to-day stresses we all encounter.

Since its inception in 1988, the LIFELINE program has been used by thousands of employees and their dependents and there has not been a single instance of confidentiality breach. It is important to also note that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that communications between counselors/therapists and their clients are privileged and therefore protected from forced disclosure in cases arising under state or federal law.

Points to Remember

Below are a few important points to remember about the confidential nature of the LIFELINE program.

• The LIFELINE program knows that in order to be successful, it must adhere to strict confidentiality protocols. Confidentiality is fundamental to the success of the counseling relationship; without it, employees and their family members would be very reluctant to utilize the service.
• Information given to the LIFELINE program is not released without the express written consent of the person whose information is being released. If information is ever released, the information will be very specific in terms of to whom the information can be released, what specific information is being released and the purpose for the release of information.
• Services for the LIFELINE program are provided by an outside firm. The vendor, Alternatives has been providing EAP services since 1982 an impeccable record of maintaining confidentiality. To further strengthen the privacy rights of the client, Alternatives has been certified by the Utilization Review and Accreditation Commission (URAC) that their record keeping and care management protocols complies with all laws related to confidentiality.
  

Limitation to Confidentiality

Legal confidentiality requirements are based on state and federal statutes, common law, and on professional codes of ethics. Confidentiality and the duty to protect information obtained from a client is not absolute under the law. It is important to note that there are three exceptions to the laws protecting confidentiality of your records.

1. In the courtroom, the duty to maintain confidentiality is not a legally recognized justification to disobey a court order to disclose information that is relevant to a case.
2. Any instance of suspected child abuse and neglect must be reported to appropriate State or local authorities.
3. Also, when a client seriously threatens to harm themselves or someone else, law enforcement personnel must be informed.

Questions About Confidentiality?

If you have any questions regarding the LIFELINE program and confidentiality, please call the 24 hour LIFELINE at 800-284-7575.

For questions or concerns, contact the LIFELINE program administrator at 785-296-4304.