The Office of the Executive Director of Community Care
is the primary agency contact with the media. All Community Care employees and contractees are prohibited from representing the agency in
the media without approval from the Executive Director. All media
communications must be channeled through the Community Care Executive Director
or designee.
1. Members of the media wishing to speak with any
Community Care employee, contractee, or client should
be directed to contact the Executive Director.
2. To protect the privacy and confidentiality of all
Community Care clients, no media representative is allowed to tour an agency
facility without the Executive Director's approval and must be accompanied by
an agency employee when such approval is granted.
3. When media requests are made outside of business
hours, the employee or contractee will call the
Community Care emergency pager service and request that the pager service
contact the Executive Director to inform the director of the situation. A phone
number should be left with the pager service where the caller can be reached.
4. At no time should a Community Care Employee or Contractee acknowledge the presence or absence of a client
being served by the agency to any media representative, caller, or individual
without a validated authorization or consent form. In the case where there is a
valid authorization or consent form all Community Care employees or contractees must forward requests for information to the
appropriate Community Care supervisor.
5. When permission is granted for media contact with
clients, or clients choose to participate in events such as fundraisers, the
client and/or the client's guardian are required to sign a consent form
outlining such participation. Community Care must inform all persons served
that such participation is strictly voluntary.
6. Community Care has legal counsel on retainer
allowing for consultation regarding matters involving disclosure to the media
of client information and associated risks. The Community Care Executive
Director or designee may access such consultation.
7. Anytime a Community Care client elects to speak
with the media, the agency will: a. explain Community Care's confidentiality
policy regarding information about the person served and other persons served;
b. obtain a signed statement from the person served stating that s/he has been
informed of and understands the confidential nature of certain client
information; and c. obtain a signed release of claims from the person served
discharging the organization from liability in the event that s/he voluntarily
or inadvertently discloses confidential information about him/herself or others.
8. Any request for information by the media should be
communicated to the office of the ED as soon as possible.
9. Any unauthorized media exposure of client
information should be reported to the offices of the Executive Director and the
agency�s HIPAA Privacy Officer as soon as possible.
10. All employees and contractees
are accountable to the agency Professional Conduct Policy: 7.ME.9, which states
that disclosure of confidential information may result in termination of
employment or contract status.