Client Notice of Rights / Confidentiality
As a client of Domestic Violence & Abuse Center, Inc. (DVAC), you have the following rights regarding the confidentiality of your personal information and communications with DVAC staff and volunteers:
The information that you provide to DVAC will be kept confidential to the greatest extent allowed by law.
You may choose what information you want to provide to DVAC. You will not be denied access to services if you choose not to provide certain identifying information.
The information that you provide to DVAC, including your name, address, phone number, and other personal information will not be shared with other individuals or agencies without your permission except in life threatening situations or instances of child and/or dependent abuse.
DVAC staff may be required by law to report certain situations even if you don't give them permission to share or report the situations, such as suspected child abuse or neglect. Staff and advocates will inform you of any such report and what information will be shared. Even when these reports are made, DVAC should not share information beyond what is required by law.
Information about the types of services provided and overall demographics (e.g., age, income ranges, average number of children, and ethnicities) of people that use DVAC's services must be shared with agencies that fund DVAC. However, information that could specifically identify you as a person who used DVAC's services will never be shared unless specifically authorized by you in writing.
After your intake with DVAC, you may choose to be referred to other agencies for additional help. Agencies we partner with include, but are not limited to: Law enforcement, State's Attorney's office, counseling services, Social Services, Victim Assistance Program, and local housing programs.
You can decide how much or how little of your personal information DVAC will or will not share with each partner agency. You will be told, in general, what each partner's obligations are to keep your information confidential. If you choose to have DVAC share some of your personal information with an agency we partner with, you will be told exactly what information will be shared. If you later decide that you don't want the information you have provided to be shared with any of DVAC's partners, let us know and we won't share any more information with those partners.