How should CPS handle confidentiality when families are involved?

• A. Never involve family under any circumstance.
• B. Share all information with family without consent.
• C. Protect client privacy, obtain client consent for sharing information with family when appropriate, and maintain boundaries.
• D. Keep records secret even from client.

Answer: (C)

Confidentiality means protecting what the client shares and only disclosing it to others with permission, especially when family involvement is involved. When families are part of the support system, the CPS should protect the client’s privacy by sharing information with family only if the client explicitly consents and only to the extent needed to support the client’s goals. It’s also about maintaining clear boundaries—sharing enough to help family support recovery without exposing private details the client doesn’t want shared.

This approach works because it builds trust: clients are more willing to engage and be open if they know their privacy is respected and that sharing with family is done with their input. It also recognizes that family can be a resource, but their involvement should be guided by the client’s preferences and limits set by professional boundaries.

By contrast, never involving family disregards opportunities for support that families can provide and ignores the client’s choices. Sharing all information with family without consent breaches privacy and undermines trust. Keeping records secret from the client ignores the client’s right to access their own information and to know what is in their file.