Ethical Standards, Professional Disclosure, Informed Consent, and Confidentiality
Ethical standards and disclosure
Oregon’s Board rules adopt ethical standards for licensees and also require a professional disclosure statement. The disclosure must be given before services begin and must identify the licensee, license type, business address, fees, confidentiality limits, and the Board’s complaint contact. Informed consent is broader than a signature: it is an ongoing conversation about goals, methods, risks, alternatives, fees, and the limits of confidentiality. Consent must be developmentally and linguistically appropriate.
Confidentiality and its limits
Confidentiality is the default, but Oregon law and ethics recognize exceptions: client waiver, court order, serious danger to self or others, abuse reporting, and Board or legal proceedings as authorized. With minors, the counselor should clarify who holds consent and what will be shared with parents or guardians, while preserving the minor’s trust as much as the law allows. Privilege is an evidentiary rule; confidentiality is an ethical and legal duty. They overlap but are not identical.
Worked example
A 15-year-old client discloses that a 19-year-old coworker is sexually involved with her. The counselor first checks mandatory reporting and statutory sexual-offense rules, then explains the limits of confidentiality in advance or at disclosure. The counselor does not promise blanket secrecy. The counselor documents the disclosure, the risk assessment, the reporting decision, and any consultation.
Traps
Do not use a single generic consent form for every client. Do not promise absolute confidentiality. Do not confuse HIPAA with the Board’s disclosure rule. Do not disclose to parents automatically without considering the minor’s consent rights and the safety issue.