Is My Call Confidential?

Confidentiality is one of our most important policies. Every counselor signs a strict confidentiality agreement before they can enter our facility or talk with a caller. The critical importance of protecting confidentiality is emphasized during every phase of training and throughout employment in the call center. That being said, there are two circumstances in which we might need to break confidentiality:

• We are required by law to report the abuse or neglect of vulnerable persons (children, the disabled, the elderly, or otherwise vulnerable adults) when we have been given identifying information. However, the caller always has the option to talk about the abuse situation and to receive support without telling us identifying information such as names, locations, or phone numbers. If the caller does not choose to tell us such information, we have no means or requirement to file a report.


• We may, in very extreme circumstances, break confidentiality if we believe someone's life is in immediate danger. This is rare. No caller should assume that our staff will attempt to send help against their will. In the great majority of calls, we protect the caller's expressed wishes and confidentiality, even when we are worried. Often there is no way to find someone in trouble unless the caller has told us the location. Second, we believe that, unless the risk is very substantial, immediate, and certain, our most valuable role is to provide a trusted source of support to people in crisis.