Heightened Level of Security - Confidentiality Guidelines
There are general provisions under the Fair Information Practices Act the Department must follow regarding the collection, maintenance and disclosure of personal confidential information about applicants and clients (hereafter referred to as clients).
It is important to safeguard a client’s confidential information contained in both the physical case record and in the Electronic Case Folder (ECF).
No information regarding a case should be given by telephone unless you are absolutely certain as to the identity of the caller. When in doubt, offer to call the caller back before responding to the call. Use the phone number listed in the client’s ECF.
No specific case information should be given to individuals (e.g., landlord, school official, charitable organization, representative, employer, legislative official, media) other than the client without the written consent of the client.
The Department offers an additional security measure to safeguard client information, through the use of the heightened level of security indicator, when requested by a client. The heightened level of security indicator is a systems feature that can be used as a means of flagging a client’s case as needing increased confidentiality safeguards.
When the client chooses to use the heightened level of security indicator, no information whatsoever will be given over the telephone to anyone, including the client.
Related Topics
Heightened Level of Security Policy and Procedures