Obtaining Mental Health Records

[TMBS]

Thank you to the person who steered me to this site! I've spent three hours looking through the site, reading posts, and enjoying the information that I am obtaining. However, I have not been able to find an example letter to send to a psychologist to obtain copies of my ds meetings and to speak with his counselor so that I am able to be involved and help my ds with the transition between his father and myself. I have seen letter to doctors and schools but are there specific letters for counselors/therapists/psychologists? I am lost as to how to change the information in the doctors example letters to be specified to this professional. I appreciate any help you all can give to this newbie to the board. Thank you so much! I'm off to read more information here, and thank you again to the person who steered me here!

[Waylon]

There are some sample forms for the release of medical records on the site here, but something like this may also work:



Dear Dr. ____________________________:

This letter will authorize you to provide a copy, summary, or narrative of treatment records for <NAME OF PATIENT> (as indicated by the check mark(s) below) or to otherwise release confidential information. I am the parent of this minor child and as such have the legal right to all medical records associated with him/her.

At this time I am requesting the following:

__________ Complete record

__________ Records of care from _____________________ to ________________ only

__________ Records of care concerning the following condition(s)

______________________________________________________________________________

__________ Other. Specify: ______________________________________________________

__________ Confer with other person orally about information in my medical record

[TMBS]

Thank you for your time and assistance Waylon!

[Waylon]

You're welcome.

[TMBS]

If I use the "Obtaining your child's medical records" form, do I still state "medical information" if I am trying to obtain his records that pertain to his mental health? Also, am I still allowed to use the sentence about not having the right to ask permission from anyone according to state and federal law or is this in only certain states? I have joint legal custody of my son, with the father having primary physical custody of the child.
Thank you for your assistance!

[TMBS]

Also could someone direct me to the HIPPA laws and the FERPA laws in which I am hearing about on this site that I can send a copy to the counselor/doctors and the schools?
Thank you again!

[Waylon]

If you go here and search for "ferpa", you'll find quite a few pages:

http://deltabravo.net/cgi-bin/search.cgi (http://deltabravo.net/cgi-bin/search.cgi)

We don't have anything on HIPPA at this time.

Also could someone direct me to the HIPPA laws and the FERPA laws in which I am hearing about on this site that I can send a copy to the counselor/doctors and the schools?
Thank you again!

[bloom6372]

Search for HIPPA LAWS on your favorite search engine. It will show up

[ocean]

HIPPA laws are the privacy laws and the paper every dr office hands you and they make you sign that you received it.
Some dr's have used the HIPPA law to say the records are private BUT if you send them joint legal custody papers and proof you are the parent, they can not deny you. Some people have put into their court orders "the parent that brings child to dr, will sign a release of records for other parent to get full medical records of each visit".

Mental health- you may not get too much info because the dr will say it is a privacy with child. You should get any diagnosis and treatment plan though. I would be very nice and make an appointment with therapist. Then go in there and introduce yourself, ask if there is anything you can do, ask for a joint session with child in the future. Tell your side without bashing other parent, Bring evidence or court documents to state your side. Make sure they have the facts about the case.

[TMBS]

Thank you so much for all the information you all are providing me! I appreciate it very much!