There are multiple federal health privacy laws that may apply to student mental health information. To assist mental health professionals working in schools in understanding how the federal health privacy laws apply to student mental health information, the MHTTC Network and the Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information (CoE-PHI) hosted a two-part virtual learning series that aimed to:
- Describe how federal health privacy laws (e.g., HIPAA and FERPA) apply to student mental health information
- Explain how student mental health information can be protected and shared in compliance with federal health privacy laws
- Discuss common scenarios involving student mental health information that arise in school settings through case study discussions led by clinical and legal experts
- Demonstrate how relevant resources and technical assistance can be accessed through the MHTTC Network and the CoE-PHI
Session 1: Tuesday, March 14, 2023 @ 1-2pm ET focused on the importance of protecting and sharing student mental health information. Subject matter experts also provided an overview of the federal health privacy laws that apply to student mental health information.
Session 2: Thursday, March 16, 2023 @ 1-2pm ET built upon the learnings from Session 1 by reviewing common scenarios in school settings that involve student mental health information. Subject matter experts led a discussion about clinical and legal considerations for each scenario.
Additional notes: Each session was 60 minutes and included interactive activities and time for Q&A. Certificates of completion are available to viewers of 50% (30 minutes) or more of the live sessions. CEUs are not available for these sessions. Please note that sessions were recorded and are available for free access below. Questions? Reach out to Jessica Gonzalez at jegonzalez@stanford.edu.
While all school administrators and personnel are welcome to view the recordings, this program was specifically aimed toward school-based health and mental health professionals, including:
- Health and mental health providers employed by a school district
- Community providers contracted by a school district to work on site at a school
- School-Based Health Center providers