Family Treatment Court information sharing

Information sharing in Family Treatment Court (FTC) follows strict confidentiality guidelines, allowing authorized team members to exchange treatment progress updates, while ensuring sensitive documents, evaluations, personal reflections, and court orders are handled securely to support recovery, reunification, and case planning.

1. A HIPAA Authorization and 42 C.F.R. Part 2 Consent allow the FTC Coordinator, FTC Clinician, and the providers to share information with each other for the purpose of informing the FTC Team of a Participant’s engagement and progress in treatment and to support the FTC Team as they work with the Participant to formulate and update a plan for recovery and reunification.
2. The Worksheet given by the FTC Coordinator to Team Members may not be further duplicated, and its contents may not be divulged to any person not on the Team. Participants, other parents, and children may be informed about its content but shall not possess a copy. DCF shall not quote it in DCF narratives or the DCF record. The content may be used by the professional who received it to follow up on Participant needs and adjust services to better support recovery and reunification. The document will be collected at the end of each Team Meeting.
3. An attorney for a Participant may seek and secure an evaluation conducted by a retained expert. This evaluation may be shared in its entirety within the FTC case context, without waiving privilege, or a summary may be provided to the DCF social worker outside of the FTC protection.
4. The Judge and Coordinator may ask questions or share information in the Court Session that highlight the Participant’s progress. The Judge may ask questions regarding progress, 12 challenges and barriers, and the Participant will have an opportunity to reflect and respond.
5. The Participant will be periodically asked to write reflections on their recovery process. These will be reviewed by the Judge and held by the Coordinator. They may be discussed in the Team Meeting and/or Court Session. With the Participant’s express permission, their identifying information may be removed, and the reflection used in promotional materials for the FTC.
6. The Participant will be asked to write a personal statement as they approach advancement from phase to phase in the FTC. These statements will be reviewed by the Judge and held by the Coordinator. The Participant will be invited to read this statement in the Court Session when the Judge, in consultation with the Team, has decided they are ready to advance to the next phase of the FTC.
7. The Court Order issued after each Court Session may include specific information about a Participant’s engagement in treatment and screens as well as recommendations for case plan modification, phase transitions, and changes in parenting time.

Last updated:	January 1, 2024