38-2136. Mental health practitioners; confidentiality; exception.

No person who is licensed or certified pursuant to the Mental Health Practice Act or who holds a privilege to practice in Nebraska as a professional counselor under the Licensed Professional Counselors Interstate Compact shall disclose any information he or she may have acquired from any person consulting him or her in his or her professional capacity except:

(1) With the written consent of the person or, in the case of death or disability, of the person's personal representative, any other person authorized to sue on behalf of the person, or the beneficiary of an insurance policy on the person's life, health, or physical condition. When more than one person in a family receives therapy conjointly, each such family member who is legally competent to execute a waiver shall agree to the waiver referred to in this subdivision. Without such a waiver from each family member legally competent to execute a waiver, a practitioner shall not disclose information received from any family member who received therapy conjointly;

(2) As such privilege against disclosure is limited by the laws of the State of Nebraska or as the board may determine by rule and regulation;

(3) When the person waives the privilege against disclosure by bringing charges against the licensee;

(4) When there is a duty to warn under the limited circumstances set forth in section 38-2137; or

(5) When the disclosure of information is permitted under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law 104-191, or as otherwise permitted by law.

Source:Laws 1993, LB 669, § 54; Laws 1994, LB 1210, § 109; Laws 1999, LB 828, § 150; R.S.1943, (2003), § 71-1,335; Laws 2007, LB247, § 46; Laws 2007, LB463, § 753; Laws 2022, LB752, § 18; Laws 2023, LB50, § 20.
Effective Date: September 2, 2023

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