Who should have access to client files?

Access to client files should be restricted to only those involved in providing clinical services. This is primarily due to the need for confidentiality and ensuring that sensitive information is protected. Clients have the right to confidentiality regarding their treatment, and limiting access helps to safeguard their personal and medical information.

Those directly involved in clinical services must be privy to relevant client information to deliver effective care. This includes counselors, therapists, and other professionals who are actively working with the client and need access to the client's history, diagnoses, treatment plans, and progress notes to make informed decisions regarding their care.

While clients themselves generally have the right to access their files, which supports transparency and their own involvement in treatment, the focus of the question centers on who needs access for treatment purposes. Administrative assistants, while crucial for managing records, typically do not handle clinical decisions or provide direct care, which further emphasizes the importance of limiting access to those directly involved in the therapeutic process.