Client Bill of RightsCounseling Center

As a consumer of psychological services offered by mental health therapists licensed by the state of Minnesota, you have the right:

To expect that a mental health therapist has met the minimal qualifications of training and experience required by state law;
To examine public records maintained by the a therapists' licensing board, which contain the credentials of a mental health therapist (see reporting complaints section below for board contact information);
To obtain a copy of the rules of conduct from the State Register and Public Documents Division, Department of Administration, 117 University Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55155;
To report complaints about Licensed Psychologists (LP) to the Board of Psychology contact the MN Board of Psychology; for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC), and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC) contact the MN Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy; for Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW) contact the MN Board of Social Work; and for Licensed Mariage and Family Therapists (LMFT) contact the MN Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.
To be informed of the cost of professional services before receiving the services;
To be provided with a non-technical explanation about the nature and purpose of the psychological procedures to be used in your treatment, upon request
To be free from being the object of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, or other unlawful category while receiving psychological services;
To be free from exploitation for the benefit or advantage of the mental health therapist;
To privacy as defined by rule and law;
To have access to your records as provided in Minnesota Statutes section 144.291 to 144.298, except as otherwise provided by law or prior written agreement

Upon request, the mental health therapist will supply complete and current information in non-technical language about your diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis
Upon written request, the mental health therapist will promptly furnish copies of your records or, with your consent, a summary of the record
If the mental health therapist reasonably determines that the information you have requested would be detrimental to your physical and mental health, the mental health therapist may withhold that information from you and supply it instead to an appropriate third party or other treatment provider. That third party or treatment provider may release the information to you.
The mental health therapist may also withhold information that you have requested if prior to your request that therapist has defined and described a specific basis for withholding that information

To be informed about disclosures of your private records that may be made without your written consent. Your information shared with the mental health therapist will be kept confidential unless you are in imminent risk of hurting yourself, you are in imminent risk of hurting another person, you know of minors or vulnerable adults who are being hurt or neglected, or you are a woman who is pregnant and using certain classes of illicit drugs. In those situations, appropriate emergency or health care personnel will be contacted in order to address those safety issues. If you have been exploited or abused by a previous psychological treatment provider, that provider’s licensing board will be contacted. Additionally, if a subpoena is issued and requires that a copy of your counseling records be turned over, the mental health therapist will be required to provide a copy of your records to comply with the court order
To terminate services at any time, except as otherwise provided by law or court order

If you have concerns about the services you have been provided, you may also choose to file a complaint to your counselor’s supervisor. Overseeing the Counseling Center is Dr. Hannah Repp, hgodbout@gustavus.edu 507-933-7027.