Section 72621 Of Article 2. Counseling Services From California Education Code >> Division 7. >> Title 3. >> Part 45. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 2.
72621
. Any information of a personal nature disclosed by a student
12 years of age or older in the process of receiving counseling from
a school counselor as specified in Section 72620 is confidential. Any
information of a personal nature disclosed to a school counselor by
a parent or guardian of a student who is 12 years of age or older and
who is in the process of receiving counseling from a school
counselor as specified in Section 72620 is confidential. The
information shall not become part of the student record, as defined
in Section 76210, without the written consent of the person who
disclosed the confidential information. The information shall not be
revealed, released, discussed, or referred to, except as follows:
(a) Discussion with psychotherapists as defined by Section 1010 of
the Evidence Code, other health care providers, or the college
nurse, for the sole purpose of referring the student for treatment.
(b) Reporting of child abuse or neglect as required by Article 2.5
(commencing with Section 11165) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4 of
the Penal Code.
(c) Reporting information to the chief administrative officer or
parents of the student when the school counselor has reasonable cause
to believe that disclosure is necessary to avert a clear and present
danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the student or the
following other persons living in the school community:
administrators, teachers, school staff, parents, students, and other
school community members.
(d) Reporting information to the chief administrative officer,
other persons inside the college, as necessary, the parents of the
student, and other persons outside the school when the student
indicates that a crime, involving the likelihood of personal injury
or significant or substantial property losses, will or has been
committed.
(e) Reporting information to one or more persons specified in a
written waiver after this written waiver of confidence is read and
signed by the student and preserved in the student's file.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a school counselor
shall not disclose information deemed to be confidential pursuant to
this section to the parents of the student when the school counselor
has reasonable cause to believe that the disclosure would result in
a clear and present danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the
student.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a school counselor
shall disclose information deemed to be confidential pursuant to
this section to law enforcement agencies when ordered to do so by
order of a court of law, to aid in the investigation of a crime, or
when ordered to testify in any administrative or judicial proceeding.
Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit access to pupil
records as provided in Section 76243.
Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit the counselor
from conferring with other staff members, as appropriate, regarding
modification of the student's academic program.
It is the intent of the Legislature that counselors use the
privilege of confidentiality under this section to assist the pupil
whenever possible to communicate more effectively with parents, staff
members, and others.
No person required by this section to keep information discussed
during counseling confidential shall incur any civil or criminal
liability as a result of keeping that information confidential.
As used in this section, "information of a personal nature" does
not include routine objective information related to academic and
career counseling.