CASE REVIEW
Schwan, Bailey
Southern New Hampshire University
HSE-340 Laws & Ethics in Human Services
, Introduction: Ethical Practices in Human Services
When working in a profession that involves working with individuals in a close setting, such
as in the medical or human services field, providers in these fields must maintain a degree of
confidentiality and abide by established laws to keep a person’s information private. The
National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) has established a code of ethics for human
service professionals that outlines the ethical expectations providers must uphold towards
themselves, their clients, their colleagues, students within the field of human services, employers
of human service professionals, the profession itself, and society as a whole. Within this code of
ethics, some standards address the ways a provider needs to handle confidential information and
the disclosure of it: Standard 8, Standard 9, and Standard 3.
A relevant standard outlined by the NOHS is Standard 8 which states “Human service
professionals are responsible for safeguarding the integrity, safety, and security of client records.
Client information, whether in written or electronic form, can only be shared with other
professionals with the client's prior written consent, unless required or allowed by law or during
professional supervision” (National Organization for Human Services, 2024). This standard
describes the parties that are allowed to access client information, the process for releasing the
client’s information, and situations that require releasing protected information without the
approval of the client. This standard also specifies that a client’s information is to be protected in
both electronic and written formats, which protects the client’s information in all record keeping
formats.
Standard 9 is also relevant to the ethical standards declared by NOHS. Standard 9 states
“When providing services through the use of technology, human service professionals take
Schwan, Bailey
Southern New Hampshire University
HSE-340 Laws & Ethics in Human Services
, Introduction: Ethical Practices in Human Services
When working in a profession that involves working with individuals in a close setting, such
as in the medical or human services field, providers in these fields must maintain a degree of
confidentiality and abide by established laws to keep a person’s information private. The
National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) has established a code of ethics for human
service professionals that outlines the ethical expectations providers must uphold towards
themselves, their clients, their colleagues, students within the field of human services, employers
of human service professionals, the profession itself, and society as a whole. Within this code of
ethics, some standards address the ways a provider needs to handle confidential information and
the disclosure of it: Standard 8, Standard 9, and Standard 3.
A relevant standard outlined by the NOHS is Standard 8 which states “Human service
professionals are responsible for safeguarding the integrity, safety, and security of client records.
Client information, whether in written or electronic form, can only be shared with other
professionals with the client's prior written consent, unless required or allowed by law or during
professional supervision” (National Organization for Human Services, 2024). This standard
describes the parties that are allowed to access client information, the process for releasing the
client’s information, and situations that require releasing protected information without the
approval of the client. This standard also specifies that a client’s information is to be protected in
both electronic and written formats, which protects the client’s information in all record keeping
formats.
Standard 9 is also relevant to the ethical standards declared by NOHS. Standard 9 states
“When providing services through the use of technology, human service professionals take
