Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse Sample Clauses

Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse. Changes to Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law have been made, effective December 31, 2014, which have made it necessary for our practice to modify our statement of confidentiality in our work with our clients. It has always been PHA’s practice that the limits of confidentiality come into play when there are concerns about someone’s physical or emotional safety to themselves or to others. We want our clients to be aware of the following changes, which broaden the requirements of mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse, as follows: • If the psychologist working with you has reason to suspect, on the basis of their professional judgment, that a child is being or has been abused, he/she is required by law to report their suspicions to the authority or government agency vested to conduct child abuse investigations (i.e., Children and Youth Services). • Our therapists are mandated to report suspected child abuse if anyone aged 14 or older tells them that he or she committed child abuse, even if the victim is no longer in danger. • Our therapists are also mandated to report suspected child abuse if anyone tells them that he or she knows of any child who is currently being abused. We are required to make such reports even if we do not actually see the child in our professional capacity (i.e., they are not clients). Be assured that, while our clinicians take seriously their responsibilities as mandated reporters of abuse, at the same time we are aware of the stress, anxiety, inconvenience, and distress that such reporting can sometimes place on the families and loved ones of the very people we are trying to help. Our commitment to our clients is that, in instances of mandated reporting, we will handle those situations not only responsibly, but also compassionately and sensitively.

Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse. Notwithstanding the above, Collaborative Child Specialists and Coaches are licensed mental health practitioners who must report discovered child abuse to legal authorities, pursuant to Minnesota statutory law.