Tipsters,
Regarding the partner who is HIV+, I believe that the ethical contract is
dependent on who is the client. If the couple came in for couples therapy,
your contract is with the pair, and the practitioner should not agree to
keep secrets from the other member when in an individual session.
If the client is the individual, Tarasoff does not apply unless the client
says that his intent is to infect his partner (hence, along the same lines
as the threat in the Tarasoff case). Even with such a statement, it would
still be iffy to justify violating the client-practitioner confidentiality
(probably wouldn't hold up in criminal court but in civil).
Reporting to a health agency would definitely violate client-practitioner
confidentiality.
My .02,
Rob Weisskirch, MSW, Ph.D.
Department of Child and Adolescent Studies
California State University, Fullerton
P.O. Box 6868
Fullerton, CA 92834-6868
(714) 278-2896
