Security and Confidentiality in Mental Health Practice

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Are you looking for basic information about electronic security in your mental health practice?

This section covers just some of the basics, including software options for protecting electronic communications with clients and, for UK practitioners, brief notes on the Data Protection Act.

Case Study in Backup Strategy

This brief case study in backup strategy describes how I maintain backups of my own personal and practice data; while my own approach certainly won’t fit everybody’s needs, I believe it fits mine, and I hope some aspects of it might be useful to other practitioners. Our companion article on backup basics explains some of the underlying factors to consider when formulating your backup strategy — an essential part of your overall security planning.

Encryption Software in Mental Health Practice

As a mental health professional, you will have certain obligations — some legal, some ethical — regarding confidentiality and the security of materials related to your practice. The first part of this article offers some brief notes on the types of encryption solutions available, while the second part explores their advantages and disadvantages and offers specific software suggestions. A companion article comments on some ethical issues relating to encryption.

All clinical material on this site is peer reviewed by one or more clinical psychologists or other qualified mental health professionals. This specific article was originally published by on and was last reviewed or updated by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Managing Editor on .

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