Hawaii Health Department Instructs Child Therapists to Hide 'LGBTQ' Identity from Parents

Emily Mangiaracina : Aug 2, 2023
LIfeSiteNews.com

"...'Be careful about what you document' ... If a youth is not 'Out' to their parents but discloses their identity to their therapist, the therapist could inadvertently inform the parents if they document this information in the medical record and if the parent requests a copy of that record." -Kimberly Allen, chair of the Safe Spaces Committee

[LifeSiteNews.com] The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) has advised staff and graduate students at the University of Hawaii not to document the "LGBTQ+" status of youth with whom they work in order to hide the information from parents. (Screengrab image)

Fox News recently obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request a training presentation entitled "Affirming practice with LGBTQ+ youth," which was presented to staff and graduate students at the university's Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy on May 5 by members of the Hawaii DOH's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division's Safe Spaces Committee.

"Be careful about what you document—parents may be able to access the information," the presentation stated in a slide about confidentiality, according to Fox News.

"It should ALWAYS be the LGBTQ+ person's decision to whom and when they disclose their orientation or identity. Being LGBTQ+ is not a safety risk, but being out could be," the same slide read, further reminding viewers to "be aware of Hawaii's age of consent for mental health services law for youth 14 and older."

Asked about the caution regarding documenting information regarding "LGBTQ+" students, Kimberly Allen, chair of the Safe Spaces Committee, told Fox News, "When we say, 'Be careful about what you document,' we convey that clinicians, when deciding what words to use in documentation, should carefully consider the youth's individual situation and any harm that may arise from writing about a youth's identity in the medical record."

"If a youth is not 'Out' to their parents but discloses their identity to their therapist, the therapist could inadvertently inform the parents if they document this information in the medical record and if the parent requests a copy of that record," Allen continued.

The Hawaii Department of Health has noted that Hawaii's minor consent law allows "youth 14 years of age or older" to "consent to outpatient mental health services without the consent, knowledge or participation of their parents or legal guardians, upon consultation and agreement of their licensed therapist."

The training presentation warned that LGBTQ youth in Hawaii may be surrounded by those who defy the state's progressive stance on sexuality and gender identity, including religious leaders.

"Realize that even though we live in a more liberal and affirming state, individuals' experiences will be impacted by those around them who may be rejecting (family members, peers, school personnel, religious leaders, politicians)," the presentation states... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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