There is a misleading statement in a PAW article (“Religious Life Office Supports Student Mental Health,” March issue). The article refers to a chaplain saying that she emphasizes confidentiality. The next sentence reads: “Chaplains are confidential resources and are not mandated reporters.” The implication could be that students are better off seeking help from chaplains rather than psychotherapists or counselors.
In my state, Illinois, psychotherapists and counselors, and indeed all teachers, are “mandated reporters.” “Reporting,” however, refers to reporting child abuse. Confidentiality, with that exception (an exception that would be irrelevant to students in virtually all situations), remains a central and sacred requirement for psychotherapists and counselors. It turns out, though, that the law is different in New Jersey than in Illinois. In New Jersey, there is no special requirement for psychotherapists and counselors to be mandated reporters. Everyone, and that includes clergy, is considered a mandated reporter and is required to report child abuse to the State Central Registry.
My main point is that no student, nor anyone else, should avoid seeing a psychotherapist or counselor because of concerns about confidentiality. Let me add that I have no doubt that Princeton’s clergy play an invaluable role in supporting student mental health.
Editor’s note: Under the University’s confidential resource guidelines, counselors and chaplains are not required to report incidents of sexual misconduct that are shared with them. “This allows individuals to explore their options in a non-pressured environment while they make informed decisions,” according to Princeton’s sexual misconduct and Title IX website. Cases involving child abuse are among the exceptions to this policy.
There is a misleading statement in a PAW article (“Religious Life Office Supports Student Mental Health,” March issue). The article refers to a chaplain saying that she emphasizes confidentiality. The next sentence reads: “Chaplains are confidential resources and are not mandated reporters.” The implication could be that students are better off seeking help from chaplains rather than psychotherapists or counselors.
In my state, Illinois, psychotherapists and counselors, and indeed all teachers, are “mandated reporters.” “Reporting,” however, refers to reporting child abuse. Confidentiality, with that exception (an exception that would be irrelevant to students in virtually all situations), remains a central and sacred requirement for psychotherapists and counselors. It turns out, though, that the law is different in New Jersey than in Illinois. In New Jersey, there is no special requirement for psychotherapists and counselors to be mandated reporters. Everyone, and that includes clergy, is considered a mandated reporter and is required to report child abuse to the State Central Registry.
My main point is that no student, nor anyone else, should avoid seeing a psychotherapist or counselor because of concerns about confidentiality. Let me add that I have no doubt that Princeton’s clergy play an invaluable role in supporting student mental health.
Editor’s note: Under the University’s confidential resource guidelines, counselors and chaplains are not required to report incidents of sexual misconduct that are shared with them. “This allows individuals to explore their options in a non-pressured environment while they make informed decisions,” according to Princeton’s sexual misconduct and Title IX website. Cases involving child abuse are among the exceptions to this policy.