Confidentiality Policy

Adopted by the Board of Directors on May 24, 2018 

Information that is considered personal, privileged, or private (e.g. financial information, medical conditions, etc.) may be disclosed to We Care intake volunteers or board members during the evaluation of applicants for emergency financial assistance. It is the policy of We Care that all such information concerning We Care applicants, former applicants, and their families is considered confidential. Confidential applicant information is not to be shared by volunteers and board members with any person outside of We Care, including their relatives, friends, and business and professional associates, unless released to do so by the applicant (as described below). 

“Confidential” means that volunteers and board members are free to talk about We Care in general terms, including their volunteer roles in the program, but are not permitted to disclose applicants’ names or talk about them in ways that will make their identity known. 

Applicant information may only be released with proper authorization, as noted by the applicant on the “Release of Information” form in the We Care application. Such authorized sharing of information is only to be used for the purposes of investigating and arranging assistance for the applicant with another agency or social service provider, or with the entity that will receive an assistance check from We Care (e.g. to verify rent due from a landlord). When such authorized release of confidential information occurs, only information central to the assistance being sought is to be shared, and it is only to be shared with the specific agency/entity involved. 

We Care intake volunteers in particular are cautioned to demonstrate professionalism, good judgment, and care to avoid unauthorized or inadvertent disclosures of confidential information. For example, volunteers should insure that interviews with applicants are conducted in a space that does not allow them to be inadvertently overheard by others. Volunteers should refrain from leaving confidential information contained in documents out in the open or on computer screens in clear view of others. We Care documents containing confidential information should always be stored securely to make them inaccessible to anyone not on the We Care staff. 

Importantly, application evaluation is conducted in a way that encourages and maintains confidentiality. Only the We Care intake volunteer has direct contact with the applicant or the application for assistance. The intake volunteer then discloses to the Board only information required to evaluate the applicant’s financial need, but no other personal information, including names, or contact information. 

Additionally, We Care staff members (i.e. board member and volunteers) are not permitted to disclose the identity or personal contact information (e.g. phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses) of another We Care staff member to persons outside of the We Care organization (e.g. applicants for assistance, employees of referral organizations, etc.), unless given expressed permission to do so by that other staff member. 

Upon the date of adoption by the board this policy replaces any previous We Care confidentiality policy.