For many survivors of intimate partner violence and abuse, their privacy and confidentiality is paramount to their safety. Victim service agencies play a significant role in ensuring that confidentiality and safety. Revealing personally identifying information about survivors who seek services or the details of their abuse to anyone without the survivors’ permission or knowledge can jeopardize their path to safety.
Yet victim service agencies may need to share information in many ways: with community partners, within community coordinated response teams, through referrals to other service providers, or in community-wide data collection initiatives.
This website will help guide agencies in understanding their obligations to confidentiality in accordance to federal laws, best practices to ensure survivor-centered services, when and how much information to keep, and how best to share information with others.