Sec. 18513.

(1) An individual registered or licensed under this part or an employee or officer of an organization that employs the registrant or licensee is not required to disclose a communication or a portion of a communication made by a client to the individual or advice given in the course of professional employment.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a communication between a registrant or licensee or an organization with which the registrant or licensee has an agency relationship and a client is a confidential communication. A confidential communication shall not be disclosed, except under either or both of the following circumstances:

(a) The disclosure is part of a required supervisory process within the organization that employs or otherwise has an agency relationship with the registrant or licensee.

(b) The privilege is waived by the client or a person authorized to act in the client's behalf.

(3) If requested by the court for a court action, a registrant or licensee shall submit to an appropriate court a written evaluation of the prospect or prognosis of a particular client without disclosing a privileged fact or a privileged communication. An attorney representing a client who is the subject of an evaluation described in this subsection has the right to receive a copy of the evaluation. If required for the exercise of a public purpose by a legislative committee, a registrant or licensee or agency representative may make available statistical and program information without violating the privilege established under subsection (2).

(4) A registrant or licensee may disclose a communication or a portion of a communication made by a client pursuant to section 946 of the mental health code, 1974 PA 258, MCL 330.1946, in order to comply with the duty set forth in that section.

History: Add. 2000, Act 11, Imd. Eff. Mar. 7, 2000 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 61, Eff. July 1, 2005