Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Privacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Supervisors seek legal review after staff raise questions on data access and HHS transition for mental-health advocates
Summary
Board members asked the county attorney to review a proposed contract and clarify who holds client records after a statewide transition of services and data systems; concerns centered on record custody and HIPAA implications for mental-health advocates.
Board members discussed an impending statewide transition of behavioral-health administration and related records that will take effect July 1; they asked the county attorney to review a contract for a mental-health advocate and clarify which party will hold client records.
A supervisor said the advocates currently key information into CSN (the Community Services Network) and questioned whether Wright County needs to sign an agreement to authorize access or transfer of records the state already holds. The supervisor asked the county attorney to review the contract and to advise whether Wright County should sign or defer to another entity that acts as fiscal agent. The board noted the transition is statewide and that county attorneys' associations may have already discussed the legal implications.
Why it matters: The question touches on data custody and HIPAA obligations. County officials sought assurance about who will be responsible for record storage and access once services move to a different administrative structure, and whether the county must sign agreements that affect protected health information.
The board did not take a formal vote on the contract at the meeting. Supervisors directed staff to send the contract to the county attorney for review and requested that the county attorney provide an opinion to the board prior to any county signature or binding action.
