So here's what I want to write my memoir about:
I have been in a therapeutic treatment program for teens and young adults ages 18-26 for the past 2 and a half years. It's a residential facility, but it's not the psych ward or a mental hospital. It's a program - something that most people know nothing about. The amount of treatment programs is surprisingly large in the United States, but unless you were in one or have a family member or friend who was in one, you probably don't know about it. I want to share my experiences being in treatment with the world. Many of the other residents of the program have stories that I could include as well. I think it would be a very valuable book, and people would learn a lot about the American system of mental healthcare institutions.
I don't know if it is legal, though. With HIPPAA, a confidentiality contract I was told to sign when I entered the program, I can't legally talk about any other program resident's treatment plan until 2 years after we part. Does this mean I can't write this memoir? Is there a way around the rule?
Also, is it ethically right to write about such a thing? Let me know what you think.
I have been in a therapeutic treatment program for teens and young adults ages 18-26 for the past 2 and a half years. It's a residential facility, but it's not the psych ward or a mental hospital. It's a program - something that most people know nothing about. The amount of treatment programs is surprisingly large in the United States, but unless you were in one or have a family member or friend who was in one, you probably don't know about it. I want to share my experiences being in treatment with the world. Many of the other residents of the program have stories that I could include as well. I think it would be a very valuable book, and people would learn a lot about the American system of mental healthcare institutions.
I don't know if it is legal, though. With HIPPAA, a confidentiality contract I was told to sign when I entered the program, I can't legally talk about any other program resident's treatment plan until 2 years after we part. Does this mean I can't write this memoir? Is there a way around the rule?
Also, is it ethically right to write about such a thing? Let me know what you think.