Procedures
for Presenting the Release Form and Obtaining Consent
Collaboratives need to determine procedures for presenting the release form to clients and obtaining their consent. The service provider generally has this responsibility. The request should be presented at the proper time--after a feeling of trust has developed between the client and the service provider--and with a clear explanation of the consent process. The service provider should explain what is being asked and why, as well as "how it will benefit children and their families, the kind of information in the system, who will be allowed to view it, and the parent's right to know who is looking at a child's records" (Greenberg & Levy, 1992, p. 17). There should be an opportunity for the parent to ask questions. The parent should then be asked to "explain his or her understanding of the system and how the family might benefit before signing the consent" (Greenberg & Levy, 1992, p. 17).
Davis and Ritchie (1993, p. 26) provide the following guidelines for a school counselor to determine if a client (either the student or the parent/guardian if the student is a minor) understands the concept of informed consent. These guidelines also can be applied to other situations in which a service provider wishes to determine the adequacy of informed consent.
Before they present the release form to a client, service providers must understand the form being used, the benefits of consent, and the consequences if the client declines to authorize release (Greenberg & Levy, 1992).
