Boundaries and Ethics
Confidentiality Basics for Shelter and Housing Staff
The everyday habits that protect client confidentiality at shelters and housing sites, and the common ways it gets broken.
Clients share some of the most private details of their lives with staff. Protecting that information is an ethical duty and, in many cases, a legal one. Most breaches are not deliberate. They happen through everyday carelessness.
What counts as confidential
Treat as confidential anything that identifies a client or reveals something about them: names, health and mental health information, substance use, immigration status, history, and even the fact that the person is staying at your site.
Need to know
Share client information only with people who need it to provide services, and only as much as they need.
Everyday habits
- Hold sensitive conversations in private, not at the front desk or in hallways.
- Lock your screen when you step away.
- Keep files and sign-in sheets out of view.
- Do not discuss clients in elevators, break rooms, or outside work.
- Send client information only through approved, secure channels.
- Shred paper. Do not put it in the regular trash.
When someone asks about a client
Callers and visitors may ask whether a person is staying at your site. Unless there is a signed release, a common practice is to neither confirm nor deny: "I'm not able to share information about who is or isn't here. I can take a message in case that person is a client."
This matters especially for people fleeing domestic violence.
Releases of information
Before sharing with an outside agency, make sure a current, signed release covers that agency and that information.
The limits of confidentiality
Confidentiality is not absolute. There are situations, such as a serious risk of harm or suspected abuse of a child or dependent adult, where staff may be required to report. Know your agency's policy and your own reporting duties, and explain these limits to clients at the start.
If a breach happens
Tell your supervisor immediately.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Follow your agency's policies and the laws that apply to your program. Our Boundaries and Ethics Training covers professional standards in depth.