What governs ethical sharing of information within VASAP?

• A. Sharing only with identified parties under approved purposes and maintaining confidentiality.
• B. Share all client information with any partner agencies without consent.
• C. Share information for marketing purposes.
• D. Share only with the client but not with staff.

Answer: (B)

Ethical sharing hinges on protecting client confidentiality and sharing information only with people who need to know and for approved purposes. In VASAP practice, information should be shared on a need-to-know basis and only with identified parties for legitimate goals such as safety planning, coordinating services, or necessary reporting, while keeping details confidential whenever possible.

Sharing all client information with any partner agencies without consent breaks privacy rules and can cause real harm, which is why it’s not acceptable. Using information for marketing is outside the intended use of client data and undermines trust. Sharing only with the client and not with staff would hinder proper service delivery and coordination, since staff need access to relevant information to provide effective support, again within confidentiality and consent guidelines.