Providing Confidential Healthcare for Teens
Give the teen a chance to ask questions on their own.
Teen clients are more likely to talk with you about sex and other sensitive topics if they have time with you on their own. Explain this to parents as early as you can in the visit. This may help them feel more comfortable with your policy. You may want to let them know in a letter when their son or daughter turns 12 or so. Letting them know ahead of time may help.
Explain confidential healthcare to parents:
- Tell them that teens have a legal right to consent and privacy.
- Explain that you will need to talk to their child directly and on their own.
- Let parents know that this is one way they can help keep their child safe and healthy.
- Point out that your policy helps teens be more responsible and independent.
- Let them know that this policy applies to all teens, not just their child.
- Make sure that parents know they can still ask questions and share concerns.
Ask parents to wait in the waiting room.
- Be polite.
- Ask parents to view client education materials in the waiting area.
- Tell them you will invite them back in a little later.
Try something like this:
I want to offer the best service I can to your son. To do that, I’d like to talk to Joshua on his own for a little while. I’d like to give him a chance to ask me any questions he might have or to talk about concerns he might have. Because we want to give him a chance to talk privately, I need to ask you to wait outside for a few minutes. I will call you back in soon.
Make the teen feel at home.
- Talk to the teen about his or her rights to services and privacy. Explain what services he or she can access and the limits of privacy laws. For example, you need to let them know when you must make a report to the police or Child Protective Services.
- Ask about any concerns he or she may have. Let the teen guide the conversation.
- Explain what you will do next. Let your client know what to expect during the physical exam and what you will need to ask about. Then conduct the physical exam and the interview.
- Prepare for the parents’ return. Confirm with the teen what information he or she would like to be shared with the parents and what should remain private.
- Invite the parents to re-join you and the teen.