Contact Us

Our Confidentiality Policy

The Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern’s (OPEN’s) staff is comprised of licensed social workers, trained sexual assault counselors, confidential resource advisors, and social work interns supervised by a licensed social worker.  

In accordance with Northeastern University policy, OPEN staff members are considered Confidential Employees. This means that OPEN staff do not need to notify the Office for University Equity & Compliance when Northeastern community members disclose concerns related to sexual assault, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, stalking, sexual harassment, and/or gender-based harassment. 

Please be aware of the following exceptions to confidentiality. 

• A staff member is given explicit permission to share information by the person who disclosed that information (typically obtained through a signed Release of Information). 

• If a staff member has reason to believe that there is imminent danger of serious harm to yourself or others, OPEN staff may reveal that information and take appropriate steps to prevent harm. 

• If a staff member has reason to believe that a child under the age of eighteen (18), an elderly person (age 60 or older), or a person with a disability that impacts their access to decision making is being abused or neglected, the staff member is obligated to report this situation to the appropriate state agency. 

• A staff member is required by law, subpoena, or court order* to share information.

*While some OPEN employees have clinical licensure, our interactions with students are not legally privileged. This means that if a staff member received a subpoena, which is a court order requesting information from a specific person, the staff member would need to provide that information to the court. This could include meeting notes, or may require staff to provide personal recollections of the conversations with the student.