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MS 0150 (1) Volume 1 – General Administration MS 0150 – R. 9/1/22 – OMTL-605 Confidentiality Requirements Disclosure of information concerning applicants and recipients of assistance or services from the Department of Community Based Services (DCBS) is limited to purposes directly connected with the administration of the program. Such purposes include establishing eligibility, determining amount of assistance, and providing services. A. Applicants and recipients must be protected from harassment and exploitation for political or commercial purposes. Case records or listings of these individuals may not be open for public inspection or used in any manner so as to become a part of public record. B. Respect the applicant’s/recipient’s right to privacy. 1. Do not conduct interviews with other individuals present unless the recipient consents. 2. Do not discuss or disclose information about the applicant/recipient with a collateral contact. 3. Do not discuss case situations informally or outside the office setting. 4. Do not provide any information by e-mail to the applicant/recipient. If you receive an e-mail from an applicant/recipient, respond with the following message: “I am not allowed to respond to e-mails regarding confidential information. Please call 1-855-306-8959 or come into the local office to discuss your request for information”. Before sending the e-mail, remove all confidential information, such as applicant’s/recipient’s name, social security number (SSN), or address, from the original e-mail, including the subject line. [5. Do not provide any specific information in a voicemail message to a generic voice mailbox or to a contact number that does not belong to the applicant/recipient. When a generic voicemail greeting is received, it is appropriate to state, “Hello. This is DCBS. Please call us back at 855-306­ 8959”. If calling another contact number, leave the same message.] C. All e-mail communication must be encrypted before it is sent outside of the state government e-mail system. Case information, including Personal Health Information (PHI), cannot be sent via unencrypted e-mail to agencies outside of the state government e-mail system. Encrypted communication is not sent to a recipient. 1. All e-mail messages should include the following confidentiality notice: “This electronic message is intended to be for the use only of the named recipient and may contain information that is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error or are not the