In re Jacklyn H.

CourtConnecticut Appellate Court
DecidedFebruary 2, 2016
DocketAC37746
StatusPublished

This text of In re Jacklyn H. (In re Jacklyn H.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Connecticut Appellate Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Jacklyn H., (Colo. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

****************************************************** The ‘‘officially released’’ date that appears near the beginning of each opinion is the date the opinion will be published in the Connecticut Law Journal or the date it was released as a slip opinion. The operative date for the beginning of all time periods for filing postopinion motions and petitions for certification is the ‘‘officially released’’ date appearing in the opinion. In no event will any such motions be accepted before the ‘‘officially released’’ date. All opinions are subject to modification and technical correction prior to official publication in the Connecti- cut Reports and Connecticut Appellate Reports. In the event of discrepancies between the electronic version of an opinion and the print version appearing in the Connecticut Law Journal and subsequently in the Con- necticut Reports or Connecticut Appellate Reports, the latest print version is to be considered authoritative. The syllabus and procedural history accompanying the opinion as it appears on the Commission on Official Legal Publications Electronic Bulletin Board Service and in the Connecticut Law Journal and bound volumes of official reports are copyrighted by the Secretary of the State, State of Connecticut, and may not be repro- duced and distributed without the express written per- mission of the Commission on Official Legal Publications, Judicial Branch, State of Connecticut. ****************************************************** IN RE JACKLYN H. ET AL.* (AC 37746) Sheldon, Keller and Sullivan, Js. Argued September 11, 2015—officially released February 2, 2016

(Appeal from Superior Court, judicial district of Litchfield, Juvenile Matters at Torrington, Ginocchio, J.) Joshua Michtom, assistant public defender, for the appellant (respondent father). Jane R. Rosenberg, assistant attorney general, with whom, on the brief, was George Jepsen, attorney gen- eral for the appellee (intervenor Judicial Branch). Opinion

KELLER, J. This appeal requires us to wander into the thicket of statutory provisions affecting the disclo- sure of privileged medical communications and records, particularly those pertaining to an individual’s mental health. On May 15, 2014, the Commissioner of Children and Families (petitioner) filed neglect peti- tions on behalf of the minor children of the respondent father, Thomas H. (respondent). Two of his children, Jacklyn H. and Jillian H., were adjudicated neglected after both of the respondent parents pleaded nolo con- tendere to one of the grounds alleged for neglect. There- after, the children were committed to the custody of the petitioner on February 25, 2015. The respondent appeals from a postjudgment order of the trial court, Ginocchio, J., denying his revised motion for order seeking the return or destruction of copies of a court- ordered psychological evaluation report that the Judi- cial Branch released to a juvenile probation officer in response to her e-mail request, after the clerk of the court determined the release was authorized by General Statutes § 46b-124 (b) (1) (E).1 On appeal, the respon- dent makes the following claims: (1) the trial court’s application of § 46b-124 (b) (1) (E) was erroneous because it violated the constitutional privacy rights of the respondent and his children; and (2) the trial court’s application of § 46b-124 (b) (1) (E) was erroneous because the statute, when read in conjunction with other statutes, does not provide for unlimited access to a court-ordered psychological evaluation report by an employee of the juvenile probation department without prior notice and a hearing. We agree with the respon- dent’s second claim. This conclusion renders it unnec- essary to reach the first claim. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand the case for a hearing consistent with this opinion on the respondent’s revised motion for order. The following procedural history is relevant to the present appeal. On May 15, 2014, pursuant to General Statutes § 46b-129, the petitioner filed neglect petitions on behalf of three of the respondent’s minor children: Jacklyn, Jillian, and Joshua.2 In the petitions on behalf of Jacklyn and Jillian, then aged eight and nine, respec- tively, the petitioner claimed that the minor children were being denied proper care and attention physically, educationally, emotionally, or morally, and that they were being permitted to live under conditions, circum- stances, or associations that were injurious to their well-being. Further, the petitioner alleged that the respondent mother and father both had mental health issues that they were not addressing, which contributed to the alleged neglect of their minor children.3 On July 16, 2014, the court, Gallagher, J., granted the petition- er’s motion to consolidate the May 15, 2014 child neglect proceedings with all ‘‘child custody matters’’ arising from the respondent parents’ pending dissolution action.4 On that same date, the court issued a bench order of temporary custody for both Jacklyn and Jillian. On July 22, 2014, the court sustained the order of tempo- rary custody. On July 16, 2014, the court, Gallagher, J., pursuant to its authority under General Statutes §§ 46b-129 (i) and 46b-129a, as well as Practice Book § 34a-21, granted the oral motions of the petitioner and the children’s guardian ad litem for a psychological evaluation. On October 7, 2014, the court, Ginocchio, J., supplemented Judge Gallagher’s order and issued a more detailed written order for a psychological evaluation of the respondent mother, the respondent, Jacklyn, Jillian, and the respondents’ two sons, Joshua and Justin.5 The court indicated in its written order that the evaluation report was to include information pertaining to: (1) the current psychological functioning of each child and any emotional, cognitive, or social problems that should be addressed through treatment; (2) the current psycho- logical functioning of each parent, including whether they required treatment for substance abuse, domestic violence, or mental illness; (3) the nature of the relation- ship between the children and each individual parent; (4) the capacity of each parent to understand and meet each child’s needs; (5) the psychologist’s recommenda- tions as to permanent placement options and assistance with co-parenting; and (6) the nature of the relationship between each parent and the effect that it had on the children. The court also ordered that, ‘‘[t]o request education, medical, mental health or other relevant information the parent or guardian must complete the Authorization for Release of Information form (JD-CL-46).6 The com- pleted authorization must be attached to this referral.’’ (Footnote added.) At the bottom of the second page of the psychological evaluation order, above where the judge placed his signature, the order stated, ‘‘Copies of the evaluation report shall be distributed upon receipt to all parties. Any communication to the evaluator(s) before the completion and filing of the evaluation report must be in accordance with Section 34a-21 of the Con- necticut Practice Book. Evaluation reports and portions of the reports are confidential and may not be further disclosed without a Court Order.’’ Above this statement on the form that was completed in the present case, proposed contacts from an educational setting, mental health providers, and medical providers were listed with their contact information. Specifically, the names of a school social worker and a school principal, three therapists, a pediatrician, and an obstetrician were listed there. Pursuant to the court’s order, a licensed clinical psy- chologist, Suzanne Ciaramella (evaluator), conducted a psychological evaluation over a four day period and compiled the results in a seventy-nine page report. The evaluation report was filed with the trial court on December 3, 2014.

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Bluebook (online)
In re Jacklyn H., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-jacklyn-h-connappct-2016.