In the Interest of K.G.O.

738 P.2d 98, 12 Kan. App. 2d 7, 1987 Kan. App. LEXIS 827
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedFebruary 26, 1987
DocketNo. 59,228
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 738 P.2d 98 (In the Interest of K.G.O.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In the Interest of K.G.O., 738 P.2d 98, 12 Kan. App. 2d 7, 1987 Kan. App. LEXIS 827 (kanctapp 1987).

Opinion

Brazil, J.:

The father of the youngest two of the four children involved in this case appeals the trial court’s decision to terminate his parental rights.

On May 2, 1984, four girls, ages 9, 5, 2, and 7 months, were found alone at a motel by Wichita police. At a July 3 hearing, the mother of the four and the father of the youngest two stipulated they had left the children alone, and the court found the girls to be children in need of care. The court ordered the father to submit to a psychological evaluation. At an October 11 hearing, after receiving one evaluation done by Dr. Bruce Nystrom, which is not in the record on appeal, the court ordered the father “to commence and continue to engage in an active individual [8]*8psychotherapy program until said program is deemed no longer necessary by the therapist.”

The father began a therapy program with psychologist Steve Reynolds on January 24, 1985. He had nine sessions with Reynolds, the last occurring on May 2, 1985.

In July 1985, SRS moved to terminate both parents’ rights, alleging neither had complied with various reintegration plans, both had failed to maintain regular visitation with their children, and each had failed to progress in therapy — the father because he was so rigid and unwilling to change that the therapist, Reynolds, had discharged him from therapy. The court held hearings on this motion on July 31, August 1, September 26, and October 7, all in 1985.

At the hearing on July 31, Reynolds testified. The father objected to the following question and answer on the ground of psychologist-patient privilege:

“Q. . . . Why did [the father] come to the Clinie for treatment?
“A. [The father] had requested treatment as per direction of SRS and the Court is my understanding of it.”

The court overruled this objection. Reynolds then testified without objection that the father suffered from a paranoid personality disorder, with symptoms such as inability to trust people at times, suspiciousness, and “inappropriateness of affect,” and that the father particularly used intimidation to distance people from himself and showed hypersensitive suspiciousness. The father objected again a short time later. Reynolds was asked why he recommended the therapy with the father be discontinued, and the following occurred:

“A. Well, the original goals of therapy I had in my mind was [sic], of course, to assess whether or not [the father] wanted to change. And there were a couple of targets defined for the direction of therapy: One of them was getting the issue of intimidation out in the open with [him], which we had done and had some lengthy discussion about; and then make some kind of decision as to whether or not he wanted to change that kind of behavior with other people. That was discussed out in the open and he indicated to me that he didn’t see that he needed to change that.
“We also discussed how that kind of behavior may affect others, and again, as he indicated to me • — •
“MR. ASTLE: Your Honor, I object. Again, this is calling for confidential communications under the psychologist/client privileges. I’m asserting that privilege for my client.
[9]*9“THE COURT: K.S.A. 38-1514, subsection (c), sub (1), provides there is, ‘No confidential relationship of physician and patient, psychologist and client or social worker and client shall arise from an examination or evaluation ordered by the court.’
It does not go on and deal directly with ongoing therapeutic programs; however, I do not find that the client’s communications as to whether or not he wishes to effect any change through therapy or not effect any change is a confidential communication. I will, therefore, overrule the objection.”

The father later testified that he was willing to engage in a psychotherapy program but not with Reynolds, because he did not trust Reynolds or was cautious about him.

By journal entry filed on January 31, 1986, the court made the following pertinent findings:

“4. the father of [the two youngest girls] suffers from a chronic paranoid personality disorder causing him to be very distrustful and to attempt to control others by intimidation, a disorder which would require long term psychotherapy he has declined to accept;
“7. the fathers of each of these children are unfit by reason of conduct or condition which renders that parent unable to care properly for his child and the conduct or condition is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.”

The court then terminated the father’s parental rights.

The father raises two issues on appeal. We will consider his second issue first.

He argues that the trial court erred when it allowed the testimony of Steve Reynolds in violation of the psychologist-patient privilege. He has raised a possible conflict between two statutes without quoting either one.

K.S.A. 1986 Supp. 74-5323 provides in part: “The confidential relations and communications between a licensed psychologist and the psychologist’s client are placed on the same basis as provided by law for those between an attorney and the attorney’s client.” K.S.A. 38-1514 provides in pertinent part:

“(b) . . . (1) . . . During proceedings under this code, the court may order an examination, evaluation and report of the physical, mental or emotional status or needs of a parent . . . being considered as one to whom the court may grant custody. . . .
“(c). . . (1) . . . No confidential relationship of physician and patient, psychologist and client or social worker and client shall arise from an examination or evaluation ordered by the court.”

[10]*10Thus, two preliminary questions arise from the father’s claim: (1) Was his relationship with Reynolds covered by the privilege granted by K.S.A. 1986 Supp. 74-5323? (2) If so, was his relationship with Reynolds within the exception to 74-5323 created by K.S.A. 38-1514(c)P

K.S.A. 60-426 sets out the lawyer-client privilege and provides some guidance on the first question. With substitutions to follow K.S.A. 1986 Supp. 74-5323, it states in part:

“(a) . . . communications found by the judge to have been between [psychologist] and his or her client in the course of that relationship and in professional confidence, are privileged [in certain situations]. . . .
“(c) ... As used in this section (1) ‘client’ means a person . . . that . . . consults a [psychologist] for the purpose of retaining the [psychologist] or

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Related

In the Interest of B.H.
80 P.3d 396 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2003)
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Kansas Attorney General Reports, 2001
In re J.Z.
423 N.W.2d 813 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1988)
Matter of Jz
423 N.W.2d 813 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1988)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
738 P.2d 98, 12 Kan. App. 2d 7, 1987 Kan. App. LEXIS 827, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-interest-of-kgo-kanctapp-1987.