(A) All records, and reports, other than court journal entries or court docket entries, identifying a person and pertaining to the person's mental health condition, assessment, provision of care, treatment, or recovery supports, or payment for assessment, care, treatment, or recovery supports that are maintained in connection with any services certified by the department of behavioral health, any recovery supports paid for with funds administered by the department or a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services, or any hospitals or facilities licensed or operated by the department, shall be kept confidential and shall not be disclosed by any person except:
(1) If the person identified, or the person's legal guardian, if any, or if the person is a minor, the person's parent or legal guardian, consents;
(2) When disclosure is provided for in this chapter or Chapter 340. or 5122. of the Revised Code or in accordance with other provisions of state or federal law authorizing such disclosure;
(3) That hospitals, boards of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services, licensed facilities, and community mental health services providers may release necessary information to insurers and other third-party payers, including government entities responsible for processing and authorizing payment, to obtain payment for goods and services furnished to the person;
(4) Pursuant to a court order signed by a judge;
(5) That a person shall be granted access to the person's own psychiatric and medical records, unless access specifically is restricted in a person's treatment plan for clear treatment reasons;
(6) That the department of behavioral health may exchange psychiatric records and other pertinent information with community mental health services providers and boards of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services relating to the person's care or services. Records and information that may be exchanged pursuant to this division shall be limited to medication history, physical health status and history, financial status, summary of course of treatment, summary of treatment needs, and a discharge summary, if any.
(7) That the department of behavioral health, hospitals and community providers operated by the department, hospitals licensed by the department under section5119.33of the Revised Code, and community mental health services providers may exchange psychiatric records and other pertinent information with payers and other providers of treatment and health services if the purpose of the exchange is to facilitate continuity of care for the person or for the emergency treatment of the person;
(8) That the department of behavioral health and community mental health services providers may exchange psychiatric records and other pertinent information with boards of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services for purposes of any board function set forth in Chapter 340. of the Revised Code. Boards of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services shall not access any personal information from the department or providers except as required or permitted by this section, or Chapter 340. or 5122. of the Revised Code for purposes related to payment, care coordination, health care operations, program and service evaluation, reporting activities, research, system administration, oversight, or other authorized purposes.
(9) That a person's family member who is involved in the provision, planning, and monitoring of services to the person may receive medication information, a summary of the person's diagnosis and prognosis, and a list of the services and personnel available to assist the person and the person's family, if the person's treatment provider determines that the disclosure would be in the best interests of the person. No such disclosure shall be made unless the person is notified first and receives the information and does not object to the disclosure.
(10) That community mental health services providers may exchange psychiatric records and certain other information with the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services and other providers in order to provide services to a person involuntarily committed to a board. Release of records under this division shall be limited to medication history, physical health status and history, financial status, summary of course of treatment, summary of treatment needs, and discharge summary, if any.
(11) That information may be disclosed to the executor or the administrator of an estate of a deceased person when the information is necessary to administer the estate;
(12) That information may be disclosed to staff members of the appropriate board or to staff members designated by the director of behavioral health for the purpose of evaluating the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of mental health services and recovery supports and determining if the services and supports meet minimum standards. Information obtained during such evaluations shall not be retained with the name of any person.
(13) That records pertaining to the person's diagnosis, course of treatment, treatment needs, and prognosis shall be disclosed and released to the appropriate prosecuting attorney if the person was committed pursuant to section2945.38,2945.39,2945.40,2945.401, or2945.402of the Revised Code, or to the attorney designated by the board for proceedings pursuant to involuntary commitment under Chapter 5122. of the Revised Code;
(14) That the department of behavioral health may exchange psychiatric hospitalization records, other mental health treatment records, and other pertinent information with the department of rehabilitation and correction and with the department of youth services to ensure continuity of care for inmates and offenders who are receiving mental health services in an institution of the department of rehabilitation and correction or the department of youth services and may exchange psychiatric hospitalization records, other mental health treatment records, and other pertinent information with boards of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services and community mental health services providers to ensure continuity of care for inmates or offenders who are receiving mental health services in an institution and are scheduled for release within six months. The release of records under this division is limited to records regarding an inmate's or offender's medication history, physical health status and history, summary of course of treatment, summary of treatment needs, and a discharge summary, if any.
(15) That a community mental health services provider that ceases to operate may transfer to either a community mental health services provider that assumes its caseload or to the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services of the service district in which the person resided at the time mental health services or recovery supports were most recently provided any records concerning the services or supports that have not been transferred elsewhere at the person's request;
(16) That records and reports relating to a person who has been deceased for fifty years or more are no longer considered confidential.
(B) Before records are disclosed pursuant to divisions (A)(3), (6), and (10) of this section, the custodian of the records shall attempt to obtain the person's consent for the disclosure.
(C) No person shall reveal the content of a medical record of a person that is confidential pursuant to this section, except as authorized by law.
Last updated August 8, 2025 at 8:58 AM