<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66402</law_id><section_number>9.1-156</section_number><catch_line>Inspection and copying of records by advocate; confidentiality of records</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>32.1-127.1:03</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="9.1">Commonwealth Public Safety</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Department of Criminal Justice Services</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="5">Court-Appointed Special Advocate Program</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Upon presentation by the advocate of the order of his appointment and upon specific <span class="dictionary">court order</span>, any state or local agency, <span class="dictionary">department</span>, authority, or institution, and any hospital, school, physician, or other health or mental health care provider shall permit the advocate to inspect and copy, without the consent of the child or his parents, any records relating to the child involved in the case. Upon the advocate presenting to the mental health provider the order of the advocate&#x2019;s appointment and, upon specific <span class="dictionary">court order</span>, in lieu of the advocate inspecting and copying any related records of the child involved, the mental health care provider shall be available within seventy-two hours to conduct for the advocate a review and an interpretation of the child&#x2019;s treatment records which are specifically related to the investigation. <a id="paragraph-241034" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-156/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> An advocate shall not disclose the contents of any document or record to which he becomes privy, which is otherwise confidential pursuant to the provisions of this Code, except (i) upon order of a court of competent <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> or (ii) if the advocate has been assigned pursuant to subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Volunteer court-appointed special advocates; powers and duties; assignment; qualifications; training" href="/9.1-153/">9.1-153</a> to attend and participate in family partnership meetings as defined by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Social Services or in meetings of family assessment and planning teams established pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Family assessment and planning team; powers and duties" href="/2.2-5208/">2.2-5208</a>, multidisciplinary child sexual abuse response teams established pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Coordination of multidisciplinary response to child sexual abuse and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults" href="/15.2-1627.5/">15.2-1627.5</a>, individualized education program teams established pursuant to Article 2 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/22.1-213/">22.1-213</a> et seq.) of Chapter 13 of Title 22.1, or multidisciplinary teams established pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Local departments to establish child-protective services; duties" href="/63.2-1503/">63.2-1503</a> and <a class="law" title="Investigations by local departments" href="/63.2-1505/">63.2-1505</a>, the advocate may verbally disclose any information contained in such document or record related to the child to which he is assigned at such meetings, provided that such information shall not be disclosed further. <a id="paragraph-241035" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-156/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1990, c. 752, &#xA7;&#xA7; 9-173.11, 9-173.12; 1995, c. 490; 2001, c. 844; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 177.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
