The Privacy Auditor General and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner want to see “greater evidence of staff-client relationship”. Many staff have Restricted Caseload access with client records accessible/viewable only if your team has an open referral for that particular client. You must open a referral if your team is providing services to a client.
There are times when you need to view a client’s record for a brief time to check information. In the past, a client's record could be accessed temporarily using a referral and selecting the Referral Reason Access for Information Only. This Referral Reason is no longer available. PARIS has Break Glass functionality that replaces the Access for Information Only referral.
Break Glass is the process used to access a client when your team does not have an open referral for that client. Break Glass is meant for short term access only. The access to the client's record is temporary. When you navigate to another client or log out of PARIS the Break Glass session will end.
Break Glass provides strong control and auditing with clearly defined access reasons for viewing restricted clients. When access is required beyond quick ‘need-to-know’ information gathering, or you know you are going to be providing service to the client, then a referral should be created for the client.