This request for assistance is directed to those agencies that create and maintain clinical treatment records and referrals to treatment services, particularly Community Services Boards. The LVA Retention Schedule GS-18 separates Client Case Files and Prescreening Reports (referrals) into two distinctly different types of records with different retention periods (6 years vs 2 years). Referral forms are typically integrated into the Client Case File once the client enters services. My question is this. How do agencies handle client referral forms that come in after the client's Case File has been closed to the agency for a number of years (i.e. no services) but not long enough for the Case File to have been destroyed and the client does not show up or enroll in any services as a result of this recent referral? In other words, we have a referral on a former client whose closed or inactive Case File is about 6 years old and ready for destruction. Our clinicians want to incorporate or file those referral forms into the closed Client Case File making them part of the Case File for historical purposes. That Case File may be 6 years since date of last service and ready for destruction but once this new referral form is filed in the Case File would this extend the retention period another 6 years, even though the client never enrolled in a service (we do not consider a referral as a service)? We use date of last service to determine when we can destroy a Case File but if we file a Referral Form in a closed Case File it appears the client has a recent activity when in fact the client never enrolled in a service. The date of last service in our MIS system used to make our calculation for destruction and the information in the Case File with the recently received Referral Form seems now to be in conflict. Any information on how other agencies handle this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Max Max Dean Mount Rogers Community Services Board Data Resources Office 770 West Ridge Road Wytheville, Va. 24382 (276) 223-3215 (Phone) (276) 223-3250 (Fax) [log in to unmask] Visit us on the web at www.mtrogerscsb.com Confidentiality Notice - The information transmitted by this e-mail is intended only for the addressee and may contain confidential material. Any interception, review, retransmission, dissemination, or other use of, or taking of any action upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient, is prohibited by law and may subject them to criminal or civil liability. If you receive this communication in error, please contact the Mount Rogers Community Services Board's Privacy Officer at 276-223-3200. This communication should then be deleted from any computer or network system. P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. To UNSUBSCRIBE, change options, or subscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-rol.html (If using Netscape, must have version 6.1 or higher to view the above page)