Does the Privacy Rule provide a right of access to psychotherapy notes about a child's mental health treatment for the parent?

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Psychotherapy notes are protected more strictly than other medical records. They are created by a mental health professional to document therapy sessions and are kept separate from the standard medical record, with disclosure limited to the individual themselves or with explicit authorization. When the subject is a child, the parent does not automatically gain access to these notes; the child’s authorization is typically required for release, or disclosure must be allowed by law. Therefore, the parent does not have a right to access psychotherapy notes about the child’s mental health treatment. The parent may access other information about the child’s care, but not these notes, unless the child authorizes or a legal exception applies (such as a court order).