Add a caregiver or authorized representative

Best first step: Decide what kind of help the person should provide: portal access, appointment help, medication questions, discharge planning, records access, support-person involvement, or legal representation.

• Patients can usually choose who may help manage their care or receive information.
• Access may include portal caregiver access, proxy access, support-person status, release of information, emergency contact, or legal representative access.
• Different access types may require different forms, verification, or documents.
• Being a caregiver, family member, visitor, or emergency contact does not automatically allow full record access.
• Brookhaven behavioral health records, crisis notes, safety plans, and medication details may still be limited.
• Access can usually be changed or removed later when appropriate.

Role	What it may mean
Caregiver	A person who helps with practical care needs, such as appointments, transportation, medication pickup, reminders, or follow-up planning.
Authorized support person	A person the patient allows staff to include in certain care discussions, family meetings, discharge planning, or support coordination.
Proxy user	A person with access to selected portal features or records for another patient, such as a child, dependent, or adult patient who authorizes access.
Release recipient	A person or organization allowed to receive specific information under a release of information.
Legal representative	A person with documented legal authority, such as a guardian, conservator, health care agent, or other representative.

• An adult patient can usually authorize another person for their own care.
• A parent or legal guardian may request proxy access for a child or dependent when allowed.
• A legal representative may need to provide documentation showing authority.
• A caregiver may request access, but the patient or legal representative may need to approve it.
• A care team may request updated authorization before sharing sensitive information.
• Silent Hill Health may require identity verification before adding or changing access.

• Portal caregiver or proxy access.
• Appointment scheduling or appointment communication.
• Care team communication permission.
• Release of information for specific records or topics.
• Support-person access for care conferences or discharge planning.
• Emergency or alternate contact information.
• Billing or guarantor communication, when applicable.
• Legal representative access with supporting documentation.

• Decide whether access should be limited or full where allowed.
• Decide whether access should apply to Brookhaven, Alchemilla, the portal, or all Silent Hill Health services.
• Decide whether access should be temporary or ongoing.
• Decide whether medication, behavioral health, billing, safety-plan, or records information should be included or excluded.
• Ask whether a release, proxy setting, or legal document is needed.
• Confirm the person’s correct name, phone number, email, and relationship to the patient.
• Ask how access can be removed later.

1. Identify the patient record.
2. Identify the person who should be added.
3. Choose the access type or support role needed.
4. Complete identity verification when requested.
5. Complete any required authorization, release, proxy, or representative form.
6. Provide legal documentation if the person has legal authority.
7. Ask when access will take effect.
8. Ask what information may remain limited.
9. Ask how to update or remove the person later.

• Patient full name and date of birth.
• Requester full name and relationship to the patient.
• Caregiver or representative full name.
• Caregiver or representative phone number and email.
• Requested access type or support role.
• Which service or facility the access should apply to.
• Whether access should be temporary, ongoing, limited, or full where allowed.
• Any information that should be excluded.
• Legal, guardianship, custody, or representative documentation if applicable.
• Any safety, privacy, coercion, or access-misuse concerns.

Task	Access may help with
Appointments	Scheduling, reminders, transportation planning, check-in support, or appointment questions.
Messages and care coordination	Helping ask nonurgent care questions or coordinate next steps when messaging access is available.
Medications	Pickup, refill coordination, medication review questions, or side-effect tracking when authorized.
Discharge planning	Transportation, follow-up care, safety planning, home support, and instructions when the patient agrees.
Records and forms	Selected portal information, forms, records requests, or release-of-information tasks when allowed.

Important: Adding a caregiver or representative does not automatically allow full access to every note, medication detail, behavioral health record, safety plan, crisis referral, billing record, or portal feature.

• Some behavioral health notes may remain limited.
• Some safety-plan or crisis-review details may be restricted.
• Medication details may be limited if they reveal sensitive care information.
• Portal access may not include every record or message type.
• Billing access may require separate authorization.
• Legal representative authority may be limited by the documents provided.
• The patient may change or remove access later when allowed.

• The patient may need to approve who can attend care discussions.
• Support-person access may be different from portal record access.
• Safety planning details may be shared only when allowed and appropriate.
• Crisis referrals and wellness checks may have additional privacy limits.
• Medication information may be limited if it includes sensitive treatment details.
• Formal records requests may still be required for some documents.

Do not wait for a routine access request, portal message, or records review if the issue involves immediate safety, abuse, coercion, stalking, unauthorized access during an emergency, or someone using access to interfere with care.

• If you are at Brookhaven or Alchemilla, tell reception, registration, security, or the care team immediately.
• If someone may harm themselves or someone else, use crisis or emergency support.
• If there is a medical emergency, use emergency services or Alchemilla Emergency Services.
• If portal access is being misused, ask for immediate account or privacy review.
• If a caregiver is worried about a patient’s safety, they can share concerns even if access is limited.