(5 ILCS 840/20)

Sec. 20. Confidentiality; exemptions.

(a) Any communication made by an employee of an emergency services provider or law enforcement agency or peer support advisor in a peer support counseling session and any oral or written information conveyed in the peer support counseling session is confidential and may not be disclosed by any person participating in the peer support counseling session and shall not be released to any person or entity.

(b) Any communication relating to a peer support counseling session made confidential under this Section that is made between peer support advisors and the supervisors or staff of a peer support counseling program, or between the supervisor or staff of a peer support counseling program, is confidential and may not be disclosed.

(c) This Section does not prohibit any communications between counselors who conduct peer support counseling sessions or any communications between counselors and the supervisors or staff of a peer support counseling program.

(c-5) Any communication described in subsection (a) or (b) is subject to subpoena for good cause shown.

(d) This Section does not apply to:

(1) any threat of suicide or homicide made by a participant in a peer support counseling session or any information conveyed in a peer support counseling session related to a threat of suicide or homicide;

(2) any information mandated by law or agency policy to be reported, including, but not limited to, domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, or elder abuse or neglect;

(3) any admission of criminal conduct; or

(4) an admission or act of refusal to perform duties to protect others or the employee of the emergency services provider or law enforcement agency.

(e) All communications, notes, records, and reports arising out of a peer support counseling session are not subject to disclosure under Section 7.5 of the Freedom of Information Act.

(e-5) A department that establishes a peer support counseling program shall develop a policy or rule that imposes disciplinary measures against a peer support advisor who violates the confidentiality of the peer support counseling program by sharing information learned in a peer support counseling session with department personnel who are not supervisors or staff of the peer support counseling program, unless the information is related to the exemptions in subsection (d).

(f) A cause of action exists for public safety personnel or emergency services personnel if the emergency services provider or law enforcement agency uses confidential information obtained during a confidential peer support counseling session conducted by a law enforcement agency or by an emergency services provider for an adverse employment action against the participant.

(Source: P.A. 101-375, eff. 8-16-19.)