Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence
Section 20o - Crisis Intervention Services for Emergency Service Provider; Confidentiality of Information

Section 20O. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
''Certified emergency service provider'', an emergency service provider certified by the Massachusetts Peer Support Network or International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
''Crisis intervention'', immediate short-term psychological care provided by a certified emergency service provider providing critical incident stress management to an emergency service provider after said emergency service provider's response to a critical incident.
''Crisis intervention services'', consultation, counseling, debriefing, defusing, intervention services, prevention or referral.
''Critical incident'', an event resulting in psychological stress or trauma to an emergency service provider as a result of said emergency service provider's response to the incident.
''Critical incident stress management'', a program designed to assist an emergency service provider in coping with the psychological stress or trauma resulting from said emergency service providers response to a critical incident.
''Emergency service provider'', an active or retired law enforcement officer, police officer, state police trooper, sheriff or deputy sheriffs, firefighter, or emergency medical personnel.
''Secretary'', the secretary of the executive office of public safety and homeland security.
(b) (i) Information provided by an emergency service provider to a certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional as part of crisis intervention services provided by the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional to the emergency service provider shall be confidential and the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional shall not be required or compelled to testify or otherwise divulge any information provided by an emergency service provider to the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional as part of crisis intervention services performed by the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional, except as provided by subsection (c).
(ii) Information provided by an emergency service provider to a certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional as part of crisis intervention services provided by the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional to the emergency service provider shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed to a third party, except as provided by subsection (c).
(c) Subsection (b) shall not apply to information provided by an emergency service provider to a certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional as part of crisis intervention services provided by the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional to the emergency service provider if:
(i) the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional providing crisis intervention services has reasonable cause to believe that the emergency service provider receiving the crisis intervention services is in need of treatment in a hospital for mental or emotional illness or that there is a threat of imminently dangerous activity by the emergency service provider receiving the crisis intervention services against himself or herself or another person;
(ii) the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional providing crisis intervention services has reasonable cause to believe that the emergency service provider receiving the crisis intervention services has engaged in conduct required to be reported pursuant to section 51A of chapter 119;
(iii) the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional providing crisis intervention services has reasonable cause to believe that the emergency service provider receiving the crisis intervention services has engaged in conduct in violation of any federal or state law;
(iv) the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional providing crisis intervention services has reasonable cause to believe that the emergency service provider receiving the crisis intervention services has admitted to criminal conduct;
(v) the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional providing crisis intervention services has reasonable cause to believe that the emergency service provider receiving the crisis intervention services has admitted to conduct that constitutes a violation of the laws that are normally enforced by the entity for which the emergency service provider receiving the crisis intervention services is employed;
(vi) the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional providing crisis intervention services was an initial emergency service responder, a witness, or a party to the critical incident that prompted an emergency service provider to engage in crises intervention services; or
(vii) the emergency service provider receiving the crisis intervention services waives confidentiality and gives express consent for the certified emergency service provider or licensed mental health professional to testify or the emergency service provider receiving the crisis intervention services otherwise divulges information related to such services to any third party.
(d) An emergency service provider who provides crisis intervention services to emergency service providers pursuant to this section shall: (i) be certified by the Massachusetts Peer Support Network or International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.; (ii) provide documentation of such certification to their employer; and (iii) annually provide their employer with proof of such certification.
An entity employing a certified emergency service provider shall maintain the documentation provided by the employee under this subsection of the employee's certification by the Massachusetts Peer Support Network or the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. Such documentation shall be made available at the request of the secretary.
(e) If an entity employing a certified emergency service provider determines that an employee has violated this section, the entity shall promptly notify in writing the Massachusetts Peer Support Network and or the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. of the violation. An employee that violates this section shall be considered decertified and shall not be eligible to provide crisis intervention services as a certified emergency service provider for a period of 5 years.

Structure Massachusetts General Laws

Massachusetts General Laws

Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases

Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein

Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence

Section 1 - Issuance of Summonses for Witnesses

Section 2 - Service of Summons

Section 3 - Witness Fees; Payment or Tender

Section 3a - Representation of Commissioner of Banks

Section 4 - Liability for Nonattendance

Section 5 - Penalty for Nonattendance; Contempt

Section 6 - Warrant for Nonattending Witness

Section 7 - Witnesses Before Executive Council

Section 8 - Bodies Authorized to Summon Witnesses; Oath

Section 9 - Warrant for Witness Failing to Attend Before Nonjudicial Tribunal

Section 10 - Enforcing Attendance Before Nonjudicial Tribunal

Section 11 - Requiring Testimony

Section 12 - Summons for Attendance at Criminal Trial Outside State

Section 13 - Penalty for Nonattendance Outside State

Section 13a - Attendance of Witnesses Outside State; Hearing and Summons; Failure to Attend

Section 13b - Attendance of Witness From Another State; Fees; Failure to Attend

Section 13c - Exemption From Arrest and Process of Witnesses From Outside State

Section 13d - Short Title; Construction of Law

Section 14 - Persons Authorized to Administer Oaths

Section 15 - Mode of Administering Oaths

Section 16 - Mode Requested by Affiant

Section 17 - Affirmation by Quakers

Section 18 - Affirmation for Reasons of Conscience

Section 19 - Oaths of Non–christians

Section 20 - Competency of Witnesses; Husband and Wife; Criminal Defendant; Parent and Child

Section 20a - Privileged Communications; Communications With Clergymen

Section 20b - Privileged Communications; Patients and Psychotherapists; Exceptions

Section 20c - Immunity From Prosecution; Privilege Against Self-Incrimination

Section 20d - Crimes Subject to Immunity

Section 20e - Application for Witness Immunity by Attorney General or District Attorney; Hearing; Representation of Witness; Notice or Waiver; Transcript

Section 20g - Scope of Immunity; Copies of Transcript of Testimony Compelled and Documents Furnished; Availability to Witness

Section 20h - Contempt of Court; Punishment; Appeal

Section 20i - Necessity of Corroborating Testimony Of, or Evidence Produced By, Person Granted Immunity

Section 20j - Sexual Assault; Confidential Communications With Sexual Assault Counsellor; Disclosure; Discovery

Section 20k - Domestic Violence Victims' Counselors; Confidential Communications

Section 20l - Confidentiality of Domestic Violence Victims' Program and Rape Crisis Center Locations

Section 20m - Disclosure of Confidential Communication Regarding Human Trafficking Victim by Caseworker

Section 20n - Disclosure of Home Address or Personal Telephone Number of Social Worker Employed by the Department of Children and Families; Service of Process, Summons or Subpoena Upon Social Worker; State-Issued Identification Cards

Section 20o - Crisis Intervention Services for Emergency Service Provider; Confidentiality of Information

Section 21 - Proof of Conviction of Crime to Affect Credibility

Section 21a - Evidence of Reputation

Section 21b - Evidence of Sex Crime Victim's Sexual Conduct; Admission Hearing; Findings

Section 22 - Cross-Examination of Adverse Party; Corporation's Agent as Adverse Party

Section 23 - Impeachment of Party's Own Witness

Section 23a - Admissibility of Written or Recorded Statements of Party to Personal Injury Action

Section 23b - Accused; Statements Made While Undergoing Psychiatric Examination; Admissibility

Section 23c - Work Product of Mediator Confidential; Confidential Communications; Exception; Mediator Defined

Section 23d - Admissibility of Benevolent Statements, Writings or Gestures Relating to Accident Victims

Section 23e - Alternative Procedure for Determining Competency of Witnesses With an Intellectual Disability

Section 23f - Admissibility of Past Physical, Sexual or Psychological Abuse of Defendant

Section 24 - Depositions in Civil Cases Authorized

Section 24a - Medical Witnesses

Section 25 - Grounds for Deposition

Section 26 - Notice of Taking Deposition

Section 27 - Persons on Whom Notice May Be Served

Section 28 - Mode of Service

Section 29 - Verbal Notice; Waiver of Notice, Etc.

Section 30 - Oath and Examination of Deponent

Section 31 - Order of Examination

Section 32 - Mode of Taking Deposition

Section 33 - Certification of Deposition

Section 34 - Delivery and Preservation of Deposition

Section 35 - Exclusion of Deposition

Section 36 - Objections to Deposition

Section 37 - Use of Deposition in Second Action

Section 38 - Compelling Giving of Deposition; Place

Section 39 - Place of Taking Deposition of Nonresident Found Within Commonwealth

Section 40 - Rules for Taking Depositions

Section 41 - Taking Deposition Outside Commonwealth

Section 42 - Written Interrogatories; Notice to Adverse Party; Production of Documents

Section 43 - Rules for Taking Depositions Outside of Commonwealth

Section 44 - Foreign Depositions Obtained Contrary to Statute

Section 45 - Deposition for Use in Another State

Section 46 - Application to Take Deposition to Perpetuate Testimony

Section 47 - Notice of Taking Deposition; Compelling Testimony

Section 48 - Objections to Taking Deposition; Procedure

Section 49 - Mode of Taking Deposition

Section 50 - Recording Deposition

Section 51 - Use of Deposition in Action

Section 52 - Perpetuation of Testimony of Nonresidents

Section 53 - Application to Perpetuate Testimony of Nonresidents

Section 54 - Notice of Taking Deposition

Section 55 - Issuance of Commission

Section 56 - Written Interrogatories

Section 57 - Rules for Perpetuation of Testimony of Witnesses Without Commonwealth

Section 58 - Use of Deposition

Section 59 - Perpetuation of Testimony for Use Against All Persons

Section 60 - Application for Deposition

Section 61 - Naming Persons Interested; Notice of Taking Deposition

Section 62 - Recording Deposition

Section 63 - Use of Deposition Against Any Person

Section 64 - Admissibility of Dying Declaration of Woman

Section 65 - Admissibility of Declaration of Decedent

Section 65a - Admissibility of Deceased Party's Answers to Interrogatories

Section 66 - Evidence in Actions Against an Executor or Administrator

Section 67 - Evidence in Equity

Section 68 - Proof of Signature to Attested Instrument

Section 69 - Records of Courts of Other States or United States

Section 70 - Judicial Notice of Foreign Law

Section 73 - Foreign Oaths and Affidavits

Section 74 - Evidence of Acts of Incorporation

Section 75 - Admissibility of Printed Copies of Acts of Legislative and Administrative Bodies

Section 76 - Admissibility of Authenticated Records of Governmental Departments

Section 76a - Authenticated Copies of Documents Filed With Securities and Exchange Commission

Section 76b - Printed Copies of Schedules, Classifications and Tariffs Filed With Interstate Commerce Commission

Section 77 - Authenticated Copies of Records of Banks and Trust Companies

Section 77a - Bank Account Statement Together With Legible Copy of Check; Prima Facie Proof of Payment

Section 78 - Entry, Writing or Record Made in Regular Course of Business; Impeachment

Section 79 - Records and Copies of Records of Hospitals and Certain Institutions; Admissibility in Evidence

Section 79a - Certified Copies of Public and Private Records

Section 79b - Fact Statements Published for Persons in Particular Occupation

Section 79c - Statements of Fact or Opinion in Scientific Publication; Notice of Intention to Use

Section 79d - Photographic Copies of Newspaper in Library; Prints From Photographic Films

Section 79e - Reproductions of Public or Business Records

Section 79f - Proof of Public Way

Section 79g - Medical and Hospital Services; Evidence

Section 79h - Tort Actions for Personal Injuries or Death; Admissibility of Reports of Deceased Physicians

Section 79i - Actions to Recover From Insurer for Theft of Personal Property From Motor Vehicle or Trailer; Prima Facie Evidence of Forcible Entry Into Vehicle

Section 79j - Business Records Required to Be Produced in Court; Certification, Admissibility and Inspection; Copies

Section 79k - Duplicate of Computer Data File or Program File; Admissibility

Section 79l - Statements or Conduct Expressing Regret, Apology, Condolence by Health Care Provider; Admissibility

Section 80 - Transcripts From Stenographic Notes

Section 81 - Criminal Proceedings; Out-of-Court Statements Describing Sexual Contact; Admissibility

Section 82 - Civil Proceedings; Out-of-Court Statements Describing Sexual Contact; Admissibility

Section 83 - Custody Hearings; Out-of-Court Statements Describing Sexual Contact; Admissibility