When Law Meets Lived Experience: Building Ethical Data Systems for Behavioral Health with Helen Oscislawski, Legal Counsel at Attorneys at Oscislawski LLC

What if the biggest barrier to better behavioral health outcomes isn’t access to data, but how carefully we protect it? In this episode, Helen Oscislawski, a healthcare data privacy and interoperability attorney, explains that behavioral health and substance use data require stricter privacy protections due to their sensitivity and history of misuse, and are governed by laws such as 42 CFR Part 2. She highlights how modern interoperability and AI create new opportunities to share data more precisely, but also introduce greater legal and ethical risks. Updated regulations now allow more flexible data sharing to improve care coordination, while introducing stronger enforcement and penalties for non-compliance. She emphasizes that success depends on “privacy by design,” strong governance, and a deep understanding of consent frameworks to preserve patient trust. Tune in to learn how smarter consent, stronger privacy frameworks, and better governance can unlock safer, more effective data sharing in behavioral health! Resources: Connect with and follow Helen Oscislawski on LinkedIn. Follow Attorneys Oscislawski LLC on LinkedIn and visit their website. Check out the Legal HIE website.