I am applying for a license by endorsement in a state that requests mental health disclosure as follows:
"Within the past five years, have you been or are you currently being treated, or on medicationfor, any mental or emotional illness which may impair or interfere with your ability to practicesafely and in a competent and professional manner?"
These are my questions:
Does one have to disclose this information if they have been stable on medication for the last five years, and have never been unfit to practice due to a mental illness?
What are the consequences of withholding this information if the condition comes out in the future?
Will employers be able to access this personal medical information through the BON?
Is the BON likely to deny an application with a disclosure?
I have looked through the allnurses archives and found conflicting information, and I would like to consult a lawyer. Stigma can be a serious problem in the nursing world, and a disclosure follows a person for the rest of their career, so I need to be sure I am doing the right thing. My inclination is to provide the information, but I don't want to regret it. What kind of lawyer should I be looking for?