HIPAA Privacy Practices: What You Need to Know
Your Privacy and Rights as a Client
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy of your medical and mental health records. The information you share during therapy is confidential, and we are committed to keeping your personal information secure. Below is an outline of your rights and how your information may be used and disclosed.
1. Your Rights
As a psychotherapy client, you have the right to:
Access Your Records: You can request copies of your treatment records, though in some cases, your therapist may provide a summary instead.
Request Corrections: If you believe there is an error in your records, you can request an amendment.
Request Confidential Communications: You can ask that we contact you in specific ways (e.g., via email, phone, or at a specific address).
Restrict Information Sharing: You can request limits on what we share with others, although we may not be able to agree in all cases.
Receive a List of Disclosures: You are entitled to know if and when your information has been shared for non-routine purposes.
File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with our office or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2. How We May Use and Disclose Your Information
In the course of providing your care, your personal information may be used and disclosed in the following ways:
For Treatment
We may use your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your care. For example, your therapist may consult with other healthcare providers (e.g., psychiatrists) involved in your care.
For Payment
We may need to share certain information with your insurance company or billing service to obtain payment for services provided to you.
For Healthcare Operations
Your information may be used for practice operations, such as staff training, quality assessments, or audits.
3. When Your Information Can Be Shared Without Your Consent
In certain circumstances, HIPAA allows or requires us to disclose your information without your consent:
To Prevent Harm: If there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others, your therapist may disclose information to prevent that harm.
Abuse or Neglect Reporting: We are legally required to report suspected child abuse, elder abuse, or neglect.
Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information in response to a court order or other lawful requests from law enforcement or government agencies.
Public Health Activities: Your information may be shared with health authorities for public health and safety purposes (e.g., to report communicable diseases).
4. Special Protections for Psychotherapy Notes
Psychotherapy notes are given special protections under HIPAA. These are notes recorded by your therapist that document the contents of your conversations during sessions. These notes are kept separate from your medical record and are generally not shared without your explicit written consent, except in the cases of legal requirements or to prevent harm.
5. How We Protect Your Information
We take the following steps to ensure the security of your protected health information (PHI):
Secure Systems: All electronic records are stored in secure, password-protected systems.
Limited Access: Only authorized personnel have access to your information.
Confidential Communications: We take care to ensure that any communication regarding your treatment (e.g., emails, phone calls) respects your privacy and confidentiality preferences.
6. Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and update this notice accordingly. Any updates will be posted in our office and on our website, and you may request a copy at any time.
Contact Information
If you have questions about this notice, your privacy rights, or want to file a complaint, please contact our office.
For more information about your rights, you can also contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at www.hhs.gov.