Privacy Practices

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

By law, we are required by law to maintain your confidentiality of information that identifies you and the care you receive. For all records pertaining to you, we are required to disclose how health care information about you may be shared. Please note that not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. In addition, we are required to give you this Notice about our privacy practices, your rights and our legal responsibilities.

WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION:

For Your Healthcare Treatment. We may provide your health care information to other health care providers to coordinate care, facilitate treatment and/or for referrals and health care consultations with other health care professionals.

For Payment. We may provide information about you to verify insurance benefits, obtain treatment authorization and receive payments from your insurance.

For Healthcare Operations We may provide information to a University or professional mental health for research and training purposes to improve health care quality, to compare therapies, or for the improvement of training health care professionals. Other examples could include audits and administrative services, and case management and care coordination.

For Appointments and Services We may use your health care information to remind you of your appointments or discuss treatment alternatives and/or services that may be of benefit to you.

To Inform People Involved in Your Health Care. Other people may have a right to your health care information. This includes, parents or guardians if you are a minor, or your conservator, and those who are involved in payment of your health care.

WE MAY USE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION FOR OTHER PURPOSES,  WITHOUT YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION:

As Required by Law, when required we may use your health care information to report suspected child abuse, elderly abuse, disabled or dependent adult abuse.

For health oversight activities  We may use your health care information for licensing, auditing, governmental, auditing, and accrediting agencies as authorized or required by law. This includes audits, civil, administrative, or criminal investigations; licensure or disciplinary actions; and monitoring of compliance with law.


In Judicial Proceedings Health care information about you may be used in response to court/administrative orders, delivery request, subpoenas, discovery requests, or other legal proceedings and processes. In the event your clinician is subpoenaed to appear For court proceedings, and provide testimony regarding knowledge about you, we will assert privilege on your behalf. In the event that we are court-ordered to testify, we will testify with truth to thoughts and opinions concerning you.

To Public Health Authorities In order to to prevent or control communicable disease, disabilities and to ensure the safety of drugs and medical devices, we may provide your information. In addition we may provide your information to coroners and medical examiners when they are performing duties in accordance with the law.

To Law Enforcement We may provide information about you to law enforcement in the event of an involuntary hospitalization process and to avert serious threats, or if a crime occurs on business premises or in accordance with other laws.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND  DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.

My primary concern and commitment is to:

  • Keep information that identifies you and your health care and protected health information (PHI) private

  • Information you of my obligation to keep your information private as it regards to your health care.

  • Keep in accordance with terms in this notice.

You have the following rights concerning your protected health information (PHI):

  • Request that certain disclosures of PHI not be shared. Depending on the request, if your health care care be affected, your request may be denied.

  • Request restrictions for out of pocket expenses for health care.

  • You have the right to decide how you want your protected health information sent to you (for example, home phone, mailing address).

  • You have a right to see and obtain copies of your PHI. You have a right to get and obtain medical records or other information about you, other than psychotherapy notes. I will provide you with a record, or if you agree to a summary, within thirty (30) days of receiving your written request. Please note that I may charge a cost based on doing so.

  • You have a right to receive the disclosures I made regarding your PHI for purposes other than your treatment, payments, or health care operations, for which you have provided an authorization. I will respond within sixty (60) days of receiving your request.

  • In the event that you believe there is a mistake in your PHI, you have a right to request missing or inaccurate information be corrected.  I will respond within (60) days of your request, and provide reasons if your request is not approved.

  • You have a right to receive this notice in electronic or paper form.

  • We reserve a right to change or revise this notice. If a revision is made to policies and procedures, contact us and we will provide it to you upon request.

  • If you have any questions about this Notice, please contact me, using the contact form on this site. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact the Texas Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors at 1-800-942-5540. You may also send a written complaint to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be penalized in any way for filing a complaint.