[vc_section full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1739403338762{margin-top: 150px !important;}”][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1739403372131{margin-left: 20px !important;border-right-width: 20px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. IT SHOULD BE REVIEWED WITH CARE.
Head Strong & Ready is required by federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your health information, as well as provide you with this notice about privacy practices, legal obligations, and your rights concerning your health information, referred to as “Protected Health Information” (PHI). Head Strong & Ready must follow the privacy practices described herein, and these practices may be amended as needs or requirements change. For further clarification of anything noted in this document, please contact Head Strong & Ready.
Uses and Disclosures of Your Protected Health Information
The following explains the ways in which your health information may be used without your consent under Federal and State law. In all cases, Head Strong & Ready practices disclosing the minimum information necessary to achieve the purpose of said disclosure. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list but rather an explanation of cases and scenarios where disclosure of PHI may be necessary, falling under general categories. These disclosures exclude psychotherapy notes as described in the next section.
– Treatment: Head Strong & Ready may use and disclose information related to your treatment to members of your current treatment team for the purposes of continuity of care and to coordinate and manage your healthcare and related services.
– Payment: Head Strong & Ready may use and disclose information in your protected health record for billing purposes with your insurance plan. Your insurer may require certain information about your treatment prior to authorizing payment for services.
– Health Care Operations: These include quality improvement activities, consultation with colleagues, licensing, and credentialing activities. Wherever required by law, your protected health information will be disclosed. In the event of an emergency, your protected health information may be disclosed to allow for your treatment and care.
Our practice may utilize NoteZap to assist with clinical documentation. This HIPAA-compliant platform enhances our ability to focus on clients by capturing interactions and using artificial intelligence to generate a preliminary draft of clinical notes. Each draft is carefully reviewed, edited, and supplemented by our clinicians to ensure accuracy and completeness. Importantly, the recorded interactions are deleted after documentation is finalized. Please note that artificial intelligence is not involved in any clinical decision-making processes.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Consent
– Marketing activities will never include your protected health information without your written approval.
– Any disclosure to individuals not directly involved in your treatment or care (e.g., your attorney, school, etc.) will require your written authorization for the release of PHI.
– Note: Your “authorization” to release PHI may be revoked at any time, provided that the revocation is in writing. This revocation will go into effect when the written notice has been personally received and reviewed.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
– Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and copy your medical and billing records, but not your psychotherapy notes. All requests of this nature must be made in writing. There will be a fee associated with copying records and mailing records if you choose to receive them via mail.
– Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that Head Strong & Ready communicate with you only in a certain location or through a certain method (e.g., at work only, or through email, etc.). All requests must be received in writing, and reasonable requests will be honored. A reason for the request is not necessary, but we do need to know the specifics on where and how you wish to be contacted.
– Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction on the health information that is used or disclosed about you for treatment, payment, or health care operations. Requests for restrictions must be submitted in writing. We are not required to agree with your requested restriction; however, Head Strong & Ready will honor your request unless the restricted health information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
– Right to Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request to be provided with an accounting of the disclosures that have been made of your protected health information. This request must be made in writing and will not include disclosures made for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations.
– Right to Request an Amendment: You have the right to request an amendment of your health information. Your request must be made in writing and should detail the reason for the requested amendment. This request may be denied in certain circumstances.
– Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice: You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time.
SMS Communication Terms and Practices
1. Consent and Agreement:
– By opting to communicate via SMS, you consent to the use of text messaging for non-urgent communication related to your care.
– You acknowledge that SMS is not a secure form of communication and agree to its use for limited purposes.
2. Purpose of SMS Communication:
– SMS may be used for appointment reminders, scheduling changes, and brief administrative communications.
– Sensitive or detailed clinical information will not be communicated via SMS.
3. Confidentiality and Security:
– While we strive to protect your privacy, please be aware that SMS is not fully secure. There is a risk that messages could be intercepted or accessed by unauthorized parties.
– We recommend avoiding the inclusion of personal health information in text messages.
4. Response Time:
– SMS is not monitored 24/7. For urgent matters or emergencies, please contact our office directly by phone or seek immediate assistance through emergency services.
– We will respond to SMS messages during regular business hours.
5. Patient Responsibilities:
– It is your responsibility to ensure that your contact information is current and to notify us of any changes.
– You should protect your mobile device with a password or other security measures to prevent unauthorized access to your messages.
6. Opt-Out Option:
– You have the right to opt-out of SMS communication at any time by notifying our office in writing or by phone.
7. Record Keeping:
– SMS communications may be documented in your medical record as part of your treatment history.
8. Limitations of SMS:
– SMS should not be used for therapeutic conversations or to convey complex information. Please schedule an appointment for such discussions.
Questions or Complaints:
Any questions or complaints regarding your privacy rights should be addressed with the Privacy Officer at Head Strong & Ready. You may also contact the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against if you choose to complain to Head Strong & Ready or an outside agency.
This notice is effective February 12, 2025. It may be amended at any time, and the revision will be effective for all PHI maintained. In the event of an amendment, a new notice will be posted, and you may request a copy of the revised notice.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]
