Notice of Privacy Practices

Our Duties

We are required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI).
• Provide you with this notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices.
• Abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect.
• Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction.
• Notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured PHI.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Information

Treatment. We may use and share your health information with other providers involved in your care to coordinate treatment.

Payment. We may use and share your information to bill and collect payment from you, an insurer, or a third party, including verifying coverage and processing claims.

Health Care Operations. We may use your information for activities such as quality improvement, staff training, and practice management.

As Required by Law. We will disclose information when required by federal, state, or local law.

Special Protection for Substance Use Disorder Records (42 CFR Part 2). Except as described below, we may not disclose that you are a patient here, or share any information that would identify you as having a substance use disorder, without your specific written consent. This is stricter than HIPAA. Even routine disclosures for treatment, payment, or operations generally require your written authorization unless a specific exception applies (for example, medical emergencies, court order meeting Part 2 requirements, or disclosures to our qualified service organizations under a written agreement). Information disclosed under Part 2 may not be used to initiate or substantiate any criminal charges against you or to conduct any criminal investigation without a court order.

Uses That Require Your Written Authorization. Except as described above, we will not use or share your information for any other purpose — including sharing with family members, employers, other clinicians, or law enforcement — without your written authorization. You may revoke an authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already relied on it.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Request restrictions on how we use or share your information, though we are not required to agree to all requests.
• Request confidential communications — for example, that we contact you only at a certain phone number or address.
• Inspect and obtain a copy of your medical record, with limited exceptions, generally within 30 days of a written request.
• Request an amendment to your record if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete.
• Receive an accounting of certain disclosures we have made of your information.
• Receive a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, without fear of retaliation. Complaints may be filed with:
  • Prime Recovery, using the contact information below; and/or
  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (for HIPAA); and/or
  • The applicable U.S. Attorney for the district in which the violation occurred (for 42 CFR Part 2 violations).

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the revised notice effective for information we already have as well as information we receive in the future. Any updated notice will be posted on our website and available at our office.

Contact Us

Questions about this notice, or requests related to your privacy rights, may be directed to:

This notice supplements, and should be read together with, our Confidentiality page, which explains HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 protections in plain language.