PRIVACY POLICIES & TERMS
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information.
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH/MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
I. OUR PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION:
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (“PHI”) and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”). We understand that health information about you and your health care is personal and here at Wired for Healing Counseling Center we are committed to protecting health information about you. While we have to create a record of the care and services you receive from us, as we need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements, we think it is important for you to know exactly how we intent and will use your PHI so that you are able to feel safe and comfortable enough to discuss and disclose confidential information in session(s). We must abide by the terms of this Notice, and we must notify you if a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs. We can change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information We have about you. The new Notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.We encourage you to read this notice carefully and speak directly with us about any questions and/or concerns you have.
II. WIRED FOR HEALING COUNSELING CENTER WEBSITE INFORMATION COLLECTION AND USE:
WEBSITE: We collect information about visitors to our website so that we can provide an experience that is responsive to our users' and customers' needs. We do not collect medical information or credit card information through our website. Our Site may use forms in which you give us contact information (including your name, address, telephone number, and email address) so you can request information or support. We receive and store any information you enter on our Site, or give us in any other way, including through email, telephone, or other communications within our customer services department. You do not need to give us any personal information in order to use our website.
We will not sell, share, trade or otherwise use any information you provide unless you expressly provide in writing permission for such use. We collect this information to improve our service, and to help us determine your individual needs so we may serve you better individually, as well as collectively.
We will not sell, share, trade or otherwise use any medical information under any circumstances. If you require medical information, you must request it from us directly via a written authorization.
We may also collect non-personally identifiable information about you, such as your use of our web sites, communication preferences, aggregated data relative to your services, and responses to promotional offers and surveys. We may use or disclose aggregate information only where no individual is identified for a number of purposes, including: (a) compiling aggregate statistics of usage for improving the web site; (b) developing, maintaining and administering the web site; and (c) following up on comments and other messages that you submit to us through the web site.
Please note, to better safeguard your information, please do not include any credit card information in your electronic communication unless it is specifically required by us as part of services or transaction fulfillment process sites, or our customer contact process.
This website and our services may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such sites.
This Site has security measures in place to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of the information under our control. If our site allows you to enter sensitive information (such as a credit card number) on order firms, we encrypt the transmission of that information using secure socket layer technology (SSL).
We may also at times provide information about you to third parties to provide various services on our behalf, such as providers who process credit card payments. We will only share information about you that is necessary for the third party to provide the requested service. These companies are prohibited from retaining, sharing, buying, selling, storing or using your personally identifiable information for any secondary purposes.
We follow generally accepted standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it. No method of transmission over the internet, or method of electronic storage, is one hundred percent (100%) secure, however. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
GOOGLE ANALYTICS AND COOKIES: We may use a tool called “Google Analytics” to collect information about use of this webite, such as how often users visit the website, what pages they visit when they do so, and what other sites they used prior to coming to this website. Google Analytics collects only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit this website, rather than your name or other identifying information.
Google Analytics plants a permanent cookie on your web browser to identify you as a unique user the next time you visit this website. This cookie cannot be used by anyone but Google, Inc. The information generated by the cookie will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States.
We use the information received from Google Analytics only to improve services on this website. We do not combine the information collected through the use of Google Analytics with personally identifiable information.
Google’s ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to this website is restricted by the Google Privacy Policy http://www.google.com/policies/privacy. You can prevent Google Analytics from recognizing you on return visits to this website by disabling the Google Analytics cookie on your browser.
TRANSFER OF DATA ABROAD: If you are visiting this website from a country other than the country in which our servers are located, your communications with us may result in the transfer of information across international boundaries. By visiting this website and communicating electronically with us, you consent to such transfers.
III. HOW WE MAY USE (INSIDE PRACTICE) AND DISCLOSE (OUTSIDE PRACTICE) PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI):
Please note that we will use and disclose your PHI for many different reasons. For some of these uses or disclosures, we will need your prior authorization (verbal or written); for others, however, we do not.
Please remember that except for the specific purposes set forth below, we will use and disclose your PHI only with your written authorization (“Authorization”), and it is your right to revoke such Authorization at any time by giving me written notice of your revocation.
The following categories describe different ways that we may use and disclose health information. For each category of uses or disclosures we will explain what we mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.
Listed below are the different categories of our uses and disclosures along with some examples of each category.
USES (INSIDE PRACTICE) AND DISCLOSURES (OUTSIDE PRACTICE) RELATING TO TREATMENT, PAYMENT, OR HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR WRITTEN CONSENT:
We can use and disclose your PHI, for the purpose(s) or treatment/payment/operations, without your written authorization for the following reasons:
For your treatment. We can use and disclose your PHI to treat you, which may include disclosing your PHI to another health care professional. For example, if you are being treated by a physician or a psychiatrist, we can disclose your PHI to him or her to help coordinate your care, although our preference is for you to give us an Authorization to do so.
Federal privacy rules (regulations) allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the patient/client to use or disclose the patient/client’s personal health information without the patient’s written authorization, to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. We may also disclose your protected health information for the treatment activities of any health care provider. This too can be done without your written authorization. For example, if a clinician were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, we would be permitted to use and disclose your personal health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to assist the clinician in diagnosis and treatment of your mental health condition.
Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard. Because therapists and other health care providers need access to the full record and/or full and complete information in order to provide quality care. The word “treatment” includes, among other things, the coordination and management of health care providers with a third party, consultations between health care providers and referrals of a patient for health care from one health care provider to another.
To obtain payment for your treatment. We can use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for the treatment and services provided by us to you. For example, we might send your PHI to your insurance company to get paid for the health care services that we have provided to you, although our preference is for you to give us an Authorization to do so.
For health care operations. We can use and disclose your PHI for purposes of conducting health care operations pertaining to our practice, including contacting you when necessary. For example, we may need to disclose your PHI to my attorney to obtain advice about complying with applicable laws.
CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION.
We cannot use and disclose your PHI, without your authorization for the following reasons:
Psychotherapy Notes. We might keep “psychotherapy notes” as that term is defined in 45 CFR § 164.501, and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your Authorization unless the use or disclosure is:
For our use in treating you.
For our use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy.
For our use in defending ourselves in legal proceedings instituted by you.
For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate my compliance with HIPAA.
Required by law and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law.
Required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes.
Required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law.
Required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others.
Marketing Purposes. As psychotherapists, we will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes.
Sale of PHI. As psychotherapists, we will not sell your PHI in the regular course of our business.
CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION.
Subject to certain limitations in the law, we can use and disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following reasons:
When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law.
For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.
For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although it is alwasy our prefernce to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so. While we do not need need your authorization, we will make efforts to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on our premises or in our presence.
To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law.
For research purposes, including studying and comparing the mental health of patients who received one form of therapy versus those who received another form of therapy for the same condition.
Specialized government functions, including, ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counter-intelligence operations; or, helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions.
For workers’ compensation purposes. Although our preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, we may provide your PHI in order to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. we may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with us. We may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that we offer.
CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT.
Disclosures to family, friends, or others. We may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care or the payment for your health care, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.
IV. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI.
You have the following rights with respect to your PHI:
The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask us not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if we believe it would affect your health care.
The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a health care item or a health care service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full.
The Right to Choose How We Send PHI to You. You have the right to ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address, and we will agree to all reasonable requests.
The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that we have about you. We will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it, if you agree to receive a summary, within 30 days of receiving your written request, and we may charge a reasonable, cost based fee for doing so.
The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures We Have Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which we have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided us with an Authorization. We will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list we will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. We will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, we will charge you a reasonable cost based fee for each additional request.
The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe that there is a mistake in your PHI, or that a piece of important information is missing from your PHI, you have the right to request that we correct the existing information and/or add the missing information. We may say “no” to your request, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.
The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right get a paper copy of this Notice, and you have the right to get a copy of this notice by e-mail. And, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice via e-mail, you also have the right to request a paper copy of it.
HOW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PRIVACY PRACTICES
If you think we may have violated your privacy rights, you may file a complaint with Bianca N. Martinez, LMFT (Owner of and Privacy Officer for Wired for Healing Counseling Center), at the address and/or phone number below:
Mailing Address: 14711 Princeton Ave., Suite 5-503, Moorpark, CA 93021
Business Phone: 1(626)344-0552
You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by:
1. Sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201.
2. Calling 1-877-696-6775.
3. Visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. We will not retaliate against you if you file a complaint about our privacy practices.
Lastly, we can change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new Notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE
This notice went into effect on January 1, 2024.