Privacy
Please be aware that a new federal law (HIPAA, 45 CFR § 164 et. seq.) went into effect on April 14, 2003. The purpose of this law is to define and regulate how private information about you is handled and protected. It might have an impact on the way you and I will communicate. Please familiarize yourself with my Notice of Privacy Practices section.
"Notice of Privacy Practices"
This notice involves your privacy rights and describes how information about you may be disclosed, and how you can obtain access to this information. please read it carefully.
I. Confidentiality
As a rule, I will disclose no information about you, or the fact that you are my client, without your written consent. My formal Mental Health Record describes the services provided to you and contains the dates of our sessions, your diagnosis, functional status, symptoms, prognosis and progress, and any evaluations I do. Health care providers are legally allowed to use or disclose records or information for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes. However, I do not routinely disclose information in such circumstances, so I will require your permission in advance, either through your consent at the onset of our relationship (by signing a general consent form), or through your written authorization at the time the need for disclosure arises. You may revoke your permission, in writing, at any time by contacting me.
II. "Limits of Confidentiality"
Possible Uses and Disclosures of Mental Health Records without Consent or Authorization: There are some important exceptions to this rule of confidentiality - some exceptions created voluntarily by my own choice, and some required by law. If you wish to receive mental health services from me, you must sign the attached form indicating that you understand and accept my policies about confidentiality and its limits. We will discuss these issues now, but you may reopen the conversation at any time during our work together.
I may use or disclose records or other information about you without your consent or authorization in the following circumstances, either by policy, or because legally required:
Emergency: If you are involved in a life-threatening emergency and I cannot ask your permission, I will share information if I believe you would have wanted me to do so, or if I believe it will be helpful to you.
Child Abuse Reporting: If I have reason to suspect that a child is abused or neglected, I am required by Virginia law to report the matter immediately to the Virginia Department of Social Services.
Adult Abuse Reporting: If I have reason to suspect that an elderly or incapacitated adult is abused, neglected or exploited, I am required by Virginia law to immediately make a report and provide relevant information to the Virginia Department of Welfare or Social Services.
Health Oversight: Virginia law requires that licensed clinical social workers report misconduct by a health care provider of their own profession. By policy, I also reserve the right to report misconduct by health care providers of other professions. By law, if you describe unprofessional conduct by another mental health provider of any profession, I am required to explain to you how to make such a report. If you are yourself a health care provider, I am required by law to report to your licensing board that you are in treatment with me if I believe your condition places the public at risk. Virginia Licensing Boards have the power, when necessary, to subpoena relevant records in investigating a complaint of provider incompetence or misconduct.
Court Proceedings: If you are involved in a court proceeding and a request is made for information about your diagnosis and treatment and the records thereof, such information is privileged under state law, and I will not release information unless you provide written authorization or a judge issues a court order. If I receive a subpoena for records or testimony, I will notify you so you can file a motion to quash (block) the subpoena. However, while awaiting the judge's decision, I am required to place said records in a sealed envelope and provide them to the Clerk of Court. In Virginia, parents' therapy records may not be used as evidence (i.e., are privileged) in child custody cases, but a child's records do not have that same protection. In civil court cases, therapy information or records are not protected by patient-therapist privilege in child abuse cases, in cases in which your mental health is an issue, or in any case in which the judge deems the information to be "necessary for the proper administration of justice." In criminal cases, Virginia has no statute granting therapist-patient privilege, although records can sometimes be protected on another basis. Protections of privilege may not apply if I do an evaluation for a third party or where the evaluation is court- ordered. You will be informed in advance if this is the case.
Serious Threat to Health or Safety: Under Virginia law, if I am engaged in my professional duties and you communicate to me a specific and immediate threat to cause serious bodily injury or death, to an identified or to an identifiable person, and I believe you have the intent and ability to carry out that threat immediately or imminently, I am legally required to take steps to protect third parties. These precautions may include 1) warning the potential victim(s), or the parent or guardian of the potential victim(s), if under 18, 2) notifying a law enforcement officer, or 3) seeking your hospitalization. By my own policy, I may also use and disclose medical information about you when necessary to prevent an immediate, serious threat to your own health and safety.
Workers Compensation: If you file a worker's compensation claim, I am required by law, upon request, to submit your relevant mental health information to you, your employer, the insurer, or a certified rehabilitation provider.
Other uses and disclosures of information not covered by this notice or by the laws that apply to me will be made only with your written permission.
III. Patient's Rights and Provider's Duties:
Right to Request Restrictions-You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information about you. You also have the right to request a limit on the medical information I disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care. If you ask me to disclose information to another party, you may request that I limit the information I disclose. However, I am not required to agree to a restriction you request. To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing, and tell me: 1) what information you want to limit; 2) whether you want to limit my use, disclosure or both; and 3) to whom you want the limits to apply.
Right to Receive Confidential Communications by Alternative Means and at Alternative Locations — You have the right to request and receive confidential communications of PHI by alternative means and at alternative locations. (For example, you may not want a family member to know that you are seeing me. Upon your request, I will send your bills to another address. You may also request that I contact you only at work, or that I do not leave voice mail messages.) To request alternative communication, you must make your request in writing, specifying how or where you wish to be contacted.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures - You generally have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of PHI for which you have neither provided consent nor authorization (as described in section III of this Notice). On your written request, I will discuss with you the details of the accounting process.
Right to Inspect and Copy - In most cases, you have the right to inspect and copy your medical and billing records. To do this, you must submit your request in writing. If you request a copy of the information, I may charge a fee for costs of copying and mailing. I may deny your request to inspect and copy in some circumstances. I may refuse to provide you access to certain psychotherapy notes or to information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use in, a civil criminal, or administrative proceeding.
Right to Amend - If you feel that protected health information I have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask me to amend the information. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing, and submitted to me. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request. I may deny your request if you ask me to amend information that: 1) was not created by me; I will add your request to the information record; 2) is not part of the medical information kept by me; 3) is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; 4) is accurate and complete.
Right to a copy of this notice - You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask me to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Changes to this notice: I reserve the right to change my policies and/or to change this notice, and to make the changed notice effective for medical information I already have about you as well as any information I receive in the future. The notice will contain the effective date. A new copy will be given to you or posted in the waiting room. I will have copies of the current notice lable on request.
Complaints: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Information on how to do this is on their website: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/. You may also contact them at the following :
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
150 S. Independence Mall West - Suite 372
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3499
(215) 861-4441; (215) 861-4440 (TDD)
(215) 861-4431 FAX
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