THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Introduction
CLAYS is committed to treating and using protected health information about you responsibly. This notice of health information privacy practices describes the personal information we collect, and how and when we use or disclose that information. This notice is effective and applies to all protected mental health information as defined by federal regulation.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR MEDICAL/MENTAL HEALTH/SUBSTANCE ABUSE RECORD INFORMATION
Each time you visit, staff; a record of your visit is made. Typically, this record contains your presenting problems, diagnoses, treatment and a plan for future care or treatment. This information, often referred to as your case record, serves as a:
- Basis for planning your care and treatment
- Means of communication among the substance abuse professionals who contribute to your case
- Legal document describing the care you receive
- Means by which you or a third-party payer (Medicaid) can verify that services billed were actually provided
- A tool in education substance abuse professionals
- A source of data for medical research
- A source of information for public health officials charged with improving the substance abuse of this state and nation
- A source of data for our planning and marketing
- A tool which we can access and continually work to improve the care we render and the outcomes we achieve
Understanding what is in your case record and how your mental health information is used helps you to ensure its accuracy, better understand who, what, when, where and why others may access your health information, and make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.
YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS
Although you care record is the physical property of agency, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:
- Obtain a paper copy of this notice of information practices upon request
- Inspect and copy your case record as provide for in the HIPAA 45 CFR 164.524 and HIPAACFR 42
- Amend your case record as provided in HIPPA 45 CFR 164.528
- Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your Behavioral Health and Treatment information by alternative means or at alternative locations.
- Request communications of your Behavioral Health and Treatment information by alternative means or at alternative locations
- Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by HIPPA 45 CFR 164.522
- Revoke your authorization to use or disclose, substance information except to the extent that action has already been taken.
OUR RESPONSIBIBLITES
Agency is required to:
- Maintain the privacy of your behavioral health information
- Provide you with this notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you
- Abide by the terms of this notice
- Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
- Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate behavioral health information by alternative means or at alternative locations
We reserve the right to change our practices and to make new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. Should our information practices change, we will mail a revised notice to the address you have supplied us, or if you agree we will email the revised notice to you.
We will not use or disclose your Behavioral Health and Treatment information without your authorization except as described in this notice. We will also discontinue using or disclosing your behavioral health information after we have received written revocation of the authorization according to the procedures included in the authorization.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated you can file a complaint with the agency, Privacy Officer or with your regional office for civil rights, US Department of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint with either the privacy officer or the office for civil rights.
EXAMPLES OF DISCLOSURES FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT AND HEALTH OPERATIONS
We will use your health information for treatment.
For example: Information obtained by a nurse, physician, counselor, or other member of your substance abuse care team will be recorded and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you. Your physician will document in your record is or her expectations of the members of your health care team. Members of your health care team will then record the actions they took and their observation. In that way, the physician will know how you are responding to treatment.
We will also provide your physician or subsequent health care provider with copies of various reports that should assist him or her in treating you once you’re discharged from the outpatient services.
We will use your health information for payment.
For example: a bill may be sent to your or a third-party payer (Medicaid). The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis and treatment procedures used.
We will use your health information for regular substance abuse operations.
For example: we will share your relevant substance abuse information with other providers involved in your care, to assist in the coordination of your care. This may include psychiatrist, physicians, psychologist, licensed counselors, psychiatric hospitals or licensed mental organizations prior to or after us who have provided you with substance abuse care.