MFC #25562 

  

 

 

 

 

Notice of Privacy Practices

Notice of Privacy Practices

 

Although I am NOT a HIPAA covered entity, I am complying with these HIPAA standards.

 

Federal legislation (HIPAA, the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) requires that all organizations or practitioners who store or transmit client personal health information in electronic form, comply with HIPAA. While some of the rights listed may not legally appy, I am happy to comply with normal requests.  This includes a responsibility to develop policies and procedures to protect your information and requires practitioners to inform clients of their privacy practices. These practices must meet complex legal standards. This Notice of Privacy Practices provides you with that information, and informs you of your rights and our responsibilities, in compliance with HIPAA rules and regulations:

Disclosure of psychotherapy notes is usually excluded from HIPAA disclosures. In general, if requested my policy is to provide a treatment summary if requested, and I may also limit disclosures as permitted by State and Federal law.

 

You may download a copy of  this Notice of Privacy Practices in either pdf or Microsoft Word formats:

 Adobe PDF                                                    Microsoft Word Document                
   
Notice of Privacy Practices                              Notice of Privacy Practices                    
   
   

 

 

Notice of Privacy Practices

Russell Hendlin, LMFT

MFC 25562

P.O. Box 189

415 233-0788

San Geronimo, CA 94963

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Privacy Officer: Russell Hendlin

 

  • Your information
  • Your rights
  • Our Responsibilities

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

  • You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
  • We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your medical record

  • You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
  • We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communications

  • You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
  • We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

 

Ask us to limit what            • You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, we use or share payment, or our operations.

  • We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
  • If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer.
  • We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

 

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information

  • You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
  • We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.

Get a copy of this privacy notice

• You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose someone to act for you

  • If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
  • We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

File a complaint if  you feel your rights are violated

  • You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information on page 1.
  • You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting

 

www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.

 

Your Choices:

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share.

If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.

In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

  • Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
  • Share information in a disaster relief situation
  • Include your information in a hospital directory
  • Contact you for fundraising efforts

If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases we never share your information unless you give us  written permission:

  • Marketing purposes
  • Sale of your information
  • Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

 

Our Uses and Disclosures:

How do we typically use or share your health information? We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.

Treat you

• We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.

Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

Run our organization

• We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.

Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

Bill for your services

• We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.

Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.


How else can we use or share your health information?
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes.

For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.

Help with public health and safety issues

  • We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:
  • Preventing disease
  • Helping with product recalls
  • Reporting adverse reactions to medications
  • Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
  • Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

Do research

• We can use or share your information for health research.

Comply with the law

• We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

• We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a medical  examiner or funeral director

• We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

  • We can use or share health information about you:
  • For workers’ compensation claims
  • For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
  • With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
  • For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

Respond to lawsuits 

• We can share health information about you in response to a court or legal actions

 

Our Responsibilities

  • We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
  • We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
  • We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
  • We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.

 

 

Changes to the Terms of This Notice

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available on request in our office and will be posted on our website at Hendlin.org.

Effective 3/1/2019

 

Other Forms

 

Other Forms:

 

 Adobe PDF                                                    Microsoft Word Document                
Release of Information - Adult                              Release of Information - Adult              
Release of Information - Minor      Release of Information - Minor

 

 

Instructions:

  • Click on a form to download.  If needed, you may download Adobe Reader to read the pdf.  You must have Microsoft word, or an equivalent to read and edit the word documents.   
  • Bring completed forms to an appointment.
  • If you prefer to submit the form electronically, email me and I will reply with a form that permits you to do so privately and securely.

 

 

Intake Forms

Intake Forms

 

Choose 1 appropriate Intake form:

Adobe PDF                       Microsoft Word Document 
Intake Adolescent  Intake Adolescent 
Intake Child    Intake Child      
Intake Adult                                Intake Adult         
          



Review these:

Sorry for there being so much. This is the way the legal world is moving...and I must go with the flow...

 
 
If indicated complete Informed Consent for Family Therapy which addresses family confidentiality issues:
  
Adobe PDF   Microsoft Word Document
Family Therapy Consent                Family Therapy Consent 
   
   

    

Instructions:

  • Click on a form to download.  Choose either pdf or Microsoft Word format. The Word documents are fillable.  If needed, you may download Adobe Reader to read the pdf
  • You must have Microsoft word, or an equivalent to read and edit the Word documents.
  • Bring completed forms to your appointment.
  • If you prefer to submit a form electronically, you may do so. Please email me and I will reply to you with a form which allows you to do so privately and securely.
 

© Copyright 2013 Russell Hendlin, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. All rights reserved.

 

Website design and development by Russell Hendlin. This site was developed with JoomlaBamboo.

Please see: On being wrong (and using my writings)

A work in progress

 

 

This website is still somewhat unfinished and under development in some areas. Please forgive the incompleteness and messiness as it takes shape.  My old site expired and I have been recreating this new one.

 

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; ADHD; Autism; Addiction; Alcoholism; Disability; Disabilities; Therapy; Therapist, MFT; LMFT; Psychotherapy; Family Systems; CBT; DBT; ACT; Systemic Interventions; Strength Based; Infant Mental Health; Sensorymotor Psychotherapy, ADHD, Drugs and Alcohol; Chemical Dependence; AA;Marijuana Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Codependence; Other Addictions; Adolescent; Teen; Young Adult; Adolescent; Teen; Young Adult  ; Bay Area; Marin County; Corte Madera; San Rafael; Fairfax; Mill Valley; Bay Area; California