Notice of Privacy Practices

PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Lakeside Psychology and Counseling Services (LPCS) will act to maintain the privacy of protected health information (PHI) and provide individuals with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information as described in this Notice and abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect.

Provision of Notice: LPCS will provide this Notice of Privacy Practices to every patient with whom it has a direct treatment relationship. The Notice is provided no later than the date of the first treatment to the patient after April 13, 2003.

LPCS makes this Notice available to any member of the public to enable prospective patients to evaluate its privacy practices when making their decision regarding whether to seek treatment from LPCS. LPCS will provide this Notice via e-mail to any patient or other individual who so requests the Notice.

Documentation of Provision of Notice: When a direct treatment patient receives the Notice from LPCS, LPCS asks the patient to sign a "Consent for Release and Use of Protected Health Information and Receipt of Notice of Privacy Practices" form. The form is filed with the patient's medical record. If the patient refuses to sign the form, it is noted in the medical record that the patient was given the Notice and refused to sign the form.

I. Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations

As a professional contracted to provide services for LPCS, I may use or disclose your protected health information (PHI), for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes with your written authorization. To help clarify these terms, here are some definitions:

• "PHI" refers to information in your health record that could identify you.
• "Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations"

• "Use" applies only to activities within LPCS such as sharing, employing, applying, utilizing, examining, and analyzing information that identifies you.
• "Disclosure" applies to activities outside of LPCS, such as releasing, transferring, or providing access to information about you to other parties.
• "Authorization" is your written permission to disclose confidential mental health information. All authorizations to disclose must be on a specific legally required form.

I may use or disclose PHI for purposes outside of treatment, payment, or health care operations when your appropriate authorization is obtained. In those instances when I am asked for information for purposes outside of treatment, payment, or health care operations, I will obtain an authorization from you before releasing this information.

You may revoke all such authorizations of PHI at any time, provided each revocation is in writing. You may not revoke an authorization to the extent that (1) I have relied on that authorization; or (2) if the authorization was obtained as a condition of obtaining insurance coverage, law provides the insurer the right to contest the claim under the policy.

III. Uses and Disclosures without Authorization

I may use or disclose PHI without your consent or authorization in the following circumstances:

• Child Abuse — If I have reasonable cause to believe a child known to me in my professional capacity may be an abused child or a neglected child, I must report this belief to the appropriate authorities.
• Adult and Domestic Abuse — If I have reason to believe that an individual (who is protected by state law) has been abused, neglected, or financially exploited, I must report this belief to the appropriate authorities.
• Health Oversight Activities — I may disclose protected health information regarding you to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law, including licensure or disciplinary actions.
• Judicial and Administrative Proceedings — If you are involved in a court proceeding and a request is made for information by any party about your evaluation, diagnosis and treatment and the records thereof, such information is privileged under state law, and I must not release such information without a court order. I can release the information directly to you on your request. Information about all other psychological services is also privileged and cannot be released without your authorization or a court order. The privilege does not apply when you are being evaluated for a third party or where the evaluation is court ordered. You must be informed in advance if this is the case.
• Serious Threat to Health or Safety — If you communicate to me a specific threat of imminent harm against another individual or if I believe that there is clear, imminent risk of physical or mental injury being inflicted against another individual, I may make disclosures that I believe are necessary to protect that individual from harm. If I believe that you present an imminent, serious risk of physical or mental injury or death to yourself, I may make disclosures I consider necessary to protect you from harm.
• Worker's Compensation — I may disclose protected health information regarding you as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to worker's compensation or other similar programs, established by law, that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness without regard to fault.

Patient's Rights:

• Right to Request Restrictions — You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information. However, I am not required to agree to a restriction you request.
• 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. On your request, I will send your bills to another address.)
• Right to Inspect and Copy — You have the right to inspect or obtain a copy (or both) of PHI in my mental health and billing records used to make decisions about you for as long as the PHI is maintained in the record. On your request, I will discuss with you the details of the request for access process.
• Right to Amend — You have the right to request an amendment of PHI for as long as the PHI is maintained in the record. I may deny your request. On your request, I will discuss with you the details of the amendment process.
• Right to an Accounting — You generally have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of PHI. On your request, I will discuss with you the details of the accounting process.
• Right to a Paper Copy — You have the right to obtain a paper copy of the notice from me upon request, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically.

I am required by law to maintain the privacy of PHI and to provide you with a notice of my legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI.

• I reserve the right to change the privacy policies and practices described in this notice. Unless I notify you of such changes, however, I am required to abide by the terms currently in effect.
• If I revise my policies and procedures, I will post the changes in my office and notify existing patients by mail.

If you are concerned that I have violated your privacy rights, or you disagree with a decision I made about access to your records, you may contact Privacy Officer Alison W. Brett, Ph.D. at (847)-604-9441.

You may also send a written complaint to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The person listed above can provide you with the appropriate address upon request.

This notice will go into effect on April 14, 2003.

LPCS reserves the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the new notice provisions effective for all PHI that I maintain. I will provide you with a revised notice by mail.