Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
Notice of Privacy Practices of Therapy Today Counseling & Consulting
This notice describes:
• HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION
• YOUR RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
• HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT CONCERNING A VIOLATION OF THE PRIVACY OR SECURITY OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION, OR OF YOUR RIGHTS CONCERNING YOUR INFORMATION
• YOUR RIGHT TO A COPY OF THIS NOTICE (IN PAPER OR ELECTRONIC FORM) AND TO DISCUSS IT WITH PRIVACY OFFICER, LESLIE AULD, AT 517-481-2133 AND leslie.auld@therapytodaycc.com IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
In this notice, “health information” includes your psychological and medical record and, where applicable, your substance use disorder patient records protected under 42 CFR Part 2 (“Part 2 records”).
Please review this notice carefully.
Your Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights:
• Get a 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 for as long as the information is maintained in your medical record.
– We may deny your access to certain health information under certain circumstances, but in some cases you may have this decision reviewed. On your request, we will discuss with you the details of this request and denial process.
– When we approve a release of medical records to you, we will provide a copy or summary, usually within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Ask us to correct your medical record
– You can ask us to correct information you think is incorrect or incomplete for as long as the information is maintained in your medical record.
– We may deny your request but will explain why in writing within 60 days.
• Request confidential communications
– You can ask us to contact you in a specific way or send mail to a different address.
– We will agree to all reasonable requests.
• Ask us to limit what we use or share
– You can ask us not to use or share certain information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree, but if we do, we will follow the agreement except in emergencies.
– If you pay out-of-pocket in full for a service, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer for payment or operations purposes. We will agree unless the law requires us to share it.
• Get a list of disclosures
– You can request an accounting of disclosures of your health information for the six years prior to your request (excluding disclosures for treatment, payment, health care operations, and certain other permitted disclosures).
– We will provide one accounting per year at no cost upon request; additional requests within 12 months may require a reasonable, cost-based fee.
– You may also request a list of certain disclosures of your electronic records and a list of health care providers who received your information through certain third parties, as applicable.
• Get a copy of this notice
– You may request a paper copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices of Therapy Today Counseling & Consulting at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Choose someone to act for you
– If someone is your personal representative (e.g., medical power of attorney or legal guardian), that person may exercise your rights.
– We will verify their authority before taking action.
• File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated
– You may complain to us using the contact information provided on page 1 of this notice.
– You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, at:
200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201
1-877-696-6775
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html
– We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
You may tell us your preferences for how we use and disclose your health information in the following cases:
You have the right and choice to tell us to:
• Share information with family, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care
• Share information in a disaster relief situation
• Include your information in a hospital or program directory
If you are unable to tell us your preference (for example, if you are unconscious), we may share information if we believe it is in your best interest or necessary to reduce a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
We will never share your information without your written permission for:
• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes
Our Uses and Disclosures
Uses and Disclosures With Your Consent
With your consent, we may use and share your health information to:
• Treat you
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
Example: A doctor treating you for a chronic condition asks another doctor about your health conditions and medications you are taking to avoid complications.
• Run our organization
We can use 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.
With your consent, we may also use and share your information in the following ways:
• Share information with individuals or entities you name
• Prevent multiple enrollments in treatment programs
• Report participation in treatment required by the criminal justice system
• Report prescribed medications to prescription drug monitoring programs, as required by law
You may provide a single consent for future treatment, payment, and health care operations, subject to applicable law.
Uses and Disclosures Without Your Consent
How else can we use or share your health information?
We are allowed or required to share your information in certain ways without your consent – 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.
To communicate within our practice and with contractors
We can share your information within our practice, with an organization that has administrative control over our practice or a portion of our practice, and with contractors who help us run our practice.
For medical emergencies
We can share your information during a bona fide medical emergency with the personnel and health care providers responding to your emergency, even when you are unable to consent because of the emergency.
We can also share your identifying information to assist the Food and Drug Administration in notifying you or your doctor about unsafe products you may be using.
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 medication
Reporting suspected child abuse or vulnerable and frail adult abuse
Preventing or reducing a serious threat to yourself or anyone’s health or safety
Conduct or assist with research
We can use or share your information to conduct or help with health research. Researchers cannot include any patient identifying information in their reports about the research.
Comply with federal and state laws and oversight activities
We can use or share your information to improve the quality of our services, obtain needed credentials, and cooperate with oversite agencies for activities authorized by law, including with the Department of Health and Human Services, as long as those who view or receive the information agree to destroy or return the information when they are finished and agree not to use it against you.
Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.
Work with medical examiners, coroners, or funeral directors
We can share information with a medical examiner, coroner, or funeral director when an individual dies and to assist with cause of death inquiries.
Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
We can use or share information about you:
For worker’s compensation claims
For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
With health oversite agencies for activities authorized by law
For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
Report crimes or threats occurring within our practice or against our staff
We may report to law enforcement when a patient commits or threatens to commit a crime within our practice or against our staff.
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
We can share health information about you in response to a court order.
Special Protections for Part 2 Records
If we maintain substance use disorder patient records subject to 42 CFR Part 2:
• We will not use or disclose those records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without your written consent or a court order and subpoena, as required by law.
• We must follow certain procedures before responding to court orders.
• Redisclosure by HIPAA-covered entities may be permitted for treatment, payment, and health care operations, but your information may not be used against you in legal proceedings without appropriate consent or court authorization.
When you consent to uses and disclosures for all future treatment and payment purposes and to run our business, we may share your information with substance use disorder treatment programs, doctor’s offices, and health care businesses for these activities. If the person who receives it is subject to HIPAA, then they are allowed to use and share your information again without your consent for the purposes that HIPAA allows.
In all cases, we will limit the information used or disclosed to what is necessary and protect it as required by law.
Our Responsibilities
• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We are required to obtain your consent for most uses and disclosures of your information.
• We will notify you 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 provide you with a copy.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you authorize us to. You may revoke your authorization at any time.
For more information about your privacy rights, visit:
www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html
Changes to the Terms of this Notice
We are required to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect. We may change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we maintain about you. The revised notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.
Effective Date: This notice is effective as of February 16, 2026.