I'm going to be telling you some really important things; is this just between us?
Your privacy is as important to me as it is to you.
It is EXTREMELY important for you to understand your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). As with all laws, there's a whole bunch of legal lingo to go through for the law itself, but here is a great resource to learn more about HIPAA straight from the government itself.
Basically, information that you give to me is given to me in confidence. This includes any information that you give to me in order to see if you and I are the best match, any phone calls, e-mails, etc. I will not share or divulge any information given to me unless it gives me reason to believe that you are an immediate threat to yourself or others, have committed abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult, or if a judge orders me to in the court of law. For that last one, unless you're front page news across the nation because of accusations made against you, then that will almost certainly NOT happen. However, if the Court does request those records, then I am legally mandated to oblige but only for the information that the court specifically requests.
You can read the limits on confidentiality, as well as print them for your own records, here. Note that you will be signing this same document when our work begins and that it is an acknowledgment of the policy.
Any other information that you give me is held in strict confidence. All of my files, e-mails, and all other records are protected by many levels of security.
While you may see your records at any time, it will require an advanced notice of at least one week and I reserve the right to charge a fee to cover time spent compiling this information. I'm not just going to throw something together without any effort; this is your life that we're talking about!, and you deserve a thorough and polished report. Be aware that notes that I may take in sessions are not included in these reports. Also note that other information may be withheld as per legal, professional, or clinical policy.
It is EXTREMELY important for you to understand your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). As with all laws, there's a whole bunch of legal lingo to go through for the law itself, but here is a great resource to learn more about HIPAA straight from the government itself.
Basically, information that you give to me is given to me in confidence. This includes any information that you give to me in order to see if you and I are the best match, any phone calls, e-mails, etc. I will not share or divulge any information given to me unless it gives me reason to believe that you are an immediate threat to yourself or others, have committed abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult, or if a judge orders me to in the court of law. For that last one, unless you're front page news across the nation because of accusations made against you, then that will almost certainly NOT happen. However, if the Court does request those records, then I am legally mandated to oblige but only for the information that the court specifically requests.
You can read the limits on confidentiality, as well as print them for your own records, here. Note that you will be signing this same document when our work begins and that it is an acknowledgment of the policy.
Any other information that you give me is held in strict confidence. All of my files, e-mails, and all other records are protected by many levels of security.
While you may see your records at any time, it will require an advanced notice of at least one week and I reserve the right to charge a fee to cover time spent compiling this information. I'm not just going to throw something together without any effort; this is your life that we're talking about!, and you deserve a thorough and polished report. Be aware that notes that I may take in sessions are not included in these reports. Also note that other information may be withheld as per legal, professional, or clinical policy.