Info

We understand that your health information is personal to you, and we are committed to protecting the information about you. This Notice of Privacy Practice (or "Notice") describes how we will use and disclose protected information and data that we receive or create related to your treatment. Our Duties We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information, and to give you this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices. We are also required to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect. How We May Use And Disclose Health Information About You We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except in the following situations:Treatment: We will use and disclose your health information while providing, coordinating or managing your treatment. For example, information obtained by the assessment specialist, primary therapist, nurse, drug testers, or other member of your treatment team will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you. Your primary therapist will put in your record expectations of your treatment. Members of your treatment team will then record the actions they took and their observations. In that way, the primary therapist will know how you are responding to treatment. Any medical tests performed by our nurse and the results of those tests, to include HIV status, will be recorded in your chart. We may also provide other healthcare providers, with a properly prepared release, with your information to assist them in treating you. Payment: We will use and disclose your medical information to obtain or provide compensation or reimbursement for providing your treatment. For example, we may send a bill to you, your health plan, Medicaid, or Department of Mental Health. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis. As another example, we may disclose information about you to your health plan so the health plan may determine your eligibility for payment for certain benefits. Alabama Department of Mental Health and Retardation: We disclose information about you, to include diagnosis, to the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Retardation as they operate as the state's certification body. Treatment Operations: We will use and disclose your health information to deal with certain administrative aspects of your health care, and to manage our business more efficiently. For example, members of the treatment team may use information in your health record to assess the quality of care and outcomes in your case and others like it. This information will then be used in an effort to improve the quality and effectiveness of the treatment and services we provide. This includes Quality Assurance and Corporate Compliance activities. Business Associates: There are some services provided in our organization through contracts with business associates. We may disclose your health information to our business associates so they can perform the job we've asked them to do. However, we require business associates to take precautions to protect your health information. Chain of Trust Agreements: We maintain Chain of Trust Agreements with referral sources from whom and to whom referrals are made for treatment services. We maintain Chain of Trust Agreements with these agencies to ensure they protect your information. Notification of Family: We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or other person responsible for your care, about your location and general condition if and only if you have given us written permission to do so. We may only disclose information you have specifically given us permission to disclose. Emergency Medical Conditions: If you are taken seriously ill or have an accident while on our premises and we feel it necessary to call for emergency medical personnel, we will disclose all information necessary for them to provide emergency care. Communication with Family: We may disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal friend or any other person you identify, information you have specifically given us written permission to disclose relevant to that person's involvement in your care. Casual Observation: We can not guarantee your complete confidentiality when you are seen at or around our treatment facility by visitors or other clients. Cell Phone Usage: If you wish us to communicate with you using a telecommunications device such as a cell phone, you should be aware that such communications can be intercepted by others; therefore, your confidentiality could be compromised. Research: Consistent with applicable law we may disclose information to researchers when their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information and identification. You will be informed if any research is undertaken that might include your information. Public Health: As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability including child abuse and neglect. Victims of Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence: We may disclose your health information to appropriate governmental agencies, such as adult protective or social services, if we reasonably believe you are a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. Department of Human Resources: As required by law, we will disclose your health information to the Department of Human Resources for the county in which you reside, if we reasonably believe a child is being abused or neglected. Health Oversight: In order to oversee the health care system, government benefits programs, entities subject to governmental regulation and civil rights laws for which health information is necessary to determine compliance, we may disclose your health information for oversight activities authorized by law, such as audits. Court Proceedings: We may disclose your health information in response to requests made during judicial and administrative proceedings, such as court orders or subpoenas providing the court has followed the procedures required by 42 CFR, Part 2 (CONFIDENTIALITY OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE PATIENT RECORDS). Law Enforcement: Under certain circumstances, we may disclose your health information to law enforcement officials. These circumstances include reporting crimes on our premises and/or verbalized or written threats against our staff or property. Inmates: If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release health information about you to the correctional institution or law enforcement official. This release would be necessary (1) for the institution to provide you with health care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution. Probation/Court Referral Offices: If you are under the supervision of a probation officer or court referral officer (state, county, federal) and treatment is mandated as part of your probation, you must give the Chemical Addictions Program, Inc. a release for unrestricted communications about your treatment to the appropriate probation officer/court referral officer. Without this release, we are unable to provide treatment. Threats to Public Health or Safety: We may disclose or use health information when it is our good faith belief, consistent with ethical and legal standards, that it is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat or is necessary to identify or apprehend an individual. Specialized Government Functions: Subject to certain requirements, we may require a limited release to allow the Chemical Addictions Program, Inc. to disclose or use health information for military personnel and veterans for government programs providing public benefits. Workers Compensation/Disability: We may disclose health information when authorized and necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or Social Security disability programs.