Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of your protected health information (PHI).

PHI includes individually identifiable information relating to your past, present, or future physical or mental health, healthcare services, or payment for healthcare.

This Notice explains how we may use or disclose your information, your rights concerning that information, and our responsibilities under applicable federal and state privacy laws.

We are required to:

Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.

Provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices.

Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.

Provide access to records and honor other privacy rights as required by law.

Notify affected individuals of breaches of unsecured protected health information when legally required.

Obtain authorization for uses or disclosures when required by law.

This Notice applies to protected health information maintained by Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC in connection with its healthcare services.

When applicable state or federal law provides stronger confidentiality protections than HIPAA, we follow those additional requirements.

2. How Your Health Information May Be Used and Disclosed

Treatment

We may use or disclose health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your care, subject to applicable confidentiality requirements.

For example, your therapist may review your history, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment goals, and progress to provide therapy services.

When clinically appropriate and legally permitted, information may also be shared with other qualified healthcare professionals involved in your treatment.

Payment

We may use or disclose information to obtain payment for services.

This may involve verifying insurance benefits, submitting claims, processing payments, responding to denials, and completing other billing activities.

Information shared for insurance or billing purposes may include your name, date of birth, diagnosis, dates of service, procedure codes, provider information, and other information reasonably necessary for the payment activity.

These disclosures remain subject to applicable confidentiality laws and qualifying restrictions requested by you.

Healthcare Operations

We may use or disclose health information for activities necessary to operate our practice.

Examples include:

Clinical documentation and quality review.

Professional consultation and supervision when legally permitted.

Licensing, credentialing, and compliance.

Practice administration and billing.

Auditing and legal services.

Secure electronic records and technology support.

Other activities permitted under applicable law.

When required, outside service providers handling PHI on our behalf must operate under appropriate business associate agreements and privacy safeguards.

Appointment Reminders and Health-Related Communications

We may contact you regarding appointments, scheduling, billing, treatment coordination, treatment alternatives, or other health-related matters permitted by law.

Electronic Systems, Email, and Telehealth

Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC provides telehealth services and uses electronic systems to manage treatment and practice operations.

These may include:

Electronic health records.

The SimplePractice Client Portal.

Video-based therapy.

Appointment scheduling and reminders.

Secure client messaging.

Billing and payment-processing systems.

Business email, telephone, and voicemail.

We use reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect health information.

Electronic communication can involve privacy risks. Clients are encouraged to use the secure Client Portal whenever possible for confidential clinical communication.

Although our business email operates under appropriate professional privacy arrangements, ordinary email messages exchanged with external senders should not automatically be considered end-to-end encrypted or secure for sensitive clinical information.

3. Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law

In certain circumstances, we may use or disclose protected health information without written authorization when permitted or required by law.

These circumstances may include:

Required by Law: Disclosures specifically required by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Public Health Activities: Certain legally authorized reporting and public-health activities.

Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation: Disclosures required or permitted under applicable mandatory-reporting and protective-services laws.

Health and Safety: Limited disclosures permitted or required to address qualifying threats to your health or safety or the health or safety of another person.

Health Oversight: Activities such as authorized audits, investigations, inspections, licensing, and disciplinary proceedings.

Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: Disclosures under qualifying court orders, subpoenas, or other lawful processes when permitted or required after considering applicable confidentiality protections.

Law Enforcement: Certain disclosures authorized or required by law.

Workers' Compensation: Disclosures necessary to comply with applicable workers' compensation laws.

Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors: Certain disclosures authorized by law.

Research: Research uses and disclosures conducted under applicable legal requirements and safeguards.

Specialized Government Functions: Certain activities involving military functions, national security, protective services, correctional institutions, or other legally authorized government functions.

Organ and Tissue Donation: Disclosures to authorized organizations when applicable and legally permitted.

The circumstances listed above do not mean every disclosure is permitted in every situation.

Mental-health treatment records, privileged communications, psychotherapy notes, and certain substance use disorder records may be subject to additional legal restrictions.

A subpoena or legal request does not automatically authorize disclosure of all confidential mental-health information.

4. Special Protections for Mental-Health Information

Mental-health treatment information may receive confidentiality protections beyond HIPAA's general requirements.

Washington

Washington law, including applicable provisions of Chapter 70.02 RCW, provides additional protections for certain healthcare information and mental-health treatment records.

Depending on the circumstances, disclosure may require your authorization or another legally recognized basis.

Florida

Florida law, including Section 491.0147, Florida Statutes, protects confidential communications between licensed clinical social workers and their clients, subject to applicable exceptions and legal requirements.

Our Responsibilities

Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC complies with the confidentiality laws applicable to the service, record, client, and circumstances involved.

We will obtain written authorization when required and will not assume that a disclosure permitted by HIPAA is automatically permitted under more restrictive state or federal laws.

5. Special Protections for Psychotherapy Notes

HIPAA provides additional protections for psychotherapy notes.

Psychotherapy notes generally refer to separately maintained notes recorded by a mental-health professional that document or analyze the contents of counseling conversations.

They are distinct from ordinary progress notes and other clinical records, such as diagnoses, treatment plans, symptoms, session times, and summaries of treatment progress.

Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes require your written authorization.

Limited exceptions may apply under HIPAA, including:

Use by the clinician who created the notes for treatment.

Certain qualifying training or supervision activities.

Defense of legal proceedings brought by the individual.

Certain legally authorized health oversight activities.

Disclosures specifically required by law.

Other narrowly defined circumstances permitted under applicable law.

Additional federal or state confidentiality protections may restrict these uses or disclosures.

6. Special Protections for Substance Use Disorder Records

Certain substance use disorder treatment records receive additional confidentiality protections under federal law, including 42 CFR Part 2.

Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC provides general mental-health treatment and does not represent itself as a federally assisted substance use disorder treatment program.

However, if we receive or maintain records protected by Part 2, we will handle those records according to applicable federal confidentiality requirements.

Part 2-protected records, or testimony describing their contents, generally may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without your specific written consent or an appropriate court order and subpoena or equivalent legal process meeting Part 2 requirements.

Other uses and disclosures of Part 2-protected information, including treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, remain subject to applicable consent and confidentiality requirements.

Where legally permitted, a recipient of Part 2-protected information disclosed with appropriate consent for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations may redisclose that information as HIPAA permits. The special restrictions on using those records in proceedings against you continue to apply.

If we maintain specially protected substance use disorder counseling notes, any separate authorization requirements applicable to those notes will be followed.

Applicable rights involving disclosures of Part 2-protected records will be honored as required by law.

7. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Written Authorization

We will obtain your written authorization for uses or disclosures that require authorization under applicable law.

Examples include:

Most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes.

Marketing uses or disclosures requiring authorization.

The sale of protected health information.

Other uses or disclosures not otherwise permitted by law.

Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC does not sell protected health information.

If fundraising communications involving PHI are ever undertaken as permitted by law, you will have the right to opt out of further fundraising communications. Any proposed fundraising use of Part 2-protected records will also be subject to applicable advance-notice, choice, and authorization requirements.

You may revoke a written authorization at any time by submitting a written request.

Revocation generally does not affect actions already taken in reliance on the authorization or other circumstances recognized by law.

8. Your Choices About Information Sharing

In certain circumstances, you may tell us whether and how information may be shared with:

Family members.

Friends.

Others involved in your care or payment for your care.

Individuals assisting during an emergency.

Appropriate disaster-relief organizations when legally permitted.

We will respect your choices and obtain authorization or consent when required by law.

If you are unable to express a preference, certain limited disclosures may be permitted when consistent with applicable law and your best interests.

Mental-health confidentiality laws may require additional protections or authorization.

9. Your Rights Regarding Protected Health Information

You have the following rights concerning your health information, subject to applicable legal requirements.

Right to Access Your Records

You may request to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of your medical records and other health information maintained by our practice.

We generally respond within 30 days under HIPAA, unless a permitted extension applies or another law requires a shorter timeframe.

We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee when permitted by law.

Separately maintained psychotherapy notes are generally excluded from HIPAA's ordinary right of access.

Right to Request Amendments

You may request correction or amendment of health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

If we deny your request, we will explain the reason in writing and provide information about your applicable rights to disagree with the decision.

We generally respond within 60 days, subject to legally permitted extensions or other applicable requirements.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a particular location.

For example, you may request communications through the Client Portal, a designated telephone number, or a specific mailing address.

We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.

Right to Request Restrictions

You may request limits on how we use or disclose your information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.

We are not required to agree to every requested restriction.

However, if you pay for a healthcare service fully out of pocket, you may request that information about that service not be disclosed to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations purposes.

We will honor qualifying requests unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your protected health information.

An accounting generally covers the six years preceding your request, subject to applicable legal exclusions.

Disclosures for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, disclosures made with your authorization, and certain other disclosures generally are excluded from the standard HIPAA accounting requirement.

One accounting within a 12-month period is generally provided without charge. Additional requests may be subject to a reasonable, cost-based fee when permitted by law.

Additional rights concerning Part 2-protected records will be honored where applicable and required.

Right to a Copy of This Notice

You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.

Right to a Personal Representative

A legally authorized personal representative may exercise applicable rights on your behalf.

We may verify the person's authority before acting on a request.

Right to Breach Notification

You have the right to notification as required by law following a breach of unsecured protected health information.

Right to File a Complaint

You may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

You may file a complaint with Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

We will not retaliate against you for making a complaint or exercising your privacy rights.

10. How to Exercise Your Privacy Rights

To request access to records, amendments, confidential communications, restrictions, an accounting of disclosures, or a copy of this Notice, contact:

Cameron Millikin — Privacy Contact

Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC
1420 Marvin Rd NE, Ste C #305
Lacey, WA 98516

Phone: 360-362-0045
Email: [email protected]

We may request reasonable information to verify your identity or legal authority before processing certain requests.

For sensitive clinical matters, we encourage use of the secure Client Portal or another approved secure communication method.

11. Filing a Privacy Complaint

You may submit a privacy complaint directly to Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC using the contact information above.

You may also contact:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office for Civil Rights

200 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20201

Phone: 1-877-696-6775

Website: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html

Washington clients may also contact the Washington State Department of Health regarding applicable professional licensing concerns.

You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

12. Practice Responsibilities

Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC is required to:

Maintain the privacy and security of protected health information.

Follow the terms of this Notice.

Make the Notice available as required by law.

Honor applicable individual privacy rights.

Notify affected individuals when required following breaches of unsecured PHI.

Use reasonable safeguards to protect health information.

Limit uses and disclosures to the minimum necessary information when that standard applies.

Obtain authorization when legally required.

We will not use or disclose information outside the circumstances described in this Notice or otherwise permitted by law without obtaining authorization when required.

13. Changes to This Notice

Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC reserves the right to revise this Notice of Privacy Practices as permitted by law.

Revisions may apply to protected health information already maintained by the practice and information received in the future.

When material changes occur, we will make an updated Notice available as required by law, including through our practice website.

14. Questions

If you have questions about this Notice of Privacy Practices or how your health information is used or disclosed, contact:

Cameron Millikin, MSW, LICSW/LCSW

Rise Above Therapeutic Solutions PLLC
1420 Marvin Rd NE, Ste C #305
Lacey, WA 98516

Phone: 360-362-0045
Email: [email protected]