Privacy Statement
Keeping your information private is the most important priority at healthpsychnola.com. This statement about privacy policies and safety standards will tell you more about our policies in regard to information we collect and safeguard to protect it.
I am required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information (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.
I reserve 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 in writing either by mail or in person during a regularly scheduled appointment.
Third Party Intrusion
We will always take steps to try and prevent third party intrusion. Healthpsychnola.com contains links to independent outside websites (which also post their own links). If you link to a third party site from healthpsychnola.com, any information you provide a third party website that is linked on healthpsychnola.com is not covered by this privacy statement. To be informed of the third party privacy rules, you must read their privacy statement.
Information We Collect from You
We may also collect information about you and your use of our site through the use of cookies or IP address lookup (to verify city/state/country). “Cookies” are small computer files that we transfer to your computer’s hard drive that provide us with visit information (length of visit, what page was utilized for the longest period of time).
Disclosing of Your Personal Information
Disclosing of personal information is not tolerated at healthpsychnola.com. We will never disclose your identity or information regarding you to outside companies. We will never intentionally disclose any personal information about you or anything you mention in your interactions without your written permission.
Exception – In certain circumstances mandated by law, we may be required to release Personal Information to third parties, such as law enforcement for child or elder abuse, or harm to self or others, search warrant, subpoena or court order.
I may use or disclose PHI without your consent or authorization in the following circumstances:
A. Child Abuse – If I know or have reasonable cause to suspect that a child known to me in my professional capacity has been, or is, in immediate danger of being a mentally or physically abused or neglected child, I must immediately report such knowledge or suspicion to the appropriate authority.
B. Adult and Domestic Abuse – If I believe that an adult is in need of protective services because of abuse or neglect by another person, I must immediately report this belief to the appropriate authorities.
C. Judicial and Administrative Proceedings – If you are involved in a court proceeding and a request is made for information about the professional services I provided you and/or the records thereof, such information is privileged under Louisiana law, and I will not release information without the written authorization of you or your legally appointed representative 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 will be informed in advance if this is the case.
D. Serious Threat to Health or Safety – If I believe disclosure of PHI is necessary to protect you or another individual from a substantial risk of imminent and serious physical injury, I may disclose the PHI to the appropriate individuals.
E. Worker’s Compensation – If I am treating you for Worker’s Compensation purposes, I must provide periodic progress reports, treatment records, and bills upon request to you, the State of Louisiana, your employer, or your insurer, or their representatives.
Patient’s Rights
A. 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.
B. 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.)
C. 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. I may deny your access to PHI under certain circumstances, but in some cases you may have this decision reviewed. You may be denied access to Psychotherapy Notes if I believe that a limitation of access is necessary to protect you from a substantial risk of imminent psychological impairment or to protect you or another individual from a substantial risk of imminent and serious physical injury. I shall notify you or your representative if I do not grant complete access. On your request, I will discuss with you the details of the request and denial process.
D. 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.
E. 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.
F. 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.
Agreement Acceptance
This Privacy Statement may be changed or revised at any time here or elsewhere on this site. Continued usage of this site notes your acceptance of all legal and privacy terms. If you have any questions feel free to contact Dr. Laurie Darling at [email protected].
If you do “not” agree to the terms of this Privacy Statement please Exit the site immediately to terminate your contact with HealthWise Psychology & Dr. Laurie Darling.