Privacy Policies | Sara Schultz Counseling

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

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

I. MY PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION:
I understand that health information about you and your health care is personal. I am committed to protecting health information about you. I create a record of the care and services you receive from me. I need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by this mental health care practice. This notice will tell you about the ways in which I may use and disclose health information about you. I also describe your rights to the health information I keep about you, and describe certain obligations I have regarding the use and disclosure of your health information. I am required by law to:

Make sure that protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you is kept private.
Give you this notice of my legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information.
Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
I can change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information I have about you. The new Notice will be available upon request, in my office, and on my website.

II. HOW I MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:
The following categories describe different ways that I use and disclose health information. For each category of uses or disclosures I will explain what I mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways I am permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

For Treatment Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules (regulations) allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the patient/client to use or disclose the patient/client’s personal health information without the patient’s written authorization, to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. I may also disclose your protected health information for the treatment activities of any health care provider. This too can be done without your written authorization. For example, if a clinician were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, we would be permitted to use and disclose your personal health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to assist the clinician in diagnosis and treatment of your mental health condition.

Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard. Because therapists and other health care providers need access to the full record and/or full and complete information in order to provide quality care. The word “treatment” includes, among other things, the coordination and management of health care providers with a third party, consultations between health care providers and referrals of a patient for health care from one health care provider to another.

Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit, I may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. I may also disclose health information about your child in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.

III. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

Psychotherapy Notes. I do keep “psychotherapy notes” as that term is defined in 45 CFR § 164.501, and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your Authorization unless the use or disclosure is:
a. For my use in treating you.
b. For my use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy.
c. For my use in defending myself in legal proceedings instituted by you.
d. For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate my compliance with HIPAA.
e. Required by law and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law.
f. Required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes.
g. Required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law.
h. Required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others.
Marketing Purposes. As a psychotherapist, I will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes.
Sale of PHI. As a psychotherapist, I will not sell your PHI in the regular course of my business.

IV. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION.
Subject to certain limitations in the law, I can use and disclose your PHI without your Authorization for the following reasons:

When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law.
For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.
For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so.
For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on my premises.
To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law.
For research purposes, including studying and comparing the mental health of patients who received one form of therapy versus those who received another form of therapy for the same condition.
Specialized government functions, including, ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counter-intelligence operations; or, helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions.
For workers’ compensation purposes. Although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, I may provide your PHI in order to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. I may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with me. I may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that I offer.

V. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT.

Disclosures to family, friends, or others. I may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care or the payment for your health care, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.

VI. YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PHI:

The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask me not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. I am not required to agree to your request, and I may say “no” if I believe it would affect your health care.
The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a health care item or a health care service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full.
The Right to Choose How I Send PHI to You. You have the right to ask me to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address, and I will agree to all reasonable requests.
The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that I have about you. I will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it, if you agree to receive a summary, within 30 days of receiving your written request, and I may charge a reasonable, cost based fee for doing so.
The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures I Have Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which I have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided me with an Authorization. I will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list I will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. I will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, I will charge you a reasonable cost based fee for each additional request.
The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe that there is a mistake in your PHI, or that a piece of important information is missing from your PHI, you have the right to request that I correct the existing information or add the missing information. I may say “no” to your request, but I will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.
The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right get a paper copy of this Notice, and you have the right to get a copy of this notice by e-mail. And, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice via e-mail, you also have the right to request a paper copy of it.

Disclaimer

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as healthcare advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, a healthcare professional-patient relationship. We do our best to keep information accurate and up to date, however mistakes do happen, and we cannot make guarantees regarding the accuracy of our information. We are not liable for any information on this website or your reliance upon it.

Sara Schultz Counseling is committed to protecting online users' privacy. We believe that protection of personal privacy on the Internet is our responsibility, to assure citizen confidence, increase participation in online activities and support effective delivery of services. At www.saraschultzcounseling.com we intend to give you as much control as possible over your personal information. The purpose of our disclaimer is to inform you about the types of information we gather when you visit our website, how we may use that information, whether we disclose it to anyone, and the choices you have regarding our use of the information. The following is the privacy policy for the website (all pages starting with www.saraschultzcounseling.com).

By visiting the Sara Schultz Counseling website, users agree that they will not use the website for any unlawful activity, or use it in a way that would violate the following terms and conditions. This website is governed and construed by the laws of the State of Minnesota. Any use of the website shall comply with Sara Schultz Counseling, Minnesota and State of Minnesota laws and regulations as well as with all federal laws and regulations.

Collection of Information

No personally identifiable information is collected about visitors who simply browse this website or who download information from it. If you participate in a survey, e-news subscription or send an e-mail your e-mail address and the contents of the e-mail and information volunteered in response to the survey will be collected. Visitors who request services available through this website may be required to furnish additional information which may be required by law or which is necessary to provide the service requested. The additional information collected will be no more specific than if the visitor were requesting the service by any other means, including by telephone or in-person visit to the Sara Schultz Counseling office.

When you submit an online "contact us" or other online inquiry form, or when you call, write, fax or otherwise initiate contact with Sara Schultz Counseling, we record your contact information (name, address, phone number, email address, etc) in our systems. This information is used for answering your questions, connecting you with services, as well as ongoing marketing communication programs. In some cases, you may be referred to an online inquiry form via a link on a third party referral website. In that case, any information collected on Sara Schultz Counseling hosted online inquiry form may be shared with the referring party, and that referring party may use it for their own, non-Sara Schultz Counseling related, marketing communication programs. If you exchange any messages through our Sites or through our Services, we may store those as well.

Google Analytics

When someone visits this site we use a third party service, Google Analytics, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behavior patterns, including demographics and interests. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website. We do not sell any of the information we collect for any purpose. We use this information to help us make our website more useful to visitors; learning about the number of visitors to our website and the types of technology our visitors use helps us improve the website and the services we offer. You may opt out of Google Analytics at here.

How we share information with third parties

Personal information we collect may be shared with service providers who provide certain services on our behalf, including but not limited to, payment processing, business intelligence, customer relationship management, bill collection, marketing, hosting, and other common technology services. Our contracts dictate that these service providers only use your information in connection with the services they perform for us and in accordance with this Privacy Policy, and you consent to our sharing with these parties by using our Service and accepting the terms of this Privacy Policy.

We may provide information, including personal information to third party service providers and referral partners that work on behalf of or with us to provide some of the aspects of our services, to help us communicate with you, or to provide Members and Facilities with ancillary services offered by such service providers and referral partners. We may also receive information about you, including personal information, from our third party service providers and referral partners. However, these service providers and referral partners do not have any independent right to disclose this information (except to the same extent we would have a right to disclose that information under this Privacy Policy).

If you use the Services to contact a Member or Facility via email or phone, we may grant access to or share with the Member or Facility any and all information we collect as part of that communication, including Protected Health Information (PHI/ePHI), except where that disclosure is prohibited by law, regulation or other obligations (e.g. for data security).

You hereby agree that we may share some or all of your personal information with a parent company, subsidiaries, joint ventures, or other companies under common control with us (collectively, "Affiliates"). We will require our Affiliates to comply with this Privacy Policy. If our company or some or all of our assets are acquired by another company, any personal or other information we possess may be a part of the assets transferred, and that company will possess any rights granted to us under this Privacy Policy.

In all cases where we share Personal Information with third parties, we will use a "minimum necessary" standard to disclose only that information required to perform the service for which the information is disclosed.

Hyperlinks

This website provides links to other websites, business, organizations and government. These links are provided for your convenience and to connect you with resources you may find useful, and do not imply endorsement of the third party website. This Privacy Policy applies only to the Sara Schultz Counseling website. When you link to any other website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that website. Visitors linking to another website are encouraged to examine the privacy policy of that website. Sara Schultz Counseling is not responsible for whatever happens when you choose to follow a link to leave our webiste.

Neither Sara Schultz Counseling, Minnesota, nor any agency, officer, or an employee warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published on the website, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from this website, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this website does so at his or her own risk.

About Cookies

Cookies are text files sent by Web servers to Web browsers and are stored on the user’s computer or mobile device. If the browser is loading a page and the server requests the information stored in the cookie, the cookie is sent back to the server.

Cookies contain data about the user’s activities on the website, and can be used by Web servers to identify and track users as they navigate different pages on a website, and to identify users returning to a website.

Cookies may be either “persistent” or “session” cookies. A persistent cookie will remain valid until its set expiration date (unless deleted by the user). A session cookie will expire at the end of the user session, when the Web browser is closed.

Blocking cookies

Most browsers allow users to refuse to accept cookies.

In Google Chrome, you can adjust your cookie permissions by clicking “Options,” “Under the hood” and Content Settings in the “Privacy” section. Click on the Cookies tab in the Content Settings.
In Safari, you can block cookies by clicking “Preferences,” selecting the “Privacy” tab and “Block cookies.”
In Internet Explorer, you can refuse all cookies by clicking “Tools,” “Internet Options,” “Privacy,” and selecting “Block all cookies” using the sliding selector.
In Firefox, you can block all cookies by clicking “Tools,” “Options,” and un-checking “Accept cookies from sites” in the “Privacy” box.
Blocking all cookies will, however, have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites. If you block cookies, you may not be able to log on, access content or use search functions, for example.

Deleting cookies

Users can also delete cookies already stored on their computers:

In Google Chrome, you can adjust your cookie permissions by clicking “Options,” “Under the hood,” and Content Settings in the “Privacy” section. Click on the Cookies tab in the Content Settings.
In Safari, you can delete cookies by clicking “Preferences,” selecting the “Privacy” tab and selecting “Remove All Website Data.”
In Internet Explorer, you must manually delete cookie files.
In Firefox, you can delete cookies by first ensuring that cookies are to be deleted when you “clear private data” (this setting can be changed by clicking “Tools,” “Options” and “Settings” in the “Private Data” box) and then clicking “Clear private data” in the “Tools” menu.
Doing this may have a negative impact on the usability of many websites.

Changes to Privacy Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most current version of the policy will govern our use of your information. By continuing to access or use our site after those changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Privacy Policy.

Updated 06.11.2024.