Privacy Policy
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW PERSONAL INFORMATION AND MEDICAL INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
We are committed to protecting personal information, including health information. We use reasonable security measures to maintain the confidentiality of that information. We use the following terms in this Privacy Policy:
“Personal Information” means any information about individuals, including name, signature, social security number, physical characteristics or description, address, telephone number, passport number, driver’s license or state identification card number, insurance policy number, education, employment, employment history, family members for contact purposes, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, or any other financial information. “Personal Information” does not include publicly available information that is lawfully made available to the general public from federal, state, or local government records. “Personal Information” also does not include medical or health information regulated by certain laws applicable to that type of information.
"Protected Health Information" or "PHI" is Personal Information about medical or health condition, history, or care, and related matters such as insurance.
We create a record of the care and services provided by Nurture & Nature. We need this record to provide quality care and to comply with certain legal and payment requirements. This notice explains the ways in which we may use and disclose Personal Information. We also describe individuals rights and certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of Personal Information.
We are required by law to:
Keep Personal Information private;
Notify individuals of our legal duties and privacy practices concerning Personal Information;
Notify individuals if their Personal Information is affected by a breach; and
Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
1. Collection, Use, and Disclosure of PHI and Other Personal Information
We may collect PHI and other Personal Information from individuals and members of their family, and from health care professionals. We may use or disclose PHI for the following purposes.
Treatment. Health information may be used by staff members or disclosed to other health care professionals for the purpose of treatment. For example, health information may be used by our staff to send appointment reminders, and we may disclose Personal Information to other health care professionals so that they may provide treatment and so that we can coordinate the services we provide. We may use Personal Information to send information on treatment and treatment alternatives.
Payment. Personal Information may be used or disclosed to seek payment for our services from health plans or from other sources of coverage. For example, we may need to give information to health plans to obtain preauthorization for treatment or reimbursement for our services.
Health care operations. Personal Information may be used or disclosed to support the day-to-day activities that are necessary for the operations and management of Nurture & Nature and ensure that our patients receive quality care. For example, we may use information to train our staff or review their performance.
Other Uses and Disclosures. We may also use or disclose Personal Information for certain other purposes permitted by applicable federal or state law and regulations, including:
Process & Proceedings. We may disclose information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process.
Required by law. We may disclose information when required by law to do so.
Public health reporting. PHI may be disclosed to public health agencies as required by law. For example, we are required to report certain communicable diseases to the state’s public health department.
Abuse, neglect, and domestic violence. We may disclose information concerning victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to the appropriate government agency.
Health oversight activities. We may disclose information to health oversight agencies for health oversight activities including audits, investigations, licensure or disciplinary actions.
Serious threats to health or safety. We may disclose information to necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.
Social services agencies and agencies providing public benefits. We may disclose information to social service agencies.
Research. We may use or disclose information for research purposes, if certain conditions are satisfied.
Certain trusted third parties, such as those who provide information technology services and systems, may have access to PHI, subject to confidentiality obligations.
Law enforcement. Health information may be disclosed to law enforcement agencies to facilitate law-enforcement investigations, and to comply with government mandated reporting. We may disclose to a law enforcement official concerning the PHI of a suspect, fugitive, material witness, crime victim or missing person, or a crime committed on our premises.
2. Disclosures We May Make
Unless we are advised otherwise, we may disclose information for the following purposes:
Individuals Involved in Care or Payment for Care. We may disclose PHI to a family member, friend, or other person designated for this purpose. We will limit the disclosure to information relevant to that person’s involvement in care or payment for care.
Fundraising. We may use an individual’s name and contact information to support our fund-raising efforts. If you do not want to participate in fund-raising efforts, please advise us.
Facility Directory. We may use and disclose information to maintain our residential treatment facility directory.
3. Other Uses and Disclosures Require Authorization
Disclosure of personal information or its use for any purposes other than those listed above requires specific written authorization. An authorized individual may submit a written revocation of the authorization. However, revocation of the authorization will not affect or undo any use or disclosure of information that occurred before we were notified of the decision to revoke the authorization.
Without authorization, we are prohibited from using or disclosing Protected Health Information for marketing purposes, and we are required to disclose in such authorization if financial remuneration is involved in such marketing. We may not sell Protected Health Information without authorization. We may not use or disclose most psychotherapy notes contained in Protected Health Information without authorization.
4. Individual Rights Concerning PHI
You have certain rights under the federal privacy laws. These include:
a. The right to request restrictions on the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information
b. The right to receive confidential communications concerning treatment
c. The right to inspect and copy Protected Health Information
d. The right to amend or submit corrections to Protected Health Information
e. The right to receive an accounting of how and to whom Protected Health Information has been disclosed
f. The right to receive a printed copy of this notice.
This section explains rights and some of our responsibilities
Get an electronic or paper copy of a medical record
You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of a medical record and other health information we have. Ask us how to do this.
We will provide a copy or a summary of health information, usually within 15 days of request.
Ask us to correct a medical record
You can ask us to correct health information that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
Request confidential communications
We normally contact individuals by telephone at home, cell or by mail at a home address.
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home, cell or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We may not be required to agree to a request, and we may say “no” if it would affect care.
If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or operations with a health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.
Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information
You can ask for a list of the categories of persons with whom we’ve shared health information, and the categories of information we’ve shared, for six years prior to the date you ask.
Choose someone to act for you
If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is a legal guardian, that person can exercise an individual’s rights and make choices about health information.
We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
Get a copy of this notice
Individuals may obtain a paper copy of this Notice upon request.
Individuals may receive a paper copy, even if they agreed to receive electronic notices from us.
5. Notice to California Residents
We also comply with California’s statutes and regulations, including the California Privacy Rights Act A (CPRA). The CPRA provides California residents with specific rights regarding their Personal Information. This section describes rights as outlined with the CPRA, and explains how to exercise those rights.
The Right to Access Personal Information.
You have the right to request and obtain from us the types of Personal Information we have collected, used and shared, in the 12 months preceding a request, and why we collected, used and shared that information. Individuals have the right to make this request twice within a 12-month period. Once we receive and verify request, we will disclose:
The categories of Personal Information we collected.
The specific pieces of Personal Information we collected.
The categories of sources from which we collected Personal Information.
The purposes for which we use Personal Information.
The categories of third parties with whom we share Personal Information.
The Right to Delete.
Nurture & Nature maintains case records for the later of: for adults, at least ten years following the conclusion of services; for minors, until such time as the minor reaches 25 years of age.
You also have the right to request the deletion of Personal Information that has been collected and retained, subject to certain exceptions. Once we receive and verify a request, we will delete Personal Information from our files. We will also direct our third-party service providers to delete Personal Information. In certain situations, we may deny a deletion request for one of the following reasons:
We are unable to verify a request (as required by the CPRA).
We need Personal Information to complete treatment and obtain payment.
We need Personal Information for certain business security practices.
We need Personal Information for certain internal uses that are compatible with reasonable expectations or the context in which the information was originally provided.
We need Personal Information to comply with a legal obligation, exercise legal claims or rights, or defend legal claims.
If the Personal Information is exempt from the CPRA, such as certain medical information, and consumer credit reporting information.
The Right to Opt-Out of Sale
We do not sell Personal Information; therefore, we do not offer an opt out.
The Right to Not Be Discriminated Against
We will not discriminate against anyone for exercising any CPRA defined rights. We will not discriminate against anyone for exercising rights under the CPRA by doing any of the following:
Denying goods or services.
Charging different prices or rates for goods or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties.
Providing a different level or quality of goods or services.
Exercising Rights by Submitting a Request
To exercise the right to know, access, and delete Personal Information, please submit a verifiable request to us as follows:
Call us at: 818-299-2469
Email us at: kevin@nurtureandnatureaba.com
Visit our website to submit a form: www.nurtureandnatureaba.com
Verification of Identity
We cannot respond to a request or provide Personal Information unless we can verify the requester’s identity, per CPRA guidelines. We may need to ask you for additional information for verification purposes exclusively.
Other California Privacy Rights
Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83 (California’s Shine the Light law), California residents with an established business relationship with us can request information once a year about sharing their Personal Information with third parties for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes. If you’d like to request more information under the California Shine the Light law, you can contact us as described in his policy.
We do not track our patients over time and across third party websites to provide advertising, and therefore we do not respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals from a web browser.
6. Right to Revise Privacy Practices and Changes to This Notice
As permitted by law, we reserve the right to amend or modify our privacy policies and practices at any time. These changes in our policies and practices may be required by changes in federal and state laws and regulations. If we materially change our privacy policies and practices, we will revise this Notice and post a copy of the current Notice in our reception areas and on our website. Upon request, we will provide you with the most recently revised notice. The revised policies and practices will be applied to all protected health information we maintain, regardless of when we received it.
7. Complaints
If you would like to submit a comment or complaint about our privacy practices, or believe that any privacy rights have been violated, you should call the matter to our attention by sending a letter outlining your concerns to us at:
5344 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607
Or via email to kevin@nurtureandnatureaba.com
You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696- 6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
You will not be penalized or otherwise retaliated against by us, for filing a complaint.
8. Contact Person
If you have any questions about this Notice, or if you want to exercise any right explained above, or complain about any use or disclosure of personal information, you may contact us: kevin@nurtureandnatureaba.com
9. Effective Date
This notice was updated on January 18, 2024.