Legal
Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: January 1, 2025 · Last Updated: January 1, 2025
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.
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
SJ Mindset, operated by Dr. Jennie Boyle, DNP, PMHNP-BC ("we," "us," or "our practice"), is committed to protecting the privacy of your health information. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI), to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
The following describes the ways we may use and disclose your health information. Not every use or disclosure will be listed; however, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the following categories.
Treatment
We may use your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your mental health care and related services. For example, we may share your information with other healthcare providers involved in your treatment, such as your primary care physician, specialists, or pharmacists, to ensure coordinated care.
Payment
We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide. For example, we may submit claims to your insurance company or health plan, which may include information about your diagnosis and treatment.
Healthcare Operations
We may use and disclose your health information for our healthcare operations, including quality assessment, training, licensing, and business management activities necessary to run our practice and ensure you receive quality care.
Appointment Reminders
We may use your health information to contact you with reminders about upcoming appointments via phone, voicemail, text message, or email, unless you instruct us otherwise.
As Required by Law
We will disclose your health information when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, including reporting requirements mandated by public health authorities.
Public Health Activities
We may disclose your health information for public health activities, including reporting communicable diseases, injuries, or reactions to medications to authorized public health authorities.
Serious Threats to Health or Safety
We may use or disclose your health information when necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety, or the health or safety of another person or the public.
Law Enforcement
We may disclose your health information to law enforcement officials for specific purposes as permitted or required by law, such as in response to a court order, subpoena, or warrant.
Workers' Compensation
We may disclose your health information as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws and other similar programs.
Special Protections for Mental Health Information
As a mental health practice, we recognize that your mental health records may be entitled to additional protections under New Jersey state law and federal regulations. In many cases, we will require your specific written authorization before disclosing mental health treatment records, even to other healthcare providers, except in the circumstances described above.
Psychotherapy notes (notes recorded by a mental health professional documenting the contents of a counseling session) are held to a higher standard of protection and will not be disclosed without your written authorization except in very limited circumstances required by law.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization
Other uses and disclosures of your health information not described in this Notice will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on your authorization.
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your health information for marketing purposes, for the sale of your health information, or for most uses of psychotherapy notes.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights with respect to your health information:
Right to Inspect and Copy
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information that we maintain in a designated record set. We may charge a reasonable fee for copying. We may deny your request in certain limited circumstances.
Right to Amend
You have the right to request that we amend your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny your request if we did not create the information, if the information is accurate and complete, or for other reasons permitted by law.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information. This right does not apply to disclosures made for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, or disclosures made with your authorization.
Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request restrictions on how we use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to your request, except in certain circumstances involving disclosures to health plans for services you paid for out-of-pocket in full.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you may ask that we contact you only at a specific phone number or address.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically. Please contact us to request a paper copy.
Right to Be Notified of a Breach
You have the right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured protected health information.
Our Duties
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. We are required to abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make the changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our Notice effective for all health information that we maintain, including health information we created or received before we made the changes. Before we make a significant change in our privacy practices, we will change this Notice and make the new Notice available upon request.
How to Exercise Your Rights or File a Complaint
To exercise any of the rights described above, or if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, please contact us:
You also have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201
www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Notice or our privacy practices, please contact us at (732) 860-9922 or visit our office at 344 Route 9, Lanoka Harbor, NJ 08734.
Effective January 1, 2025