Sierra Pathways 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)
Provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect
Notify you if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI
This Notice applies to all records created or maintained by Sierra Pathways regarding your care, including mental health and substance use disorder treatment records.
How we may use and disclose your health information
For treatment
We may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services. This includes:
Sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in your care
Consulting with other healthcare professionals about your treatment
Referring you to other providers for additional services
Coordinating your care with case managers, social workers, or other treatment team members
Example: Your therapist may share information with your psychiatrist to coordinate your medications with your therapy goals.
For payment
We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services provided to you:
Billing your insurance company or other third-party payers
Confirming your insurance coverage
Processing claims and obtaining pre-authorizations
Collecting outstanding balances
Example: We may send information about your diagnosis and treatment to your insurance company to obtain payment for services.
For healthcare operations
We may use and disclose your health information for our healthcare operations, including:
Quality improvement activities
Training staff and students
Licensing and accreditation activities
Business planning and management
Conducting audits and compliance reviews
Example: We may review treatment records to evaluate the quality of care provided by our staff.
Special protections for certain information
Substance use disorder records
Federal law (42 CFR Part 2) provides special protections for substance use disorder treatment records. We cannot disclose these records without your written consent except in limited circumstances such as:
Medical emergencies
Court orders meeting specific requirements
Qualified service organization agreements
Research, audit, or evaluation activities
Suspected child abuse or neglect
Crimes committed on our premises or against our personnel
Mental health records
California law provides additional protections for mental health records. Psychotherapy notes receive special protection and require your specific authorization for most disclosures.
Uses and disclosures requiring your authorization
Except as described in this Notice, we will not use or disclose your health information without your written authorization. This includes:
Marketing purposes
Sale of health information
Most sharing of psychotherapy notes
Other uses not described in this Notice
You may revoke your authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already acted on it.
Uses and disclosures without your authorization
We may use or disclose your health information without your authorization in the following circumstances:
As required by law
When federal, state, or local laws require disclosure
In response to court orders or subpoenas (with additional protections for substance use records)
To law enforcement officials for specific purposes allowed by law
Public health and safety
To report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
To prevent serious threat to health or safety (Tarasoff warnings)
To public health authorities for disease control and prevention
To report adverse reactions to medications
Health oversight activity
To agencies authorized to oversee healthcare systems
For audits, investigations, and inspections
For licensure and certification purposes
Others involved in your care
With your verbal agreement or if you do not object, we may share relevant information with:
Family members or friends involved in your care
Persons responsible for payment of your care
Disaster relief organizations
Your rights regarding your health information
Right to inspect and copy
You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of your health information, with certain exceptions. To request access:
Submit a written request to our Privacy Officer
We will respond within 30 days
We may charge a reasonable fee for copies
We may deny access in certain circumstances; you may request review of a denial
Right to amend
You have the right to request amendments to your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete:
Submit a written request with your reason for the amendment
We will respond within 60 days
If denied, you may submit a statement of disagreement
Right to accounting of disclosures
You have the right to receive a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information:
Covers disclosures for purposes other than treatment, payment, or operations
You may request disclosures made within the past six years
The first request in a 12-month period is free
Right to request restrictions
You have the right to request restrictions on how we use or disclose your health information:
We are not required to agree to your request
If we agree, we will honor the restriction unless emergency treatment requires disclosure
You may request restrictions on disclosures to your health plan if you pay out-of-pocket in full
Right to request confidential communications
You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location:
We will accommodate reasonable requests
You do not need to explain the reason for your request
Right to a paper copy of this notice
You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice upon request, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
Right to choose someone to act for you
If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
Right to file a complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201 Phone: 1-877-696-6775 www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints
You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Changes to this notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice and make the new provisions effective for all health information we maintain. Current Notices will be:
