Confidentiality:

Your personal information is always kept confidential and protected under the same HIPAA laws as your medical health care. Some exceptions do apply when there are risks to your own life or the life of another. These exceptions will be clearly explained to you at the time of your initial appointment.

HIPAA:

Visit http://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html for information pertaining to the standards of privacy for identifiable health information according to the US Department of Health and Human Services Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Professional Boundaries:

I reserve the right to refuse or terminate services under these conditions;

I judge I am not the best qualified clinician to serve you.

Your needs or goals fall outside my scope of practice or skill set.

There is currently, or potential exist, for a dual relationship which could be harmful to you or me.

There has been a violation of my personal boundaries which threatens my safety emotionally, physically, or professionally.

There has been a breech in our fee agreement that has not been resolved.

As my client, you have the right to terminate treatment at anytime. It is always acceptable to seek a second opinion. At anytime you feel you are not getting the treatment outcomes or the attention you are needing, please bring this to my attention immediately so we can reevaluate your treatment plan and resolve any issues that impede your progress.

Media Policy:

Your privacy can never be guaranteed when you are communicating via email, text, instant messaging, social media, Skype, FaceTime, landline phone, cell phone, facsimile, or the US Postal Service. If you choose to communicate with me via any of these options, you are agreeing to not hold me liable for any breech of your confidentiality as a result of communication or sharing of data electronically or otherwise.

I minimize your risk by not sharing your personal health information without your permission. When communicating with you via text or email I keep the messages brief. My contact with you will generally be about appointment reminders, referral information, billing information or replies to the questions you have sent me.

When visiting my office I recommend that you keep your cell phone and other electronic devices turned off. This minimizes the risk of you “butt dialing” a contact while sharing personal information during your session. It also minimizes the risk of your location status being tracked via GPS.

When being seen via telemedicine I recommend finding a location where you have privacy and your conversations will not be heard by others. While some electronic communication is safer than others, privacy and security cannot be guaranteed by any of them.