Woodlands Behavioral
Healthcare Network

Notice of Privacy Practices

Woodlands practice shall comply with the applicable law pertaining to provision of a Notice of Privacy Practice.  Procedure may change as necessary and appropriate to comply with changes in the law.   Each consumer or applicant has a right:

1. To receive an adequate notice of the uses and disclosures of Protected Health Information that may be made by our agency.
2. To be notified of their individual rights, and
3. To be notified of our practices’

PROCEDURE:

Woodlands will appoint a Privacy Officer who is responsible for the development and implementation of the policies and procedures of the agency and will be the contact person who is responsible for receiving complaints and who is able to provide further information about matters covered by the notice required by the law.

Staff will be trained in Woodlands’ Privacy Practices with respect to protected health information and how to distribute the Privacy Notice including, good faith effort and documentation of the acknowledgement of the receipt of the Privacy Notice.  

Woodlands will take all of the following actions as appropriate to provide consumers, family members and other interested parties with information about how we use, disclose and protect Protected Health Information.

1. Provide the “Notice of Privacy Practices“ no later than the date of the first service delivery to an individual after the compliance date for the covered health care provider and ask the consumer to acknowledge receipt of the Notice.
2. Will make a good faith effort to obtain a written acknowledgement of receipt of the Notice provided to the individual.  If written acknowledgement is not obtained, we will document our good faith efforts to obtain such acknowledgement and record the reason why the acknowledgement was not obtained.
3. In an emergency treatment situation when it is not possible or advisable to provide the Notice and obtain acknowledgement, written acknowledgement of receipt of Notice provided to the individual will be obtained as soon as reasonably practical after the emergency treatment.
4.  Retain copies of the Notices issued by us and maintain all written acknowledgements of receipt of the Notice or our documentation of good faith efforts to obtain such written acknowledgement when written acknowledgement cannot be obtained.
5. Will have copies of the Notice available at all service delivery sites for individuals to take with them.
6. Will post the Notice in a clear and prominent place at all service locations so that individuals seeking service can read the Notice.
7. Whenever the Notice is revised, make the revised Notice available upon request on or after the   effective date of the revised Notice and, post the revised Notice as soon as it becomes effective.
8. Prominently post the Notice on our web site and make the Notice available electronically through the web site.
9. Provide the Notice to an individual by e-mail if the individuals requests and agrees to electronic Notice.  If we have evidence that the transmission has failed, we will follow-up and provide paper copy of the Notice to the individual.
10. Promptly revise and distribute the Notice whenever there is a material change to our uses or disclosures, the individual’s rights, our practice’s legal duties, or other privacy practices described in the Notice.  Except when required by law, a material change to any term of the Notice will not be implemented prior to the effective date of the Notice in which such material change is reflected.
11.  Retain copies of each revision of our Notice, as well as other related documentation, for at  least six years from the date of the creation of the documentation, or the date when the document was last in effect, whichever is later.
12. Provide a process for consumers to complain if they believe that Woodlands has violated their privacy of individually identifiable health information and an investigative process.
    
    Documentation of the complaint along with the outcome will be made.  (See Recipient Rights Directive 12.44.1-5 Complaint/Investigative Procedure.)  Inform clients of their right to file a complaint with the “Office of Civil Rights”.
    
    
13. Conduct a risk audit annually to determine need for safeguards to ensure protection of Protected Health Information.
14. Woodlands will not tolerate retaliation or intimidation of a consumer or other for filing a complaint alleging a Privacy violation nor will it effect their right to access services.
15. Corrective or Disciplinary actions will be taken if a Woodlands’ staff, volunteers or intern has violated Woodland’s Privacy Practices.  (See Admin. Directive 8.1.1-7 Corporate Compliance.)