Privacy Policy
East Texas Psychiatry and Counseling ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and personal health information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using our website or services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
HIPAA Compliance and Protected Health Information
East Texas Psychiatry and Counseling is a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). We are committed to protecting your Protected Health Information (PHI) in accordance with HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules.
Your Rights Under HIPAA: You have the right to access your medical records, request corrections, receive an accounting of disclosures, and request restrictions on how we use or disclose your health information. For more information about your HIPAA rights, please request our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Protected Health Information We Collect
In the course of providing mental health services, we may collect the following types of PHI:
- Personal identification information (name, address, phone number, email, date of birth, Social Security number)
- Medical and mental health history
- Insurance and billing information
- Treatment notes and clinical assessments
- Prescription and medication information
- Emergency contact information
How We Collect Information
Information You Provide Directly
We collect information when you:
- Schedule an appointment through our website or by phone
- Complete patient intake forms and medical history questionnaires
- Attend appointments and participate in treatment
- Communicate with us via email, phone, or patient portal
- Submit insurance information for billing purposes
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:
- IP address and browser type
- Pages viewed and time spent on pages
- Referring website addresses
- Device information and operating system
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings.
How We Use Your Information
We use your information for the following purposes:
Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations
- Treatment: To provide, coordinate, and manage your psychiatric and mental health care
- Payment: To process insurance claims, billing, and payment for services rendered
- Healthcare Operations: To improve our services, train staff, conduct quality assurance, and maintain our practice
Other Permitted Uses
- Appointment reminders and follow-up communications
- Coordination of care with other healthcare providers (with your authorization)
- Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
- Response to emergencies or threats to health and safety
How We Share Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal health information. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:
With Your Authorization
We will share your information with third parties only when you provide written authorization, except as otherwise permitted or required by law.
Business Associates
We may share information with business associates who perform services on our behalf (such as billing companies, IT service providers, and electronic health record vendors). These business associates are required by law to protect your information.
As Required by Law
We may disclose information when required by law, such as:
- In response to court orders or legal proceedings
- To report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
- To prevent or mitigate serious threats to health or safety
- For public health activities
- To comply with workers' compensation laws
- For law enforcement purposes in limited circumstances
Insurance Companies
We may share necessary information with your health insurance company for purposes of payment and healthcare operations.
How We Protect Your Information
We implement comprehensive physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect your personal health information:
Physical Safeguards
- Secure office facilities with controlled access
- Locked filing cabinets for paper records
- Secure disposal of documents containing PHI
Technical Safeguards
- Encrypted electronic health records
- Secure, HIPAA-compliant communication platforms
- Firewalls and antivirus software
- Regular security updates and system monitoring
- Multi-factor authentication for system access
Administrative Safeguards
- Staff training on HIPAA compliance and privacy practices
- Business associate agreements with vendors
- Regular security risk assessments
- Policies and procedures for privacy and security
Important: While we implement robust security measures, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to protecting your information to the best of our ability.
Your Privacy Rights
Under HIPAA and applicable privacy laws, you have the following rights:
- Right to Access: You have the right to inspect and obtain copies of your medical records
- Right to Amend: You may request corrections to your medical records if you believe they are inaccurate or incomplete
- Right to an Accounting: You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information
- Right to Request Restrictions: You may request limitations on how we use or disclose your information
- Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that we communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location
- Right to a Paper Copy: You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Privacy Policy and our Notice of Privacy Practices
- Right to File a Complaint: You may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.
Telehealth and Virtual Appointments
We offer secure telehealth services for psychiatric appointments. When you participate in telehealth appointments:
- We use HIPAA-compliant video conferencing platforms with end-to-end encryption
- Sessions are conducted in a private, secure environment
- We do not record sessions without your explicit consent
- The same privacy protections apply to telehealth as in-person appointments
Your Responsibility: Please ensure you are in a private location during telehealth appointments to protect your own privacy.
Website Privacy and Cookies
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:
- Remember your preferences and settings
- Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
- Improve website functionality and user experience
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect website functionality.
Third-Party Services
Our website may use third-party services such as Google Analytics for website analytics. These services may collect information about your website usage. Please review the privacy policies of these third-party services for more information.
Links to Other Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.
Children's Privacy
Our services are provided to adolescents (ages 13 and older) and adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through our website without parental consent.
For patients who are minors, we follow applicable state laws regarding parental access to mental health records and treatment information.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. We will notify you of material changes by:
- Posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website with a new effective date
- Providing notice during your next appointment
- Sending notification via email or patient portal (for significant changes)
Your continued use of our services after changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or need to file a complaint, please contact us:
East Texas Psychiatry and Counseling
File a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with:
No Retaliation: You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint about our privacy practices.
