PROVIDERS FOR HEALTHY LIVING
CONFIDENTIALITY OF SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT RECORDS

Effective Date: 2/16/2026

Providers for Healthy Living, LLC, is a psychiatric and behavioral health practice that provides evaluation and treatment for mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Certain records related to substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis, treatment, or referral are protected by federal law under 42 CFR Part 2, as amended in 2024.

These federal protections apply in addition to the privacy protections described in our general Notice of Privacy Practices under HIPAA.

1. Special Protections for Substance Use Disorder Records

Records that identify you as having a substance use disorder or receiving SUD services are afforded heightened confidentiality protections.

Except as described below, we will not use or disclose your SUD treatment records without your written consent.

These protections apply whether SUD services are provided as part of integrated psychiatric care or through specialized substance use programming within this practice.

2. Uses and Disclosures With Written Consent

With your written consent, we may use and disclose your SUD treatment records for:

• Treatment purposes, including coordination with psychiatrists, therapists, primary care providers, hospitals, and other health care professionals
• Payment activities, including billing and insurance claims
• Health care operations, including quality improvement, case management, and compliance activities

Under the 2024 amendments to 42 CFR Part 2, your consent may permit disclosure for treatment, payment, and health care operations consistent with HIPAA standards.

You may revoke your consent at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on your consent.

3. Uses and Disclosures Without Written Consent

Federal law allows limited disclosures of SUD records without written consent in specific circumstances, including:

• Communicate within our program and with our contractors
• Help with medical emergencies
• Help with public health
• Report crimes (and threats of crimes) on our premises and suspected child abuse and neglect
• Aid scientific research
• Respond to audits and evaluations of our program
• Assist cause of death inquiries
• Respond to court orders

Such disclosures will be limited to the information necessary and made in compliance with federal regulations.

4. Segregation and Safeguards in an Integrated Behavioral Health Setting
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In an integrated psychiatric practice, mental health and substance use information may be maintained within the same medical record. However, SUD treatment information is subject to additional federal protections.

We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to:

• Identify SUD treatment records
• Ensure appropriate consent is obtained prior to disclosure
• Limit internal access to authorized personnel
• Comply with redisclosure restrictions

5. Redisclosure Restrictions

Substance use disorder records disclosed with your consent may not be redisclosed by the recipient unless permitted by federal law.

All disclosures will include notice that the information is protected by federal confidentiality rules.

6. Patient Rights

In addition to the rights described in our Notice of Privacy Practices, you have the right to:

• Provide consent when we use or share your information for most purposes..You may provide a single consent for all future uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes.  You may provide consent for more limited purposes (for example, to only disclose information to another health care provider for your treatment); however, doing so may affect the services we can provide you or how you pay for services. You may provide a general consent to share your information through certain third parties, such as a health information network or a research institution, where your treating health care providers can access it.
• Ask us to limit what we use or share. You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our health care operations after you have provided consent for all those purposes. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if, for example, it could affect your care. If we agree to your request, we may still share this information in the event that you need emergency treatment. If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our health care operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.
• Get a copy of this privacy notice. You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.
• Discuss this notice with someone in our program. You can ask questions or obtain more information about this notice and our privacy practices by calling our Privacy Officer, Jessica Jones, at 614-664-3595.
• Choose in advance about fundraising. You have the right to a clear and obvious notice in advance of, and a choice about whether to receive, fundraising communications for our program.
• You can choose someone to act for you. If someone has authority to act as your personal representative, such as if someone has your medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

8.  Our Responsibilities

• We are required to obtain your consent for most uses and sharing of your information.
• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your information.
• We must let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described in this notice unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

7. Complaints

If you believe your SUD confidentiality rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with:

• Our Privacy Officer:  Jessica Jones @ 614-664-3595
• The Office for Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services @ 1-877-696-6775 or https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html

You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.

8. Important Notice

Federal law prohibits unauthorized disclosure of substance use disorder treatment records. Violations may result in civil or criminal penalties.

9. Changes to This Notice

We are required to follow the terms of this notice that are currently in effect.  We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you.  The new notice will be available upon request in our office and on our web site.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact Providers for Healthy Living, LLC's Privacy Officer, Jessica Jones, at 614-664-3595.