Mental Health Therapy Group
Mindful Oregon Clinic
Mindful Oregon Clinic
Notice of Privacy Practice
Last Modified: 08/01/2025
Your health information is personal, and Mindful Oregon Clinic is committed to protecting your privacy. If you have questions or concerns about this Notice or our privacy practices, please contact Mindful Oregon Clinic using the contact information provided at the end of this document.
Our Legal Duty to Protect Your Health Information
This Notice is provided to you as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). As a health care provider, Mindful Oregon Clinic is required by law to:
-
Maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI)
-
Provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
-
Notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI
-
Respect your rights regarding your health information
This Notice explains how we may use and disclose your health information, how we protect it, and the rights you have regarding your information.
For purposes of this Notice, “Mindful Oregon Clinic,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Mindful Oregon Clinic and its workforce, including employed or contracted clinicians and staff operating under HIPAA.
How We Use and Disclose Your Health Information
We may use and disclose your health information for the following purposes, as permitted or required by law:
1. Treatment
We may use and share your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your mental health care. This may include sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in your treatment.
2. Payment
We may use and disclose your health information to bill and collect payment for services provided to you. This may include disclosures to insurance companies, managed care organizations, or other payers.
3. Health Care Operations
We may use your health information for administrative and operational purposes, including quality assessment, training, licensing, credentialing, auditing, and compliance activities.
4. Other Uses Permitted or Required by Law
We may disclose your health information when required by law, including for public health activities, reporting abuse or neglect, responding to legal proceedings, and preventing serious threats to health or safety.
Medical Records Ownership
Your health information is maintained in a medical record that is the physical property of Mindful Oregon Clinic, though the information within the record belongs to you.
Special Protections for Psychotherapy Notes
What Are Psychotherapy Notes?
Psychotherapy notes are notes recorded by a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of counseling sessions and are kept separate from the rest of the medical record.
Psychotherapy notes do not include:
-
Medication prescriptions or monitoring
-
Session start/stop times
-
Treatment modalities or frequency
-
Clinical test results
-
Diagnoses, treatment plans, symptoms, prognosis, or progress summaries
Use and Disclosure of Psychotherapy Notes
Psychotherapy notes receive heightened protection under HIPAA. We must obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing psychotherapy notes, except in limited circumstances, including:
-
Use by the note creator for treatment
-
Use in supervised mental health training programs
-
Use in legal defense of a proceeding you initiate
In certain circumstances, we may deny your request to access psychotherapy notes if, in the professional judgment of your provider, access could be harmful to you.
Health Information Exchange (HIE)
Mindful Oregon Clinic may participate in a secure, non-profit Health Information Exchange (HIE) that allows healthcare providers to share health information electronically to support coordinated care.
What Information May Be Shared
Information shared through HIE may include:
-
Medical history
-
Diagnoses
-
Treatment information
-
Medications and allergies
-
Visit summaries and hospital records
Only providers involved in your care and other authorized entities (such as public health authorities) may access this information for approved purposes.
Behavioral Health & Substance Use Records
Behavioral health and substance use treatment records receive additional confidentiality protections under federal law. Such records are kept separate within the HIE and may only be shared:
-
In a medical emergency, or
-
With your explicit written consent
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the right to:
Request Restrictions
You may request limits on how we use or share your health information. Requests must be in writing. We are not required to agree to all requests.
Request Restrictions to Your Health Plan
You may request that services you pay for in full not be shared with your health plan. You must make this request before or at the time of service.
Access and Obtain Copies
You may inspect or obtain copies of your health and billing records by submitting a written request. If your records are electronic, you may request an electronic copy or direct us to send it to a third party.
We typically respond within 15 days and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Request Corrections
You may request amendments to your health information if you believe it is incomplete or inaccurate. Requests must be in writing. If denied, you will receive a written explanation and may submit a statement of disagreement.
Request Confidential Communications
You may request that we contact you using alternative methods or addresses. Requests must be in writing and will be accommodated when reasonable.
Receive an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request a list of disclosures of your health information (excluding certain permitted disclosures). The first request in a 12-month period is free; additional requests may incur a fee.
Obtain a Paper Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously received it electronically.
Opt Out of Health Information Exchange
You may opt out of participation in HIE at any time. If you opt out, your health information will not be available through HIE systems used by other providers.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice and make the revised version effective for all health information we maintain. Updated Notices will be available upon request and on our website.
Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties, excluding aggregators and providers of the Text Message services.