Legal

HIPAA Notice of
Privacy Practices.

Effective: June 2026  ·  Required by 45 C.F.R. §164.520

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Heiser Counseling is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to abide by the terms of this notice.

1. How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

Treatment

We may use and disclose your PHI to provide you with mental health treatment and related services, to coordinate your care with other healthcare providers, or to refer you to another provider when appropriate.

Payment

We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment for services we provide to you, including billing and collection activities.

Healthcare Operations

We may use and disclose your PHI for our internal operations, including quality improvement activities, licensing, compliance activities, and business management functions.

Uses and Disclosures Required or Permitted by Law

We may disclose your PHI without your authorization when required or permitted by law, including:

  • Mandatory reporting: Suspected child abuse or neglect, elder abuse, or dependent adult abuse
  • Duty to warn: When there is a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of an identifiable person
  • Court orders: In response to a valid court order or subpoena
  • Public health: To authorized public health authorities as required by law
  • Law enforcement: To law enforcement officials as required by law or valid legal process

2. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization

Other uses and disclosures of your PHI not described above will be made only with your written authorization. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Disclosure to your family members, friends, or other individuals you identify
  • Marketing purposes
  • Sale of your PHI
  • Psychotherapy notes (which receive special protections under HIPAA)

You may revoke any authorization you have given at any time, in writing, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance upon that authorization.

3. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

Right to Access

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI that we maintain, with limited exceptions. Requests must be made in writing. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies.

Right to Amend

You have the right to request that we amend your PHI if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny your request under certain circumstances.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI we have made in the past six years.

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request restrictions on our use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to your request in most cases, but we will consider it.

Right to Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you by alternative means or at an alternative location if disclosure through normal means could endanger you.

Right to a Copy of This Notice

You have the right to receive a paper copy of this notice upon request.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach

You have the right to be notified in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI.

4. Our Duties

We are required by law to:

  • Maintain the privacy of your PHI
  • Provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
  • Abide by the terms of this notice currently in effect
  • Notify you in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI

We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the new provisions effective for all PHI we maintain. We will provide you with a revised notice when material changes are made.

5. Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

To file a complaint with us, contact:

Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA
Heiser Counseling
800 S. FM 1626, Suite 102, Buda, TX 78610
512-937-3991
destany@heisercounseling.com

To file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201
hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints

6. Contact for Privacy Questions

For questions about this notice or your privacy rights, contact Destany Schadder at destany@heisercounseling.com or 512-937-3991.