This policy only addresses activities from our servers. Other sites (including those we link to and other third party sites) may have their own policies, which we do not control, and thus are not addressed or controlled by this policy.
What Personal Information is Collected
You provide certain Personal Information to us when you send e-mail or other information, such as a job application. Cookies (a message given to a Web browser by a Web server) are not used on this Web site.
Information is Not Disclosed to Third Parties
Information is not provided to third parties for advertising or marketing purposes. We do not sell your e-mail address, your name, or personal demographic information to any mass marketers.
What Organization is Collecting the Information
Pressley Ridge is a 185-year-old nonprofit agency. Today, we provide an array of social services, special education programs, and mental health services for troubled children and their families in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Maryland, as well as worldwide. For more information about Pressley Ridge, visit the About Us section.
Links
This Web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that Pressley Ridge is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by our Web site.
Notification of Changes
If we change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on our Web site so our users are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. We will use information in accordance with the privacy policy under which the information was collected.
Summary of Privacy Practices
This notice describes how health information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.
Effective Date: September 23, 2013
PER THE HIPAA ACT OF 1996, WE HAVE A LEGAL DUTY TO SAFEGUARD YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION. We will protect the privacy of the health information that we maintain that identifies you, whether it deals with the provision of health care to you or the payment for health care. This notice explains how, when and why we may use and disclose your health information. With some exceptions, we will avoid using or disclosing any more of your health information than is necessary to accomplish the purpose of the use or disclosure. We are legally required to follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice, which is currently in effect.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and our privacy practices at any time. Any changes will apply to any of your health information that we already have. Before we make an important change to our practices, we will promptly change this Notice and post a new Notice in our reception or waiting areas, our counseling/therapy or group rooms or in our residential cottages. You may also request, at any time, a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices that is in effect at any time, from the Pressley Ridge Privacy Officer.
We would like to take this opportunity to answer some common questions concerning our privacy practices:
QUESTION: HOW WILL THIS ORGANIZATION USE AND DISCLOSE MY PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION?
Answer: We use and disclose health information for many different reasons. For some of these uses or disclosures, we need your specific authorization and for others, we do not. Below, we describe the different categories of our uses and disclosures and give you some examples of each.
A. Uses and Disclosures Relating to Treatment, Payment or Healthcare Operations. We may, by federal law, use and disclose your health information for the following reasons:
1. For Treatment: With the possible exception of information concerning mental health disorders and/or treatment, drug and alcohol abuse and/or treatment, and HIV status (for which we may need your specific authorization), we may disclose your general health information to other health care providers who are involved in your care. For example, we may disclose your medical history to a hospital if you need medical attention while at a residential facility, or to a residential care program we are referring you to. Reasons for such a disclosure may be: to get them the medical history information they need to appropriately treat your condition, to coordinate your care or to schedule necessary testing.
2. To Obtain Payment for Treatment: With the possible exception of information concerning mental health disorders and/or treatment, drug and alcohol abuse and/or treatment, and HIV status (for which we may need your specific authorization), we may use and disclose necessary health information in order to bill and collect payment for the treatment that we have provided to you. For example, we may provide certain portions of your health information to your health insurance company, Medicare or Medicaid, in order to get paid for taking care of you. To do this, we will need to provide your health information to the billing company that handles our health insurance claims.
3. For Health Care Operations: We may, at times, need to use and disclose your health information to run our organization. For example, we may use your health information to evaluate the quality of the treatment that our staff has provided to you. We may also need to provide some of your health information to our accountants, attorneys and consultants in order to make sure that we’re complying with law; if this information concerns mental health disorders and/or treatment, drug and alcohol abuse and/or treatment, and/or HIV status, we may be further limited in what we provide and may be required to first obtain from you specific authorization.
4. While Pressley Ridge may use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment or health care operations, we may not use or disclose your information for any additional purposes without your authorization. These additional purposes include research or certain kinds of marketing and fundraising activities. Under no circumstances will Pressley Ridge require you to consent to any additional uses and disclosures as a condition of the provision of treatment, payment, enrollment in a health plan or eligibility of benefits.
B. Certain Other Uses and Disclosures are permitted by federal law. We may use and
disclose your health information for the following reasons:
1. When a Disclosure is Required by Federal, State or Local Law, in Judicial or Administrative Proceedings or by Law Enforcement. For example, we may disclose your protected health information if we are ordered by a court, or if a law requires that we report that sort of information to a government agency or law enforcement authorities, such as in the case of a dog bite, suspected child abuse or a gunshot wound.
2. For Public Health Activities. Under the law, we need to report information about certain diseases, and about any deaths, to government agencies that collect that information. With the possible exception of information concerning mental health disorders and/or treatment, drug and alcohol abuse and/or treatment, and HIV status (for which we may need your specific authorization), we are also permitted to provide some health information to the coroner or a funeral director, if necessary, after a client’s death.
3. For Health Oversight Activities. For example, we will need to provide your health information if requested to do so by the County and/or the State when they oversee the program in which you receive care. We will also need to provide information to government agencies that have the right to inspect our offices and/or investigate healthcare practices.
4. For Organ Donation. If one of our clients wished to make an eye, organ or tissue donation after their death, we may disclose certain necessary health information to assist the appropriate organ procurement organization.
5. For Research Purposes. In certain limited circumstances (for example, where approved by an appropriate Privacy Board or Institutional Review Board under federal law), we may be permitted to use or provide protected health information for a research study.
6. To Avoid Harm. If one of our clinicians, liaisons, teacher/counselors, physicians or social workers believes that it is necessary to protect you, or to protect another person or the public as a whole, we may provide protected health information to the police or others who may be able to prevent or lessen the possible harm.
7. For Specific Government Functions. With the possible exception of information concerning mental health disorders and/or treatment, drug and alcohol abuse and/or treatment, and HIV status (for which we may need your specific authorization.) Similarly, we may also disclose a client’s health information for national security purposes, such as assisting in the investigation of suspected terrorists who may be a threat to our nation.
8. For Workers’ Compensation. We may provide your health information as described under the workers’ compensation law, if your condition was the result of a workplace injury for which you are seeking workers’ compensation.
9. Appointment Reminders and Health-Related Benefits or Services. Unless you tell us that you would prefer not to receive them, we may use or disclose your information to provide you with appointment reminders or to give you information about/send to you newsletters about alternative programs and treatments that may help you.
10. Fundraising Activities. For example, if our Organization chooses to raise funds to support one or more of our programs or facilities, or some other charitable cause or community health education program, we may use the information that we have about you to contact you. Our materials will explain how you can contact us in order to stop receiving material of this nature.
11. Disclosures to Family, Friends or Others Involved in Your Care. We may provide a limited amount of your health information to a family member, friend or other person known to be involved in your care or in the payment for your care, unless you tell us not to. For example, if a family member comes with you to your appointment and you allow them to come into the room with you, we may disclose otherwise protected health information to them during the appointment, unless you tell us not to.
- Disclosures to Notify a Family Member, Friend or Other Selected Person. When you first started in our program, we asked that you provide us with an emergency contact person in case something should happen to you while you are at our facilities. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will disclose certain limited health information about you (your general condition, location, etc.) to your emergency contact or another available family member, should you need to be admitted to the hospital, for example.
13. Disclosure to Business Associates. We may share your information with business associates who perform services on our behalf. The business associate must agree in writing to protect the confidentiality of the information. For example, we may share information with a billing company for the services we provided.
14. Disclosures from our Facility Directory. If you reside with us, we will maintain your name and room location in a directory for the receptionist to be able to direct visitors or callers to you, so long as they ask for you by name.
15. Disaster Relief. Pressley Ridge may use or disclose information to a public or private entity by law to assist with and coordinate disaster relief efforts.
C. Certain Uses and Disclosures Require You to Have the Opportunity to agree or object,
such as using general identifying information within a program directory, or in cases where next of kin are notified. In exceptional circumstances where the opportunity to agree or object has not taken place, Pressley Ridge is permitted to makes decisions regarding the use or disclosure of your protected health information based upon the professional judgment of what is in your best interest.
In addition, Pressley Ridge is also permitted to disclose to a member of the clergy:
a. Your name,
b. Your general condition in terms that do not communicate any specific medical or clinical information;
c. Your location within our facility;
d. Your religious affiliation, if any.
D. Other Uses and Disclosures Require Your Prior Written Authorization. In situations other than those categories of uses and disclosures mentioned above, or those disclosures permitted under federal law, we will ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing any of your protected health information. In addition, we need to ask for your specific written authorization to disclose information concerning your mental health, drug and alcohol abuse and/or treatment, or to disclose your HIV status.
If you choose to sign an authorization to disclose any of your health information, you can later revoke it to stop further uses and disclosures to the extent that we haven’t already taken action relying on the authorization, so long as it is revoked in writing.
QUESTION: WHAT RIGHTS DO I HAVE CONCERNING MY PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION?
Answer: You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information:
A. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information. You have the right to ask us to limit how we use and disclose your health information. We will certainly consider your request, but you should know that we are not required to agree to it. If we do agree to your request, we will put the limits in writing and will abide by them, except in the case of an emergency. Please note that you are not permitted to limit the uses and disclosures that we are required or allowed by law to make.
Clients have the right to restrict certain disclosures to a health plan, if the purpose for the
disclosure is not related to treatment, and the services to which the protected health
information applies have been paid for out of pocket in full.
B. The Right to Choose How We Send Health Information to You or How We Contact You. You have the right to ask that we contact you at an alternate address or telephone number (for example, sending information to your work address instead of your home address) or by alternate means (for example, by [e-mail/mail] instead of telephone). We must agree to your request so long as we can easily do so. Your request must be made in writing.
C. The Right to See or to Get a Copy of Your Protected Health Information. In most cases,
you have the right to look at or get a copy of your health information that we have, but you must make the request in writing. Please ask the clinician, social worker, liaison or teacher/counselor that you are seeing for the request. We will respond to you within 30 days after receiving your written request. If we do not have the health information that you are requesting, but we know who does, we will tell you how to get it. In certain situations, we may deny your request. If we do, we will tell you, in writing, our reasons for the denial. In certain circumstances, you may have a right to appeal the decision.
If you request a copy of any portion of your protected health information, we may charge you for the copy on a per page basis, only as allowed under state law. We need to require that payment be made in full before we will provide the copy to you. If you agree in advance, we may be able to provide you with a summary or an explanation of your records instead. There may be a charge for the preparation of the summary or explanation.
D. The Right to Receive a List of Certain Disclosures of Your Health Information that we have
made. You have the right to get a list of certain types of disclosures that we have made of your health information, to include information that is maintained electronically. You also have the right to receive an accounting of disclosure from our business associates. This list would not include uses or disclosures for treatment, payment or healthcare operations, disclosures to you or with your written authorization, or disclosures to your family for notification purposes or due to their involvement in your care. This list also would not include any disclosures made for national security purposes, disclosures to corrections or law enforcement authorities if you were in custody at the time, disclosures to persons directly involved in your care who are authorized to receive such information, or disclosures made prior to April 14, 2003. You may not request an accounting for more than a six (6) year period.
To make such a request, we require that you do so in writing. Please ask the clinician, social worker, liaison or teacher/counselor that you are seeing for the request. We will respond to you within 60 days of receiving your request. The list that you may receive will include the date of the disclosure, the person or organization that received the information (with their address, if available), a brief description of the information disclosed, and a brief reason for the disclosure. We will provide such a list to you at no charge; but, if you make more than one request in the same calendar year, you will be charged $10 for each additional request that year.
E. The Right to Ask to Correct or Update Your Health Information. If you believe that there is a
mistake in your health information or that a piece of important information is missing, you have a right to ask that we make an appropriate change to your information. This right does not permit you to alter or change the original record created by your health care provider or his/her staff. You must make the request in writing on a request form that is available from your clinician, social worker, liaison or teacher/counselor/case manager, with your signature and the date of your request. This request must include the reason(s) why you wish to make this change. We will respond within 60 days of receiving your request. If we approve your request, we will make the change to your health information, tell you when we have done so, and will tell others that need to know about the change.
We may deny your request if the protected health information: (1) is correct and complete; (2) was not created by us; (3) is not allowed to be disclosed to you; or (4) is not part of our records. Our written denial will state the reasons that your request was denied, and explain your right to file a written statement of disagreement with the denial. We may reasonably limit the length of your written statement, and we may prepare written response to your written statement. If we do so, we will place your written statement, along with our response in your client record, tell you when we have done so, and provide you with a copy of our response free of charge.
If we have denied your requested amendment/correction and you do not submit a written statement of disagreement as discussed above, you may ask that we include a copy of your request form, and our denial form, with all future disclosures of that health information.
F. The Right to Get A Paper Copy of This Notice. If you have agreed to receive this Notice via
email, you will always have the right to also request a paper copy of this Notice.
QUESTION: HOW DO I COMPLAIN OR ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION’S PRIVACY PRACTICES?
Answer: In the event that a breach occurs of your protected health information by Pressley Ridge or one its business associates, we will provide a written notification to you as required by law.
If you have any questions or concerns about anything discussed in this Notice or about any of our privacy practices, you may contact the Pressley Ridge Privacy Officer. You may also file a written complaint if you feel your privacy rights have been violated. These complaints will be investigated internally by the Pressley Ridge Privacy Officer, and you will be notified of the resolution. You also have the right to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights. The regional addresses are as follows:
Region III – Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
West Virginia
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
150 S. Independence Mall West – Suite 372
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3499
(215) 861- 4441; (215) 861- 4440 (TDD)
(215) 861- 4431 FAX
Region IV – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Tennessee
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
61 Forsyth Street, SW – Suite 3B70
Atlanta, GA 30323
(404) 562-7886; (404) 331-2867 (TDD)
(404) 562-7881 FAX
Region V – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of health & Human Services
233 N. Michigan Avenue – Suite 240
Chicago, Illinois 60601
(312) 886-2359; (312) 353-5693 (TDD)
(312) 886-1807 FAX
Region VI – AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
1301 Young Street – Suite 1169
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 767-4056; (214) 767-8940 (TDD)
(214) 767-0432 FAX
Pressley Ridge will not take any retaliatory action against you or anyone acting on your behalf for lodging a complaint, provided that the complaint is lodged with the good faith belief that the practice opposed is unlawful.