Privacy

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

Rice Clinic - 1301 Wilson Road, Little Rock, AR 72205 – 501-225-0576

EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE: October 2026

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

I. RICE CLINIC PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION:

We understand that health information about you and your health care is personal, and we are committed to protecting health information about you. We create a record of the care and services you receive from us. This record is needed to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by this mental health care practice. This notice will tell you about the ways in which we may use and disclose health information about you. We also describe your rights to the health information we keep about you, and describe certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of your health information. We are required by law to:

  • Make sure that protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you is kept private.
  • Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information.
  • Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
  • We can change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new Notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.
  • We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

 

II. HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:

The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose health information. For each category of uses or disclosures we will explain what is meant and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

For Treatment, Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules (regulations) allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the patient/client to use or disclose the patient/client’s personal health information without the patient’s written authorization, to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. We may also disclose your protected health information for the treatment activities of any health care provider. This too can be done without your written authorization. For example, if a clinician were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, we would be permitted to use and disclose your personal health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to assist the clinician in diagnosis and treatment of your mental health condition.

Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard, because therapists and other health care providers need access to the full record and/or full and complete information in order to provide quality care. The word “treatment” includes, among other things, the coordination and management of health care providers with a third party, consultations between health care providers and referrals of a patient for health care from one health care provider to another.

Lawsuits and Disputes: We may disclose your protected health information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process when permitted by applicable law. When required, we will disclose only the information authorized by the court or administrative tribunal or information for which the applicable requirements for responding to a subpoena or other lawful process have been satisfied.

III. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

  1. Psychotherapy Notes. We do keep “psychotherapy notes” as that term is defined in 45 CFR § 164.501, and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your Authorization unless the use or disclosure is:
    • For our use in treating you.
    • For our use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy.
    • For our use in defending Rice Clinic in legal proceedings instituted by you.
    • For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate our compliance with HIPAA.
    • Required by law and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law.
    • Required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes.
    • Required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law.
    • Required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others.
  2. Marketing Purposes. As a mental health care practice, we will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes.
  3. Sale of PHI. As a mental health care practice, we will not sell your PHI in the regular course of our business.

 

IV. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

Subject to certain limitations in the law, we can use and disclose your PHI without your Authorization for the following reasons:

  1. When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law.
  2. For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
  3. For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.
  4. For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although our preference is to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so.
  5. For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on our premises.
  6. To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law.
  7. For research purposes, including studying and comparing the mental health of patients who received one form of therapy versus those who received another form of therapy for the same condition.
  8. Specialized government functions, including military; national security; and presidential protective services.
  9. For workers’ compensation purposes. Although our preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, we may provide your PHI in order to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
  10. Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. We may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment at Rice Clinic. We may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that we offer.
  11. Parents or legal guardians are generally permitted to access the protected health information of a minor when they have legal authority to act on behalf of the minor. However, there are circumstances under federal or state law in which a parent or legal guardian may not have access to a minor’s health information. These circumstances may include situations in which parental rights have been terminated, the minor has the legal authority to consent to the care involved, or the provider is otherwise permitted or required by law to restrict access.

 

V. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT:

  1. Disclosures to family, friends, or others. We may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care or the payment for your health care, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.

VI. YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PHI:

  1. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask us not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. We are not required to agree to your request and may say “no” if we believe it would affect your health care.
  2. The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a health care item or a health care service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full.
  3. The Right to Choose How We Send PHI to You. You have the right to ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home, cell, or office phone), or to send mail to a different address, and we will agree to all reasonable requests.
  4. The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes” and any other information excluded from the right of access by law, you have the right to inspect and obtain a paper or electronic copy of your protected health information maintained in a designated record set. We will respond to your written request within 30 calendar days. If we are unable to fulfill your request within 30 days, we may extend the response time by up to an additional 30 calendar days. If an extension is necessary, we will provide you with a written statement explaining the reason for the delay and the date by which we will complete your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies, as permitted by law.
  5. The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures We Have Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which we have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided an Authorization. The list we will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. We will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, we will charge you a reasonable cost-based fee for each additional request.
  6. The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. You can ask us, in writing, to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. We may say “no” to your request, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.
  7. The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this 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.
  8. The Right to 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 that person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
  9. The Right to File a Complaint if You feel Your Rights are violated. You can contact us if you feel your rights have been violated. Contact information:  Paula Faulkner – (501) 225-0576 or paula@rice-clinic.com. You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.