Davenport Psychology- Privacy Policy
Who we are
Our website address is: https://davenportpsychology.com.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.
Cookies
If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.
If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Who we share your data with
If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.
How long we retain your data
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
What rights you have over your data
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
Where we send your data
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
I. Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations
Davenport Psychology, or contractors used by Davenport Psychology, hereafer all referred to as “Davenport Psychology,” “our,” or “we,” may use or disclose your protected health information (PHI), for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes with your written consent. To help clarify these terms, here are some definitions:
• “PHI” refers to information in your health record that could identify you.
• “Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations”
– Treatment is when Davenport Psychology provide, coordinate or manage your health care and other services related to your health care. An example of treatment would be when we consult with another health care provider, such as your family physician or another psychologist.
-Payment is when Davenport Psychology obtains reimbursement for your healthcare. Examples of payment are when we disclose your PHI to your health insurer to obtain reimbursement for your health care or to determine eligibility or coverage.
– Health Care Operations are activities that relate to the performance and operation of my practice. Examples of health care operations are quality assessment and improvement activities, business-related matters such as audits and administrative services, and case management and care coordination.
• “Use” applies only to activities within my office, such as sharing, employing, applying, utilizing, examining, and analyzing information that identifies you.
• “Disclosure” applies to activities outside of my office, such as releasing, transferring, or providing access to information about you to other parties.
II. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Authorization
Davenport Psychology may use or disclose PHI for purposes outside of treatment, payment, and health care operations when your appropriate written authorization is obtained. An “authorization” is written permission above and beyond the general consent that permits only specific disclosures. In those instances when the practice is asked for information for purposes outside of treatment, payment and health care operations, we will obtain an authorization from you before releasing this information. Davenport Psychology will also need to obtain an authorization before releasing your psychotherapy notes. “Psychotherapy notes” are notes we have made about
conversation during a private, group, joint, or family counseling session, which we have kept separate from the rest of your clinical record. These notes are given a greater degree of protection than PHI.
You may revoke all such authorizations (of PHI or psychotherapy notes) at any time, provided each revocation is in writing. You may not revoke an authorization to the extent that (1) We have relied on that authorization; or (2) if the authorization was obtained as a condition of obtaining insurance coverage, and the law provides the insurer the right to contest the claim under the policy.
Davenport Psychology will also obtain an authorization from you before using or disclosing:
· PHI in a way that is not described in this Notice.
III. Uses and Disclosures with Neither Consent nor Authorization
Davenport Psychology may use or disclose PHI without your consent or authorization in the following
circumstances:
• Child Abuse: If we know or have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, caregiver or other person responsible for the child’s welfare, the law requires that we report such knowledge or suspicion to the Florida Department of Child and Family Services.
• Domestic Violence with Minors Present: lf we know or have reasonable cause to suspect that there is domestic violence between adult partners occurring in a home where minors are residing, the law requires that we report such knowledge or suspicion to the Florida Department of Child and Family Services.
• Adult and Domestic Abuse: If we know, or have reasonable cause to suspect, that a vulnerable adult (disabled or elderly) has been or is being abused, neglected, or exploited, we are required by law to immediately report such knowledge or suspicion to the Central Abuse Hotline.
• Licensed Professional Sexual Misconduct: If we know or have reasonable cause to suspect that another licensed health care professional in the State of Florida has engaged in any form of sexual behavior with a patient, we must report this to the appropriate licensing board.
• Health Oversight: If a complaint is filed against me with the Florida Department of Health on behalf of the Board of Psychology, the Department has the authority to subpoena confidential mental health information from me relevant to that complaint.
• Judicial or Administrative Proceedings: If you are involved in a court proceeding and a request is made for information about your diagnosis or treatment and the records thereof, such information is privileged under state law, and we will not release information without written authorization from you or your legal representative, or a subpoena of which you have been properly notified and you have failed to inform me that you are opposing the subpoena or a court order. The privilege does not apply when you are being evaluated for a third party or where the evaluation is court ordered. You will be informed in advance if this is the case.
• Serious Threat to Health or Safety: When you present a clear and immediate probability of physical harm to yourself, to other individuals, or to society, we may communicate relevant information concerning this to the potential victim, appropriate family member, or law enforcement or other appropriate authorities.
• Worker’s Compensation: If you file a worker’s compensation claim, we must, upon request of your employer, the insurance carrier, an authorized qualified rehabilitation provider, or the attorney for the employer or insurance carrier, furnish your relevant records to those persons.
IV. Patient’s Rights and Psychologist’s Duties
Patient’s Rights:
• Right to Request Restrictions – You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information about you. However, we are not required to agree to a restriction you request.
• Right to Receive Confidential Communications by Alternative Means and at Alternative Locations – You have the right to request and receive confidential communications of PHI by alternative means and at alternative locations. For example, you may not want a family member to know that you are receiving treatment at Davenport Psychology. Upon your request, we will send your bills to another address.
• Right to Inspect and Copy- You have the right to inspect or obtain a copy (or both) of PHI in our mental health and billing records used to make decisions about you for as long as the PHI is maintained in the record. On your request, we will discuss with you the details of the request process.
• Right to Amend- You have the right to request an amendment of PHI for as long as the PHI is maintained in the record. We may deny your request. On your request, we will discuss with you the details of the amendment process.
• Right to an Accounting- You generally have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of PHI regarding you. On your request, we will discuss with you the details of the accounting process.
• Right to a Paper Copy-You have the right to obtain a paper copy of the notice from me upon request, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically.
• Right to Restrict Disclosures When You Have Paid for Your Care Out-of-Pocket. You have the right to restrict certain
• Disclosures of PHI to a health plan when you pay out-of-pocket in full for our services.
• Right to Be Notified if There is a Breach of Your Unsecured PHI. You have a right to be notified if: (a) there is a breach (b) use or disclosure of your PHI in violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule) involving your PHI; (c) that PHI has not been encrypted to government standards; and (d) our risk assessment fails to determine that there is a low probability that your PHI has been compromised.
Psychologist’s Duties:
• We are required by law to maintain the privacy of PHI and to provide you with a notice of my legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI.
• We reserve the right to change the privacy policies and practices described in this notice. Unless we notify you of such changes, however, we are required to abide by the terms currently in effect.
• If we revise our policies and procedures, Davenport Psychology will notify you of any such changes either verbally or in writing.
V. Questions and Complaints
If you have questions about this notice, disagree with a decision made about access to your records, or have other concerns about your privacy rights, you may contact Davenport Psychology at (941) 702-12457.
If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated and wish to file a complaint, you may send your written complaint to:
Davenport Psychology
1608 Oak Street, Sarasota, FL 34236
admin@davenportpsychology.com
You may also send a written complaint to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The person listed above can provide you with the appropriate address upon request. You have specific rights under the Privacy Rule. We will not retaliate against you for exercising your right to file a complaint.
VI. Effective Date, Restrictions and Changes to Privacy Policy
This notice will go into effect on January 01, 2021.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the new notice provisions effective for all PHI that we maintain. We will provide you with a revised notice by either discussing this with you verbally and/or informing you in writing.