My Responsibilities
Karen S. Casseday, ARNP is required to: 1) maintain the privacy of your mental health information, 2) provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you, 3) abide by the terms of this notice, 4) notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction, 5) accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate information by alternative means or at alternative locations. We will not use or disclose your information without your authorization, except as described in this notice. We reserve the right to change our practices and to make any new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. Should our information practices change, we will post the revision in our lobby and upon request mail a revised notice to the address you’ve supplied to us. Correctional Institutions: Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof, mental health information necessary for your continuity of care and the safety of you or other individuals. Furthermore, information may be released to the State monitoring program (probation) following release from a State correctional facility. Operator of a Care Facility: We may provide information to an operator of a care facility in which you reside (nursing home, convalescent center) to assist with any special needs.Law Enforcement / Legal Actions: We are required to report incidents of child or adult abuse or neglect and/or provide information as necessary to assist in the investigative process to the police or appropriate social service agency. We may disclose information to the Coroner or Medical Examiner, or limited information may be disclosed to law enforcement as required by law to assist in fulfilling their duties. We may disclose information upon receipt of a Court Order. Furthermore, information related to a client’s commission of a crime at 1740 NE Riddell Rd Ste 110 Bremerton, WA is not protected. In the course of an investigation for involuntary treatment and/or as a result of a civil petition for involuntary treatment: We are authorized to share your information with the county prosecutor, your attorney, the court, Department of Social and Health Services, to a protection and advocacy agency, and others as allowed under the law regarding involuntary commitment proceedings, RCW 71.05 or 71.34. Duty to Warn: We are required to disclose information to the proper authorities (law enforcement)and the intended victim if we suspect serious harm to another is intended or threatened. Oversight: Information may be reviewed by a regulatory or oversight committee to ensure adherence to required guidelines. This may include, but not be limited to, state, federal, and regional audits reviewing business practices, billing procedures, clinical practices, and confidentiality issues. Payments/Benefits: We may disclose information to assist in collecting payment for services or to assist you in accessing benefits/aid. Health Care Providers: We may disclose information to your primary health care provider or community mental health provider for continuity of care (unless directed otherwise), or to assistwith emergency medical treatment or medically necessary tests/evaluations. Federal law makes provisions for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority or attorney, provided that a workforce member orbusiness associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more clients, workers, or the public. All other uses and disclosures of your protected health information will only be made with your written authorization and you may revoke that authorization at any time as provided by 45 CFR 164.508 (b). Filing a Complaint: How to File a Complaint or Report a Problem: If you have questions or would like additional information or feel your privacy rights have been violated and you would like to file a complaint,you may contact my office (360) 567-6109. You may also file a complaint directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2201 Sixth Avenue Suite 900, Seattle, WA 98121. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint. Professional Records By law and the standards of my profession, it is required that I keep appropriate treatment records which include your diagnosis, dates of your treatment sessions, and the rate at which you were billed. You are entitled to receive a copy of the records, unless I believe that you are reading them would be emotionally damaging, in which case, I will provide them to an appropriate mental health professional of your choice. If you wish, I can prepare an appropriate summary. Because these are professional records, they can be misinterpreted and/or can be emotionally upsetting. If you wish to see your records, I recommend that (if deemed appropriate) we review them in my presence so we can discuss what they contain. You should be aware that you will be billed accordingly for any records copied.
By my signature below I acknowledge receipt of KC Family Hope Center, Karen Casseday, MN, PMHNP-BC, ARNP Notice of Privacy Practices. Effective Date: February 2, 2015. Updated 2/16/2019