Legal & Policies

Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective date: 10/10/2026

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.

Through the Woods Mental Health Services (Brittaney Wood, LPC) is required by law to protect the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to give you this notice of my legal duties and privacy practices, and to notify you if a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs. I am required to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.

Your rights

When it comes to your health information, you have the right to:

• Get a copy of your records. You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your health record. I will provide it, usually within 30 days of your request, and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee. Psychotherapy notes, if kept, are treated separately and are not part of your designated record set.

• Ask me to correct your record. If you think information is incorrect or incomplete, you can ask me in writing to correct it. I may say no, and if so I will tell you why in writing within 60 days.

• Request confidential communications. You can ask me to contact you in a specific way (for example, a particular phone number or email) or at a different address. I will say yes to all reasonable requests.

• Ask me to limit what I use or share. You can ask me not to use or share certain information for treatment, payment, or operations. I am not required to agree if it would affect your care. If you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you can ask me not to share information about it with your health insurer, and I will agree unless a law requires me to share it.

• Get a list of those I've shared information with. You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times I've shared your information in the six years before your request, who I shared it with, and why. This does not include disclosures for treatment, payment, or operations, or ones you asked me to make.

• Get a copy of this notice. You can ask for a paper or electronic copy at any time.

• Choose someone to act for you. If you have given someone medical power of attorney, or someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights. I will confirm they have this authority before I act.

• File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated. Contact me using the information at the end of this notice. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, by calling 1-877-696-6775, or online at hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. I will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your choices

For certain information, you can tell me your choices about what I share. Unless you give me written permission, I will not share your information for marketing purposes, will not sell your information, and will not share psychotherapy notes except in the limited situations the law allows. You can tell me whether to share information with family, close friends, or others involved in your care. If you are not able to tell me your preference (for example, if you are unconscious), I may share information if I believe it is in your best interest, or when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

How I typically use or share your information

• Treatment. I can use your information and share it with other professionals who are treating you, such as a psychiatrist, primary care provider, or dietitian. In practice, I coordinate with other providers only with your written permission.

• Payment. I can use and share your information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. For Arizona clients who use out-of-network benefits, this includes sharing information with Mentaya and your insurer to submit claims on your behalf.

• Running my practice. I can use and share your information to run my practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. This includes secure scheduling, electronic health record, video, and billing services that sign Business Associate Agreements agreeing to protect your information.

Other ways I am allowed or required to share your information

I am allowed or required to share your information in certain other situations, usually ones that contribute to public good or safety. I have to meet many conditions in the law before I can share it for these purposes:

• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone's health or safety, including situations where you may be at risk of harming yourself or someone else.

• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child or vulnerable adult, as required by state law.

• Complying with the law, including if the Department of Health and Human Services wants to confirm I am complying with federal privacy law.

• Responding to a court or administrative order, or to a subpoena when the law permits.

• Health oversight activities, such as audits or investigations by licensing boards.

• Responding to workers' compensation, law enforcement, or other government requests, only as the law allows.

• Working with a medical examiner or coroner.

Arizona and Colorado law can be more protective of mental health information than federal law. When a state law gives you more protection, I follow it.

Changes to this notice

I can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information I have about you. The new notice will be available on request and posted on this website.

Contact for privacy questions

Brittaney Wood, LPC, Privacy Officer, Through the Woods Mental Health Services. Email brittaney@throughthewoodsmhs.com or call (719) 225-5340.