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HIPAA NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

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. GREY MATTER PERFORMANCE'S PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION: Grey Matter Performance understands that health information about you and your health care is personal. Grey Matter Performance is committed to protecting health information about you. Grey Matter Performance creates a record of the care and services you receive to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. Grey Matter Performance complies with HIPAA and all applicable state privacy laws in the jurisdiction where services are provided. When state law offers greater protection than HIPAA, Grey Matter Performance follows the stricter standard. 

 

This notice applies to all of the records of your mental health counseling care generated by Grey Matter Performance. This notice will tell you about the ways in which your provider may use and disclose health information about you. It also describes your rights to the health information kept about you and describes certain obligations Grey Matter Performance has regarding the use and disclosure of your health information. 

 

Grey Matter Performance is required by law to:

  • Make sure that protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you is kept private.

  • Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your unsecured protected health information.

  • Give you this notice of Grey Matter Performance's legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information.

  • Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.

  • Grey Matter Performance can change the terms of this notice, and such changes will apply to all information about you. The new notice will be available upon request.

 

II. HOW GREY MATTER PERFORMANCE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU: The following categories describe different ways that Grey Matter Performance may use and disclose health information. For each category of uses or disclosures Grey Matter Performance will offer an explanation and give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways Grey Matter Performance is permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

 

For Treatment, Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules and regulations allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the client to use or disclose the client’s personal health information without the client’s written authorization to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. Providers 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 provider were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, the provider 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: If you are involved in a lawsuit, your provider may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. Your provider may also disclose health information about your child in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to

obtain an order protecting the information requested.

 

III. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

  • Psychotherapy Notes. Grey Matter Performance does 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 your provider's use in treating you.

    • For your provider's use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy.

    • For your provider's use in defending their self in legal proceedings instituted by you.

    • For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate your provider's 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.

  • Marketing Purposes. Grey Matter Performance will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes.

  • Sale of PHI. Grey Matter Performance will not sell your PHI in the regular course of business.

 

IV. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION: Subject to certain limitations in the law, Grey Matter Performance can use and disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following reasons:

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.

  • For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although Grey Matter Performance's preference is to obtain an authorization from you before doing so.

  • For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on Grey Matter Performance's premises.

  • To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law.

  • 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.

  • Specialized government functions, including, ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counter-intelligence operations; or, helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions.

  • For workers' compensation purposes. Although Grey Matter Performance's preference is to obtain an authorization from you, Grey Matter Performance may provide your PHI in order to comply with workers' compensation laws.

  • Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. Grey Matter Performance may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment. Grey Matter Performance may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that are offered.

 

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

  • Disclosures to family, friends, or others. Grey Matter Performance 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:

  • The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask Grey Matter Performance not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. Grey Matter Performance is not required to agree to your request and may say “no” if your provider believes it would affect your health care.

  • 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.

  • The Right to Choose How Grey Matter Performance Sends PHI to You. You have the right to ask Grey Matter Performance to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address, and Grey Matter Performance will agree to all reasonable requests.

  • The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that Grey Matter Performance has about you. Grey Matter Performance will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it, if you agree to receive a summary, within 30 days of receiving your written request and may charge a reasonable, cost based fee for doing so.

  • The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures Grey Matter Performance Has Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which Grey Matter Performance has disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided Grey Matter Performance with an authorization. Grey Matter Performance will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list given to you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time frame. Grey Matter Performance will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, Grey Matter Performance will charge you a reasonable cost based fee for each additional request.

  • The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe that there is a mistake in your PHI or that a piece of important information is missing from your PHI, you have the right to request that Grey Matter Performance corrects the existing information or adds the missing information. Grey Matter Performance may say “no” to your request and will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.

  • The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right get a paper copy of this notice, and you have the right to get a copy of this notice by e-mail. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice via e-mail, you also have the right to request a paper copy of it.

 

QUESTIONS OR COMPLAINTS
If you have questions about this notice, wish to exercise your rights, or want to file a privacy-related complaint, please contact:

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Privacy Officer, Grey Matter Performance
Email: mdustin@greymatterperformance.org
Phone: (979)6618983

 

You may also file a complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

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Last updated December 2025.

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