HIPAA

Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective date: May 14, 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.

Summary

Elevate Mental Wellness ("we," "us," or "Elevate") is required by federal law to keep your medical information private. This Notice explains our legal duties and your rights regarding the protected health information (PHI) we create and maintain about you.

We follow the privacy rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the federal substance use disorder regulations at 42 CFR Part 2 when applicable, and the privacy protections in Colorado state law. Where two laws apply to the same information, we follow the one that gives you more protection.

How we use and disclose your information

We use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your specific authorization, except where state law requires additional consent.

For treatment

We use your information to provide, coordinate, and manage your mental-health care — for example, sharing information between your psychiatric provider, therapist, and case manager, or coordinating with your primary care physician with your permission.

For payment

We use your information to bill insurance, verify benefits, obtain prior authorizations, and manage payment for the services you receive.

For healthcare operations

We use your information for internal operations — quality improvement, training and supervision of clinicians, scheduling, audits, and administrative functions necessary to run a healthcare practice.

Other permitted disclosures

Federal law allows us to use and disclose your PHI without your authorization in specific limited situations, including:

  • Required by law (court orders, subpoenas with notice, mandated reporting)
  • Public health activities (disease prevention, FDA reporting, communicable diseases)
  • Victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
  • Health oversight activities (audits, investigations, licensing)
  • Judicial and administrative proceedings
  • Law enforcement purposes (in narrowly defined circumstances)
  • To coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors
  • Organ and tissue donation
  • Research, with appropriate safeguards or approvals
  • To avert a serious threat to health or safety
  • Specialized government functions (military, national security, protective services)
  • Workers' compensation

Special protections for sensitive records

Psychotherapy notes

Psychotherapy notes — your therapist's personal notes about a counseling session, kept separately from the rest of your record — receive heightened protection under HIPAA. We will not use or disclose psychotherapy notes for most purposes without your specific written authorization, even for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.

Substance use disorder records (42 CFR Part 2)

If you receive substance use disorder treatment from us, federal law (42 CFR Part 2) gives that information additional protection beyond HIPAA. We generally cannot disclose substance use disorder records to anyone — including family members, employers, or other treatment providers — without your specific written consent, except in narrow circumstances such as medical emergencies, mandated reporting, or court-ordered disclosures meeting Part 2 requirements.

Mental health records under Colorado law

Colorado law (CRS § 27-65-121 and related provisions) provides additional confidentiality protections for mental-health records. Where Colorado law is more stringent than HIPAA, we follow Colorado law.

Records of minors

Minors aged 12 and older have certain rights under Colorado law to consent to mental health treatment and to control access to those records (CRS § 27-65-103, § 12-245-203.5). We handle records of minors in accordance with these provisions; specifics vary by age and situation, and we will explain how it applies to your family at intake.

Uses that require your written authorization

We must obtain your specific written authorization for the following uses and disclosures of your PHI:

  • Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes
  • Marketing communications
  • Sale of your protected health information
  • Any other use not otherwise described in this notice

You may revoke any authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already relied on it.

Your rights

You have the following rights regarding the PHI we maintain about you:

Right to inspect and copy

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical and billing records, with limited exceptions. Requests must be in writing. We may charge a reasonable cost-based fee for copies, in line with HIPAA and Colorado law. We will respond within 30 days.

Right to request amendments

If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request that we amend it. The request must be in writing and include a reason. We may deny the request in limited circumstances, and you have the right to submit a statement of disagreement.

Right to an accounting of disclosures

You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI in the past six years (excluding disclosures for treatment, payment, operations, and a few other categories). You may request one accounting in any 12-month period at no charge.

Right to request restrictions

You have the right to request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree, except when you pay for a service out-of-pocket in full and request that we not share that information with your health plan — in which case we must comply.

Right to confidential communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location (for example, only at your work phone, or by mail to a specific address). We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Right to a paper copy of this notice

You have the right to receive a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically. Ask any staff member or contact us using the information below.

Right to be notified of a breach

You have the right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI. We will provide written notice as required by federal law.

Right to file a complaint

You have the right to file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. See the "How to file a complaint" section below. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Our responsibilities

  • We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
  • We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
  • We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
  • We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us in writing that we can. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

For more information on our privacy practices or to request a copy of this notice, contact our Shannon Lansford, DNP, PMHNP-BC · Privacy Officer using the information below.

Changes to this notice

We reserve the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised notice effective for medical information we already have about you as well as information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current notice in our offices and on our website. The notice will contain the effective date in the upper-right area of the first page (or, on our website, near the top of this page).

You may request a paper copy of the current notice at any time.

How to file a complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

With Elevate Mental Wellness

Submit a written complaint to Shannon Lansford, DNP, PMHNP-BC · Privacy Officer:

With the Office for Civil Rights

File a complaint online, by mail, or by phone at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

  • Online: hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint
  • Phone: 1-800-368-1019 (TDD: 1-800-537-7697)
  • Mail: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201

Contact us

For questions about this Notice, to exercise any of the rights described above, or to request a paper copy of this notice:

Elevate Mental Wellness · Shannon Lansford, DNP, PMHNP-BC · Privacy Officer

A paper copy of this Notice is available at any of our clinics. You have the right to receive a paper copy on request at any time.