Privacy Policy / HIPAA Notice

Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: March 1, 2026

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

Shepherd Recovery Center is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to notify you if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI.

We are also subject to the federal confidentiality requirements for substance use disorder (SUD) patient records under 42 CFR Part 2 (“Part 2”) if we maintain such records. These laws provide additional protections for SUD-related information and are referenced throughout this notice where applicable.

We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information For:

Treatment. We may use and disclose PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and related services. This includes sharing information with other providers involved in your care (e.g., therapists, physicians, case managers).

Payment. We may use and disclose PHI to obtain payment for services we provide, such as billing your insurance or processing claims. (Note: For SUD records protected by Part 2, we generally need your written consent to disclose for payment unless an exception applies.)

Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose PHI for our operational activities, such as quality assessment, staff training, accreditation, auditing, and business management.

Other Uses and Disclosures We May Make Without Your Authorization:

  • To avert a serious threat to health or safety
  • As required by law (e.g., mandatory reporting of child/elder abuse, court orders, public health reporting)
  • For workers’ compensation or similar programs
  • To coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors
  • For research, under strict protections
  • To law enforcement under specific limited circumstances
  • To report victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence (subject to Part 2 restrictions for SUD records)
  • For specialized government functions (e.g., military, national security)
  • To correctional institutions if you are incarcerated

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization:

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for any purpose not described above, including:

  • Most uses of psychotherapy notes
  • Marketing purposes (except certain limited communications)
  • Sale of your PHI

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

Special Protections for Substance Use Disorder Records (Part 2):

Federal law (42 CFR Part 2) provides heightened confidentiality for SUD patient records. We may not disclose that you attend or attended our program, or disclose any other Part 2-protected information identifying you as having or having had an SUD, without your express written consent, except in very limited circumstances permitted by law (e.g., medical emergencies, court orders with specific requirements, research under approval, audit/evaluation by government agencies). Even when your consent is given, redisclosure of Part 2 records is generally prohibited without new consent.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have the right to:

  • Receive paper copies of this notice upon request
  • Inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI (with limited exceptions)
  • Request amendments to your PHI if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete
  • Request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures (we are not required to agree to all requests)
  • Request confidential communications (e.g., receive communications at an alternative address or by alternate means)
  • Receive an accounting of disclosures of your PHI (for certain disclosures over the past 6 years)
  • Receive notification of a breach of your unsecured PHI
  • File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

To exercise these rights, contact our Privacy Officer.

Our Responsibilities

We are required to:

  • Maintain the privacy of your PHI
  • Provide you this notice
  • Abide by the terms of the current notice
  • Notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI

We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and update this notice. The revised notice will apply to all PHI we maintain. You can always view the most current version on our website. We will also make copies available upon request.

Contact Information

If you have questions about this notice or our privacy practices, or wish to file a complaint with us, contact:

Shepherd Recovery Center

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:

Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Thank you for trusting Shepherd Recovery Center with your care. We are committed to protecting your privacy while providing high-quality recovery services.