Notice of Privacy Practices
This notice describes how health information may be used and disclosed by BECC, LLC dba be Collaborative Care (herein referred to as “BECC”) as well as how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.
1. BECC’s Pledge Regarding Health Information: We understand that information about you and your health care is personal, and we are committed to protecting that information. Your care team will create a record of the care and services you receive during your time as a client at our facility. This record is vital to providing you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all records of care generated under your name within our facility.
Below indicates the ways in which BECC and its providers may use and/or disclose information regarding your health. This notice also contains information regarding your rights to access the health information in your client file and outlines certain obligations that we have regarding the use and/or disclosure of your health information. Our facility and our providers are required by law to:
a. Make sure that protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you is kept private.
b. Provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information.
c. Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
d. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information in your client file.
e. The new Notice will be available upon request, as well as being available in our office, and in your portal documents.
2. How BECC May Use and/or Disclose Your Health Information: The following categories describe different ways that BECC and its providers may use and/or disclose your health information. Within each category of uses or disclosures you will find a definition and examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed, however, all of the ways we are legally permitted to use and/or disclose information will fall within one of the categories.
a. For Treatment Payment, or Healthcare Operations: Federal privacy rules (regulations) allow health care providers who have a direct treatment relationship with the patient/client to use and/or disclose the patient/client’s personal health information without the patient’s written authorization, to carry out the healthcare provider’s own treatment, payment or healthcare operations. The provider may also disclose your protected health information for the treatment activities of any healthcare provider. This too can be done without your written authorization. For example, if a clinician were to consult with another licensed healthcare provider in our facility, they would be permitted to use and/or disclose your personal health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to receive assistance in diagnosing and/or treating your mental health condition.
Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard. Therapists and other healthcare providers may 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 healthcare providers with a third party, consultations between healthcare providers and referrals of a patient from one healthcare provider to another.
b. Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit, our facility may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. We 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.
3. Certain Uses and Disclosures Require Your Authorization:
a. Psychotherapy Notes. Clinicians at BECC 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:
i. For a clinician’s use in treating you.
ii. For a clinician’s use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy.
iii. For a clinician’s use in defending themselves in legal proceedings instituted by you.
iv. For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate our facilities’ compliance with HIPAA.
v. Required by law and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law.
vi. Required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes.
vii. Required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law.
viii. Required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others.
b. Marketing Purposes: BECC will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes.
c. Sale of PHI: BECC will not sell your PHI in the regular course of business.
4. Certain Uses and Disclosures Do Not Require Your Authorization: Subject to certain limitations in the law, BECC and its clinicians can use and/or disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following reasons:
a. 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.
b. 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.
c. For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.
d. For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although the facilities preference is to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so.
e. For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on any of BECC s premises, including telehealth.
f. To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law.
g. 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.
h. 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.
i. For workers’ compensation purposes. Although the facilities preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, they may provide your PHI without an Authorization in order to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
j. Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. BECC may use and disclose your PHI to contact you for appointment reminders with your treatment provider via our phone system. We may also use and/or disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives or other healthcare services or benefits that are offered through our facility.
5. Certain Uses and Disclosures Require You to Have the Opportunity to Object: BECC 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 healthcare, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.
6. You Have the Following Rights with Respect to Your PHI:
a. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask your treatment provider at BECC not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations purposes. BECC has final right of refusal to honor your request, or not, based on the impact it would have to your healthcare.
b. The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid In-full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or healthcare 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.
c. The Right to Choose How You Receive PHI. You have the right to choose how your treatment provider contacts you (e.g. via your home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address. BECC will agree to all reasonable requests.
d. The Right to See and Obtain Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that BECC has in your client file about you. This process begins with a written request to your treatment provider. Within 30 days of receiving the request, you will be provided with a written copy of your record (or a summary if you agree to receive a summary). BECC may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for executing this request.
e. The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures Made to Your PHI. You have the right to request a list of instances in which your treatment provider has disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, or for which you provided BECC with an Authorization. The facility will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days (about 2 months) of receiving your request. The list provided will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. The list will be provided to you at no charge, however, if you make more than one request within the same year, there will be a reasonable cost-based fee for each additional request.
f. 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 a correction to your existing information or an addition of the missing information. If your request is not approved, you will receive a written explanation within 60 days (about 2 months) of receiving your request.
g. The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice, as well as to obtain a copy of this Notice by e-mail.
7. Limitations of Confidentiality: Staff who are unlicensed or who are not independently licensed (e.g., LPC, LSW) require supervision and will receive such supervision by a fully licensed professional at BECC. Supervision includes, but is not limited to, conceptualization of clinical symptoms, therapeutic interventions, and a review of all documentation.
8. SMS Privacy Policy: By providing your phone number to Be Collaborative Care, you agree and acknowledge that we may send text messages to your wireless phone number on an as-needed basis for purposes directly related to your treatment services, including scheduling, intake, and practice updates. Message and data rates may apply.
We will only send one initial SMS in response to your submission, and you may opt out at any time by replying “STOP” to no longer receive text messages from Be Collaborative Care.
No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All opt-in data and consent information will remain strictly confidential and will not be shared with any third parties.
Opt-In Methods: Clients may provide consent to receive SMS communications through the following methods –
a. Website Sign-Up – By submitting an inquiry through our website contact form, where you provide your phone number and explicitly agree to receive SMS updates.
b. Verbal and Written Consent – During intake, clients sign a privacy policy consent form that includes agreement to receive SMS communication. This is also verbally confirmed during the first session.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE: This notice went into effect on October 1, 2025.
Acknowledgement of Receipt of Privacy Notice
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information. By signing this document, you are acknowledging that you have received a copy of HIPPA Notice of Privacy Practices.
BY SIGNING BELOW, I AM AGREEING THAT I HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND AGREE TO THE TERMS CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT.