Ontario County Mental Health Home Page

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.

Our responsibilities to you. The Ontario County Mental Health Center (OCMHC) is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with this notice of privacy practices, to let you know how your health information is used and disclosed. We reserve the right to change our practices regarding the health information we keep. If we make a material change in our privacy practices, we will give you a copy, by mail or in-person. Amended notices will also be posted in our offices, whose addresses are listed at the end of this notice, and on the Ontario County website, http://www.co.ontario.ny.us.

Your health information rights. Unless otherwise required by law, your health record is the physical property of OCMHC, but the information in it belongs to you, and you have the right to have your health information kept confidential. You, or a person legally authorized to act for you, have a right to:

Obtain a paper copy of this notice upon request;
Review or obtain a copy of your health information for a reasonable fee; if this request is denied, you have the right to request a review of the denial;
Request amendments to your health information, and to be informed of the reason, if we do not agree to an amendment;
Request limits on certain uses and disclosures of your health information, and to be informed of the reason if we do not agree to a limit;
Get a list of our disclosures of your health information, as specified below;
Request that communications of your health information be made by alternative means or at alternative locations (e.g., to maintain your confidentiality), if this request is reasonable;
Revoke any special authorizations to use or disclose health information, except to the extent that the disclosure has already been made.

There are some restrictions on these rights, and special rules apply which restrict access to psychotherapy notes, HIV/AIDS information, and federally protected drug and alcohol information. You can exercise your rights or obtain additional information about your rights by contacting one of the persons listed in the last section of this notice.

General policy on use and disclosure of your health information. We will use and disclose your health information only with your authorization, or when we are required to so by state or federal law, or in an emergency.

Permitted uses and disclosures. The uses and disclosures listed in the section below may be made with your one-time permission. We are not required to maintain a written accounting of the disclosures made for these purposes.

Treatment: Information is used and disclosed to provide you with healthcare services. For example, we may talk with your doctor or other treatment providers about your care.
Payment: OCMHC may use and disclose to other parties (e.g., your insurance company, HMO, Medicaid, or Medicare) your health information to receive payment for the healthcare services we provide to you.
Health care operations: Health information is used and disclosed for operational reasons. For example, your information may be used to assess the quality of care provided to you, to improve services and facilities, or to train and evaluate staff.
To keep you informed: We may use and disclose information in order to send you appointment reminders or information about your treatment or treatment alternatives.
Disclosures to friends and family: With your permission, we may disclose your health information to friends and family who are involved in your care.

Disclosures without authorization. OCMHC will use or disclose health information without your authorization only in an emergency or when we are required to do so by state or federal law. When we determine that we must use or disclose information, unless prohibited by law, we will do the following: (1) attempt to contact you before using or disclosing this information, if it is reasonable to do so; (2) maintain an accounting of the disclosures and uses made for the purposes listed in the section below; and (3) upon your request, provide you with access to that accounting.

Serious threats to health and safety: Your health information may be disclosed to avert a serious threat to public health and safety, as permitted by law.
As required by law: OCMHC may use and disclose information for the mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect; for judicial or administrative proceedings, if required by legal process; and as otherwise required by law.
Health oversight: Information may be disclosed when required to monitor the level and quality of care you receive, for example to New York State's Office of Mental Health or Commission on Quality of Care.
Contracted or affiliated purpose: Our contractors, agents, and partners may be given health information, if this information is necessary for them to perform certain services for us and if they agree to keep such information confidential.
Inmates and correctional facilities: OCMHC may disclose inmate and detainee information to prison staff and law enforcement, if necessary for health care or for security reasons, as permitted by law.
Research: OCMHC may use health information for research, with your consent or when a review board has approved research which poses minimal risk and your privacy is ensured. No public disclosure of your name will be made without your consent.

Uses and disclosures with your authorization. If a use or disclosure is not covered in the two sections above, for example, if you request that we disclose health information to your employer, we will disclose information only if you authorize this in writing. We will maintain an accounting of uses and disclosures that you authorize in this manner.

For more information, to make a complaint, or to exercise your rights. If you have questions, need information, believe your privacy rights have been violated, or wish to make a complaint or to exercise one of your rights described in this notice, you may obtain the appropriate form from the office, or you may contact one of the following: your therapist or case manager, your therapist's or case manager's supervisor, OCMHC's Privacy Officer, or OCMHC's Director. The clinic's offices are: 3019 County Complex Drive, Canandaigua, NY 14424 (585-396-4363) and 28 Seneca Street, 2nd Floor, Geneva, New York 14456 (315-789-6706).

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive within OCMHC, you may contact Ontario County's privacy officer, the county administrator, at 585-396-4400, at the Ontario County courthouse. You may also make a complaint to the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Health and Human Services, Jacob Javits Federal Building, 26 Federal Plaza, Suite 3312, New York, NY 10278 (tel.) (212) 264-3313; (fax) (212) 264-3039; (TDD) (212) 264-2355, or to any of the New York State offices listed in OCMHC's brochure, "Information for Patients" (if you do not have a copy of this brochure, you may request one). You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint or assisting in an investigation.

Policies effective April 14, 2003; notice revised April 21, 2003.