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Internet Privacy Policy
Child & Family Services of Eastern Virginia ("CFSEV") provides
this Web site as a community service to those seeking information
and education on matters relating to children and families. Your
privacy is important to CFSEV. This Privacy Policy will tell you
what information we collect, how it is used and what your choices
are.
- What personal information does CFSEV collect?
You may use the CFSEV site without providing any personal
information; however, use of some current or future services
on the site may require personal information.
You may be asked to provide personal information such as
name, address, e-mail address, and phone number, as well as
demographic information about your family, if you choose to
submit any of the online forms used. For example, anytime
you:
- register for a class,
- register for our newsletter,
- e-mail any CFS staff member,
- respond to surveys and questionnaires, or
- submit an online job application,
…personal information may be requested.
Except where CFSEV specifically requests, CFSEV does not wish to
receive personal or other confidential information from you via the
Internet.
- How is the collected
information used?
CFSEV uses the collected information only to provide you
with the services you have requested. CFSEV will not
disclose the personal information you provide on the site to
any outside organization except when we have your
permission, or when we feel it is necessary to protect our
rights or the rights of others, or as required by law.
- What about links to other Web sites?
The CFSEV site provides links to other sites that we
believe may be of interest to you. Please be aware that this
Privacy Policy applies only to the CFSEV site and does not
apply to sites that CFSEV links to. We encourage you to read
the privacy policies of other sites before providing them
with personal information.
- Children's Privacy
The Federal Trade Commission has issued special laws
protecting the collection and transfer of children's
personal information on the Internet. CFSEV is committed to
protecting the privacy of children and does not knowingly
collect personal information from children under the age of
13.
- Your Consent
By using the CFSEV site, you acknowledge your acceptance
of this Privacy Policy as well as the site's Terms and
Conditions. We may occasionally need to make changes to our
Privacy Policy, to reflect changes in our site and address
new issues so please refer to this policy regularly.
Notice of Client Privacy Practices
Effective Date: April 14, 2003
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE
USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.
PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
PER THE HIPAA ACT OF 1996, WE HAVE A LEGAL DUTY TO SAFEGUARD YOUR
PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION. We will protect the privacy of the
health information that we maintain that identifies you, whether it
deals with the provision or payment of your health care. We must
provide you with this Notice about our privacy practices. It
explains how, when, and why we may use and disclose your health
information. With some exceptions, we will avoid using or disclosing
any more of your health information than is necessary to accomplish
the purpose of the use of disclosure. We are legally required to
follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice,
which is currently in effect.
However, we reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and
our privacy practices at any time. Any changes will apply to any of
your health information that we already have. Before we make an
important change to our policies, we will promptly change this
Notice and post a new Notice in your location of service. You may
also request, at any time, a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices
that is in effect at any given time, from our complaints officer,
who can be reached at (757)622-7017.
We would like to take this opportunity to answer some common
questions concerning our privacy practices:
QUESTION: HOW WILL THIS ORGANIZATION USE AND DISCLOSE MY
PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION?
Answer: We use and disclose health information for many different
reasons. For some of these uses or disclosures, we need your
specific authorization. Below, we describe the different categories
of our uses and disclosures and give you some examples of each.
- Uses and Disclosures Relating to Treatment, Payment, or
Healthcare Operations. We may, by federal law, use and disclose
your health information for the following reasons:
-
For Treatment: For example, we may disclose your healthcare
information with another healthcare provider or agency related to
linkage or referral, or medical history to a hospital if you need
medical attention while at our facility, or to a residential care
program we are referring you to. Reasons for such a disclosure may
be: to get them the medical history information they need to
appropriately treat your condition, to coordinate your care, or to
schedule necessary testing. With the possible exception of
information concerning drug and alcohol abuse and/or treatment,
and HIV status (for which we may need your specific
authorization), we may disclose your health information to other
health care providers who are involved in your care.
- To Obtain Payment for Treatment: For example, we may provide
certain portions of your health information to your health
insurance company, Medicare or Medicaid, managed care entity, city
funded service coordination unit (FAPT/CSA) or the city (e.g. CSB,
Department of Behavioral Healthcare Services, Department of Social
Services) in order to get paid for taking care of you. With the
possible exception of information concerning drug and alcohol
abuse and/or treatment, and HIV status (for which we may need your
specific authorization), we may use and disclose necessary health
information in order to bill and collect payment for the treatment
that we have provided to you.
- For Health Care Operations: We may, at times, need to use and
disclose your health information to run our organization. For
example, we may use your health information to evaluate the
quality of the treatment that our staff has provided to you. We
may also need to provide some of your health information to our
accountants, attorneys, and consultants in order to make sure that
we're complying with law. Because this information concerns mental
health disorders and/or treatment, drug and alcohol abuse and/or
treatment, and/or HIV status, we may be further limited in what we
provide and may be required to first obtain your authorization.
- Other: Occasionally we have visitors touring our facilities in
consideration of services to be provided. No individually
identifiable health information will be disclosed.
- Certain Other Uses and Disclosures are Permitted by Federal
Law. We may use and disclose your health information without your
authorization for the following reasons:
- When a Disclosure is Required by Federal, State, or Local Law,
in Judicial or Administrative Proceedings, or by Law Enforcement.
For example, we may disclose your protected health information if
we are ordered by a court, or if a law requires that we report
that sort of information to a government agency or law enforcement
authorities, such as suspected child abuse.
- For Public Health Activities. Under the law, we need to report
information about certain diseases and about any deaths to
government agencies that collect that information. With the
possible exception of information concerning HIV status (for which
we may need your specific authorization), we are also permitted to
provide some health information to the coroner or a funeral
director, if necessary, after a client's death.
- For Health Oversight Activities. We may need to provide your
health information to the City and/or the State when they oversee
the program in which you receive care. We will also need to
provide information to government agencies that have the right to
inspect our offices and/or investigate healthcare practices.
- For Organ Donation. If one of our clients wished to make an
eye, organ, or tissue donation after their death, we may disclose
certain necessary health information to assist the appropriate
organ procurement organization.
- For Research Purposes. Most of the time we will ask for your
signed authorization for you to participate in a research project.
In certain limited circumstances (for example, where approved by
an appropriate Privacy Board or Institutional Review Board under
federal law), we may be permitted to use or provide protected
health information for a research study without your permission.
- To Avoid Harm. If one of our staff members believes that it is
necessary to protect you, or to protect another person or the
public as a whole, we may provide protected health information to
the police or others who may be able to prevent or lessen the
possible harm. Examples would include suspected cases of child or
elder abuse or cases in which clients are suicidal.
- For Specific Government Functions. Similarly, with the possible
exception of information concerning drug and alcohol abuse and/or
treatment, and HIV status (for which we may need your specific
authorization), we may also disclose a client's health information
for national security purposes. We may disclose the health
information of military personnel or veterans where required by
U.S. military authorities
- For Workers' Compensation. We may provide your health
information as described under the workers' compensation law, if
your condition was the result of a workplace injury for which you
are seeking worker's compensation.
- Appointment Reminders and Health-Related Benefits or Services.
Unless you tell us that you would prefer not to receive them, we
may use or disclose your information to provide you with
appointment reminders or alternative programs and treatments that
may help you.
- Fundraising Activities. For example, if our Organization chose
to raise funds to support one or more of our programs or
facilities, or some other charitable cause or community health
education program, we may use the information that we have about
you to contact you. If you do not wish to be contacted as part of
any fundraising activities, please contact our Development Manager
at (757) 622-7017.
- Certain Uses and Disclosures Require You to Have the
Opportunity to Object.
- Disclosures to Family, Friends, or Others Involved in Your
Care. We may provide a limited amount of your health information
to a family member, friends, or other person known to be involved
in your care or in the payment for your care, unless you tell us
not to. For example, if a family member comes with you to your
appointment and you allow them to come into the treatment room
with you, we may disclose otherwise protected health information
to them during the appointment, unless you tell us not to.
- Disclosures to Notify a Family Member, Friend, or Other
Selected Person. When you first started in our program, we may
have asked that you provide us with an emergency contact person in
case something should happen to you while you are at our
facilities. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will disclose limited
health information about you (your general condition, location,
etc.) to your emergency contact or another available family
member. (For example, should you need to be admitted to the
hospital).
- Other Uses and Disclosures Require Your Prior Written
Authorization. In situations other than those categories of uses
and disclosures mentioned above, or those disclosures permitted
under federal law, we will ask for your written authorization
before using or disclosing any of your protected health
information.
If you choose to sign an authorization to disclose any of your
health information, you can later revoke it to stop further uses
and disclosures to the extent that we haven't already taken action
relying on the authorization, so long as it is revoked in writing
(except for people receiving drug & alcohol services, when a
verbal revocation is acceptable).
QUESTION: WHAT RIGHTS DO I HAVE CONCERNING MY PROTECTED
HEALTH INFORMATION?
Answer: You have the following rights with respect to your
protected health information:
- The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your
Health Information. You have the right to ask us to limit how we
use and disclose your health information. We will certainly
consider your request, but you should know that we are not
required to agree to it. If we do agree to your request, we will
put the limits in writing and will abide by them, except in the
case of an emergency. Please note that you are not permitted to
limit the uses and disclosures that we are required or allowed by
law to make.
- The Right to Choose How We Send Health Information to You or
How We Contact You. You have the right to ask that we contact you
at an alternate address or telephone number (for example, sending
information to your work address instead of your home address) or
by alternate means. We must agree to your request so long as we
can easily do so.
- The Right to See or to Get a Copy of Your Protected Health
Information. In most cases, you have the right to look at or get a
copy of your health information that we have, but you must make
the request in writing. A request form is available at your
location of service. We will respond to you within 30 days after
receiving your written request. If we do not have the health
information that you are requesting, but we know who does, we will
tell you how to get it. In certain situations, we may deny your
request. If we do, we will tell you, in writing, our reasons for
the denial. In certain circumstances, you may have a right to
appeal the decision.
If you request a copy of any portion of your protected health
information, we will charge you for the copy on a per page basis,
only as allowed under Virginia state law. We need to require that
payment be made in full before we will provide the copy to you.
- The Right to Receive a List of Certain Disclosures of Your
Health Information That We Have Made. You have the right to get a
list of certain types of disclosures that we have made of your
health information. This list would not include uses or
disclosures for treatment, payment or healthcare operations,
disclosures to you or with your written authorization, disclosures
made prior to April 14, 2003 or other disclosures for which an
accounting is not required under the HIPAA Act if 1996. You may
not request an accounting for more than a six (6) year period.
To make such a request, we require that you do so in writing; a
request form is available upon asking at your location of service.
We will respond to you within 60 days of receiving your request.
The list that you may receive will include the date of the
disclosure, the person or organization that received the
information (with their address, if available), a brief
description of the information disclosed, and a brief reason for
the disclosure. We will provide such a list to you at no charge;
but, if you make more than one request in the same calendar year,
you will be charged $30 for each additional request that year.
- The Right to Ask to Correct or Update Your Health Information.
If you believe that there is a mistake in your health information
or that a piece of important information is missing, you have a
right to ask that we make an appropriate change to your
information. You must make the request in writing, with the reason
for your request, on a request form that is available at your
location of service.
We will respond within 60 days of receiving your request. If we
approve your request, we will make the change to your health
information, tell you when we have done so, and will tell others
that need to know about the change.
We may deny your request if the protected health information: (1)
is correct and complete; (2) was not created by us; (3) is not
allowed to be disclosed to you; or (4) is not part of our records.
Our written denial will state the reasons that your request was
denied and explain your right to file a written statement of
disagreement with the denial. If you do not wish to do so, you may
ask that we include a copy of your request form, and our denial
form, with all future disclosures of that health information.
QUESTION: HOW DO I COMPLAIN OR ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS
ORGANIZATION'S PRIVACY PRACTICES?
Answer: If you have any questions about anything discussed in this
Notice or about any of our privacy practices, or if you have any
concerns or complaints, please contact your worker, who will
direct you to the appropriate person, or you may contact the
Executive Vice President at (757)622-7017. You also have the right
to file a written complaint with the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. We cannot take any
retaliatory action against you if you lodge any type of complaint.
QUESTION: WHEN DOES THIS NOTICE TAKE EFFECT?
Answer: This Notice takes effect on April 14, 2003
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