Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective date (last updated): October 7, 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.

Protecting Your Privacy

What you share in therapy is personal, and we take protecting it seriously. Federal law (HIPAA) calls your health information "protected health information." It includes anything that identifies you and relates to your care, like your name, appointment dates, diagnosis, treatment notes, and billing records.

We are required by law to keep your health information private, to give you this Notice explaining how we use and protect it, and to follow the version of this Notice that is currently in effect. If a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information, we are required to let you know.

How We Use Your Information for Your Care

Most of the time, we use your information for everyday reasons like these. We don't need your written permission for them.

Treatment

Your therapist uses your information to plan and provide your care. For example, your therapist may talk through your case with their clinical supervisor, or coordinate with your doctor or another provider who is involved in your care.

Payment

We use your information to bill for your sessions. For example, if you use insurance, we send your insurance company your diagnosis and session dates so they can process your claim.

Running Our Practice

We use your information to keep our practice running well. For example, we may review charts to make sure our documentation meets professional standards, or use them to train and supervise our clinicians.

Appointment Reminders

We may reach out to remind you about upcoming appointments using the contact method you choose, such as a text, call, or email.

Companies That Help Us

We work with a few outside companies that help us care for you, like our electronic health record system, our billing service, and our telehealth platform. We require each of them to sign an agreement promising to protect your information.

Other Times We May Share Your Information

There are some situations where the law allows or requires us to share your information without your written permission. When this happens, we limit what we share to what the situation requires.

- With family members, friends, or others involved in your care, if you agree or don't object, or if you are unable to agree in an emergency and we believe it is in your best interest

- When the law requires it

- To report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child or vulnerable adult

- To prevent a serious and imminent threat to your safety or someone else's

- With agencies that oversee healthcare, like licensing boards, for audits and investigations

- In response to a court order, or a subpoena or other legal request when the law allows it

- With law enforcement in limited situations allowed by law

- With public health authorities to help prevent or control disease or injury

- With coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors, as needed for their work

- For workers' compensation claims, as allowed by law

- For specialized government functions, like military or national security purposes

- For approved research, when privacy protections are in place

Utah law sometimes gives mental health information more protection than federal law. When it does, we follow whichever law protects you more.

When We Need Your Written Permission

For anything not listed above, we will ask for your written permission first. That includes:

- Psychotherapy notes. Some therapists keep private notes separate from your main record. These have extra protection, and most uses of them require your written permission.

- Marketing. We will never use your information for marketing without your written permission.

- Selling your information. We will never sell your information.

When we need your permission to share your information, we'll ask you to sign a Release of Information form. You can cancel your permission at any time by letting us know in writing. Canceling won't undo anything we already shared while your permission was in place.

Substance Use Treatment Records

If we receive records about you from a substance use disorder treatment program, those records have extra protection under federal law (42 CFR Part 2). We will not use or share them in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you without your written consent or a court order.

Your Rights

Your health information is yours, and you have the right to know how it's used. To use any of these rights, just contact our office or send a request through your client portal.

See or get a copy of your records

You can ask to see or get a copy of your health record. We'll respond within 30 days, or let you know in writing if we need more time. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your records

If you think something in your record is wrong or missing, you can ask us to correct it. We'll respond within 60 days, or let you know in writing if we need more time. If we can't make the change, we'll explain why in writing.

Choose how we contact you

You can ask us to reach you a certain way, like only on your cell phone or only by email, or at a different address. We'll say yes to all reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we share

You can ask us not to use or share certain information for treatment, payment, or running our practice. We don't have to agree, especially if it would affect your care. But if you pay for a session in full out of pocket and ask us not to share it with your insurance company, we will say yes unless the law requires us to share it.

Get a list of who we've shared your information with

You can ask for a list of the times we've shared your information in the past six years, who we shared it with, and why. This list won't include sharing for treatment, payment, or running our practice, anything you asked us to share, and certain other sharing the law excludes. We'll provide one list a year for free, and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests within the same year.

Choose someone to act for you

If you have a legal guardian, or you've given someone medical power of attorney, that person can use these rights for you. Parents and legal guardians of minors can generally use these rights on behalf of their child, as allowed by Utah law.

Be notified of a breach

If a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information, we will let you know as required by law.

Get a copy of this Notice

You can ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you already received it electronically.

Changes to This Notice

We may update this Notice from time to time. Any changes will apply to all the information we have about you. The newest version will always be posted on this page and in our office, and you can ask us for a copy at any time.

Questions or Concerns

If you have questions about this Notice, or if you feel your privacy rights have been violated, please reach out to us. We want to hear from you.

Privacy Officer

Blue Bee Counseling Services

South Jordan, Utah

801-821-4501

info@bluebeecs.com

You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by mail at 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, by phone at 1-877-696-6775, or online at www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.