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.
Effective Date: July 1, 2026
Rothschild Mental Health Counseling, PLLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is a licensed mental health counseling practice providing telehealth psychotherapy to persons present in New York State at the time of services. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (“PHI”), to give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect. This Notice applies to all records of your care that we create or maintain.
Because we provide mental health services, some of your information receives additional protection under federal and New York law (see the sections below on psychotherapy notes, mental-health, HIV-related, and substance-use information). Where New York law is more protective than HIPAA, we follow the more protective law.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
We may use and disclose your PHI, without your written authorization, for the following purposes:
- Treatment. We may use your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your care, and may share it with other providers involved in your treatment (for example, your primary care physician or a psychiatrist), subject to the special protections described below.
- Payment. We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and obtain payment for services — for example, sharing the minimum necessary information with your health plan to confirm eligibility or obtain authorization for treatment.
- Health Care Operations. We may use your PHI for our operations, such as quality assessment, staff training and supervision, and business management.
- Appointment Reminders and Related Communications. We may contact you (by phone, text, email, or mail, per your preferences and consents) to remind you of appointments.
- Family and Friends Involved in Your Care. Family Members, Friends, and Others Involved in Your Care. If you identify a family member, friend, or other person who is involved in your care or payment for your care, we may share with that person PHI that is directly relevant to their involvement, unless you object. When you are present and able to make decisions, we will give you the opportunity to agree to or object to such disclosures whenever practicable. If you are unavailable, incapacitated, or facing an emergency situation, we may use our professional judgment to determine whether a disclosure is in your best interests and, if so, will share only the information reasonably necessary for that purpose. Certain mental health information may be subject to additional protections under New York law and may require your specific authorization before disclosure.
- Business Associates. We may share PHI with vendors that perform services on our behalf (such as our electronic health record and telehealth platform). We require each such vendor to protect your PHI under a written business associate agreement.
Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law
We may use or disclose your PHI without your authorization when permitted or required by law, including:
- When required by federal, state, or local law;
- For public health activities (for example, reporting to prevent disease or injury);
- To report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, as required or permitted by law;
- For health oversight activities such as audits and investigations;
- In response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, or discovery request (subject to the special protections for mental-health, HIV-related, and substance-use information);
- For specified law-enforcement purposes;
- To avert a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or that of others;
Information With Special Protection
Certain categories of information are given heightened protection and generally may not be disclosed without your specific written authorization, except in narrow circumstances allowed by law:
- Psychotherapy notes. Under HIPAA, “psychotherapy notes” are notes a mental-health professional records to document or analyze a counseling session and keeps separate from the rest of your record. If we maintain such notes, most uses and disclosures of them require your written authorization. Routine progress notes that document your care are part of your regular clinical record — not psychotherapy notes — and are used for treatment, payment, and health-care operations as described above; they remain protected under HIPAA and New York law.
- Mental-health information. Clinical records relating to mental-health treatment may receive additional protection under New York Mental Hygiene Law § 33.13. Certain disclosures permitted under HIPAA may nevertheless require additional authorization or legal authority under New York law.
- HIV-related information. Protected under New York Public Health Law (Article 27-F) and generally disclosable only with specific authorization or as the law allows.
- Alcohol and substance-use disorder treatment records. Protected under federal law (42 CFR Part 2) and disclosable only with specific consent or as that law permits.
- Genetic information. Protected under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and applicable state law.
Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization
Other than the uses and disclosures described above, we will not use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization. In particular, the following always require your authorization: most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes; uses and disclosures for marketing; and any sale of your PHI. If you give us an authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it.
Telehealth Services
We provide services through secure telehealth technologies. Telehealth sessions may involve the electronic transmission of protected health information. We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the privacy and security of your information. No electronic communication system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Patients may choose alternative methods of communication where available.
Electronic Communications
We may communicate with you through email, text messaging, patient portals, voicemail, or other electronic means. Such communications may contain limited protected health information necessary to coordinate your care. You may request alternative methods of communication or withdraw consent for certain communication methods where permitted.
Patient Portal
Patients may access certain health information through our secure patient portal. Portal communications become part of the patient’s designated record set and may be maintained in accordance with applicable record-retention requirements.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights with respect to your PHI:
- Access and copies. You may inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI, including an electronic copy of records we keep electronically, subject to limited exceptions permitted by law. Reasonable, cost-based fees permitted by law may apply to copies of records.
- Amendment. You may request that we amend PHI you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny the request in certain cases and will explain any denial.
- Accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI.
- Request restrictions. You may ask us to restrict how we use or disclose your PHI. We are not required to agree to all requests but will consider each one.
- Restrict disclosure to your health plan. If you pay for a service or item in full out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose PHI about that service to your health plan for payment or operations, and we will honor that request except where disclosure is required by law.
- Confidential communications. You may ask us to communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location (for example, by a particular phone number), and we will accommodate reasonable requests.
- Paper copy of this Notice. You may obtain a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
- Breach notification. You have the right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the information below. Some requests must be made in writing. We will respond to qualifying requests within the timeframes required by applicable law (generally within 30 days).
Personal Representatives and Minors
In certain circumstances, parents, guardians, and other personal representatives may exercise rights on behalf of a patient. Consistent with New York law and professional-practice standards, we may limit a personal representative’s access where permitted or required by applicable law — for example, to protect the confidentiality of a minor’s treatment or the patient’s safety.
Our Responsibilities
We are required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your PHI;
- Provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices;
- Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect;
- Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your PHI.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice and to make the revised Notice effective for PHI we already have as well as any information we receive in the future. The current Notice will be posted on our website, with its effective date, and provided to you on request. You may request a copy at any time.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us using the contact information below, or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint, and filing a complaint will not affect your care.
Office for Civil Rights, Region II
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, 26 Federal Plaza, Suite 3313
New York, NY 10278
Voice: (800) 368-1019 • TDD: (800) 537-7697
Complaints may also be filed online at www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint.
Contact / Privacy Officer
For questions about this Notice, to exercise your rights, or to file a complaint, contact:
Privacy Officer
Rothschild Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
2302 Ave U #290147, Brooklyn, NY 11229
Phone: 347-708-0777
Email:
See also our Website Privacy Policy, which describes information collected through this website.