Notice of Privacy Practices
Northern California Family Counseling & Wellness Center
Effective Date: October 12, 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.
1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy
At Northern California Family Counseling & Wellness Center, we recognize that your health information is personal and confidential. Protecting your privacy is an essential part of providing compassionate, ethical, and professional mental health care.
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI), your rights regarding that information, and our legal responsibilities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), and other applicable laws.
This notice applies to health information created, received, maintained, or transmitted by our practice in connection with providing healthcare services, including counseling, psychotherapy, family therapy, couples counseling, and related mental health services.
Where California law provides greater confidentiality protections than federal law, we follow the more protective applicable requirements.
2. Our Legal Responsibilities
We are required by law to:
Maintain the privacy and security of protected health information.
Provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
Follow the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect.
Notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information when required by law.
Obtain authorization for uses and disclosures when required by applicable law.
Respect applicable patient rights concerning access, amendment, and disclosure of health information.
We may revise this notice as permitted by law. Revised notices may apply to information we already maintain as well as information collected in the future.
The current notice will be available at our office, on our website, and upon request.
3. How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
Treatment
We may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare.
For example, your therapist may consult with another authorized healthcare professional regarding your treatment when permitted by applicable law.
California law may require additional authorization for certain disclosures of outpatient psychotherapy information.
Payment
We may use or disclose information as necessary to obtain payment for services, including billing, insurance claims, eligibility verification, and payment processing.
For example, an insurance company may require certain information to process a claim for therapy services.
We disclose only information permitted by applicable law and relevant authorization requirements.
Healthcare Operations
We may use or disclose information for authorized healthcare operations, including quality improvement, administrative activities, compliance, professional consultation, training, and practice management.
Such activities are subject to applicable confidentiality safeguards and legal restrictions.
Business Associates
We may engage qualified service providers to perform functions involving protected health information, such as electronic health records, billing, or secure communications.
Where required by HIPAA, these providers must enter into Business Associate Agreements and implement appropriate safeguards.
4. Uses and Disclosures Required or Permitted by Law
In certain circumstances, we may use or disclose health information without your written authorization when permitted or required by applicable law.
These circumstances may include:
Abuse or Neglect Reporting: Reporting suspected child abuse, elder abuse, or dependent adult abuse as required by California law.
Serious Threats to Health or Safety: Disclosing information when legally permitted or required to address a serious threat to an individual's health or safety, including circumstances involving duties to protect identifiable individuals.
Public Health and Oversight: Providing information to authorized public health agencies or healthcare oversight authorities when required or permitted by law.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: Responding to legally valid court orders or other lawful processes, subject to applicable confidentiality protections and requirements.
Law Enforcement: Disclosing information in limited circumstances authorized or required by law.
Workers' Compensation: Providing information when authorized by applicable workers' compensation laws.
Medical Emergencies: Sharing information when legally permitted and reasonably necessary to address an emergency.
Other Legal Obligations: Making disclosures required by applicable federal or California law.
We do not assume that a subpoena, request from a third party, or general legal inquiry automatically authorizes disclosure of confidential psychotherapy information.
5. Psychotherapy Notes
Psychotherapy notes receive special protection under HIPAA.
These are notes recorded by a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of a counseling session and maintained separately from the patient's medical record.
Psychotherapy notes are distinct from ordinary progress notes, treatment plans, diagnoses, medication information, and other information maintained in the clinical record.
In most circumstances, we must obtain your specific written authorization before using or disclosing psychotherapy notes, except where an exception is permitted by law.
Psychotherapy notes are subject to separate access and disclosure rules.
6. Substance Use Disorder Information
Certain substance use disorder treatment records may receive additional confidentiality protections under federal law, including 42 CFR Part 2.
Where we create, receive, or maintain records protected by Part 2, we handle those records in accordance with applicable federal confidentiality requirements.
Part 2 records may be subject to additional consent requirements and restrictions on use or disclosure.
In particular, Part 2 records generally cannot be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against a patient without the patient's written consent or an appropriate court order satisfying applicable federal requirements.
When Part 2 records are lawfully disclosed for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations under a valid consent, subsequent use and disclosure are governed by the applicable federal rules and any additional restrictions.
Certain disclosures of Part 2 records may require separate patient consent.
We will not use Part 2 records for fundraising without satisfying applicable consent requirements.
7. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Written Authorization
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing protected health information when required by law.
This generally includes:
Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes.
Uses or disclosures of protected health information for marketing that require authorization.
Sales of protected health information.
Other disclosures requiring authorization under federal or California law.
We do not sell protected health information.
If you provide written authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already acted in reliance on that authorization or another legal exception applies.
8. Your Rights Regarding Health Information
Right to Access Your Records
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of health information maintained in a designated record set, subject to applicable legal exceptions.
Requests may be submitted to our practice.
We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law.
Reasonable, legally permitted fees may apply to certain requests.
Right to Request Corrections
You may request an amendment to health information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
We may deny certain amendment requests when permitted by law, but we will explain the basis for a denial and your available rights.
Right to Request Restrictions
You may request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures of your health information.
We are not required to agree to every requested restriction.
However, when you pay in full out of pocket for a healthcare service and request that information about that service not be disclosed to a health plan for payment or healthcare operations, we must honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You may request that we communicate with you in a particular way or at a particular location.
For example, you may request that we contact you using a specific telephone number or mailing address.
We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your protected health information made during the period permitted by law.
Some disclosures, including certain disclosures for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, may be excluded from the accounting.
Right to Receive a Copy of This Notice
You have the right to receive a paper or electronic copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices upon request.
Right to Designate a Personal Representative
You may authorize another person to act on your behalf regarding certain healthcare privacy matters.
We may require appropriate documentation establishing that person's legal authority.
9. Confidentiality of Minor Patients
California law provides specific rights and confidentiality protections for minors receiving certain mental health services.
Depending on the minor's age, circumstances, and the services involved, a minor may be legally authorized to consent to certain mental health treatment without parental consent.
When a minor has legal authority to consent to treatment, the minor may also have corresponding confidentiality rights.
Parents and guardians do not automatically have unrestricted access to all mental health information concerning a minor.
Access and disclosure decisions are determined according to applicable federal and California law, the circumstances of treatment, and the rights of the minor patient.
We seek to support appropriate family involvement while respecting legally protected confidentiality.
10. Couples and Family Therapy
Couples and family therapy may involve more than one participant and may raise additional confidentiality considerations.
Information disclosed during joint sessions may become part of the clinical record maintained for the treatment being provided.
Access to records, authorization to release information, and confidentiality expectations may differ depending on who is identified as the patient, the treatment arrangement, and applicable law.
We address relevant confidentiality expectations, participation agreements, and recordkeeping practices during the informed consent process.
We do not assume that participation in a joint session automatically authorizes unrestricted disclosure of one participant's confidential information to another.
11. Telehealth Services
We may provide mental health services through telehealth when clinically appropriate and legally permitted.
Telehealth services may involve secure video conferencing, electronic communications, and other technology platforms.
We take reasonable steps to protect confidentiality and use technology appropriate for healthcare services.
Patients are encouraged to participate in telehealth sessions from private locations and use secure devices and internet connections when possible.
Telehealth services remain subject to applicable healthcare privacy and confidentiality laws.
12. Electronic Communications
We may communicate with patients through telephone, email, electronic health record systems, secure messaging platforms, or other authorized methods.
Some communication methods may carry privacy risks.
We discuss appropriate communication methods and relevant confidentiality considerations as part of our clinical and administrative procedures.
Patients may request reasonable alternative methods of communication.
We do not use ordinary website analytics or advertising platforms to maintain confidential clinical records.
13. Marketing and Fundraising
We will not use or disclose protected health information for marketing purposes when written authorization is required unless that authorization has been obtained.
We do not sell protected health information.
If we engage in fundraising activities involving protected health information, we will comply with applicable notice, consent, and opt-out requirements.
Where records protected by 42 CFR Part 2 are involved, additional consent requirements may apply.
Our public website advertising and analytics practices are addressed separately in our Website Privacy Policy.
14. Breach Notification
We are required to maintain appropriate safeguards for protected health information.
If a breach of unsecured protected health information occurs, we will investigate and provide notifications as required by applicable federal and California law.
Notifications may include information about the incident, the information involved, steps individuals may take to protect themselves, and actions taken to address the incident.
15. Complaints and Privacy Concerns
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may submit a complaint directly to Northern California Family Counseling & Wellness Center.
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Office for Civil Rights
Website: https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints/
We will not retaliate against you for filing a privacy complaint or exercising your rights.
16. Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to revise this Notice of Privacy Practices as permitted by law.
Changes may apply to health information already maintained by our practice and information collected in the future.
When material changes occur, we will make the revised notice available through appropriate channels, including our office and website.
The effective date will appear at the beginning of the notice.
17. Contact Information
For questions about this Notice of Privacy Practices, requests involving your health information, or concerns regarding confidentiality, please contact:
Northern California Family Counseling & Wellness Center
2395 Bechelli Lane, Suite B
Redding, CA 96002
Phone: (530) 768-7397
Fax: (530) 285-2000
Email: contact@northerncaliforniafamily.com
Website: https://northerncaliforniafamily.com
Practice Director: Christina G. Whitney, LMFT
California License #11050
Please contact the practice to request the individual responsible for handling privacy inquiries.
Do not include confidential clinical information in an initial unsecured email.
Our Commitment to Confidentiality
At Northern California Family Counseling & Wellness Center, protecting your privacy is a fundamental part of the therapeutic relationship. We are committed to maintaining appropriate safeguards, honoring your legal rights, and treating your personal health information with the care, dignity, and respect it deserves.