Privacy Policy

1. You have a right to know DG Counseling, Inc.’s guidelines and procedures regarding your health information and, in most instances, to consent or to refuse consent to disclose such information to others.  Neither your spouse, nor a parent or any other family member (if a minor) is automatically entitled to receive health information about you.  By law, your protected health information may be provided without your consent in some criminal investigations or in certain public health and emergency circumstances. 
    
2. Your protected health information consists of that which we collect in the course of your medical care here and such information as you provide or authorize us to obtain from others.  Such information may also be used for internal quality assurance studies, but study results will not be disclosed to outside agencies so as to identify you or your medical conditions.
    
3. Your medical record is accessible only to members of DG Counseling, Inc. staff serving you.  Safeguards regarding incidental use and disclosure of protected information within DG Counseling, Inc. have been established which still permit the staff, as part of the supervisory process, to freely explore and discuss the best treatment options with and for you.
    
4. Your counseling record, created by the professional staff of DG Counseling, Inc. is not part of any other medical record.  Your physician needs your permission to see your counseling record, as does your counselor to see your medical record.

Disclosure of Protected Health Information

1. You must specifically authorize DG Counseling, Inc. to use or disclose protected information in most non-routine circumstances. DG Counseling, Inc. does not sell or otherwise provide protected health information to a business that may want to market its products or services to you.
    
2. With your written permission, a copy of part of all of a medical record may be sent to other physicians, hospitals, at no charge.  There is a charge for each copy sent to attorneys, investigating agencies, or others you designate.

Your Rights

1. You may request a copy of your record for your personal use.  There is a charge for such copies.  You may request corrections of your record subject to preserving the integrity of the documentation of the treatment process.  Normally, a review of your medical record should be done in consultation with a health care professional.
    
2. If you believe your privacy protections have been violated, you may file a formal complaint with DG Counseling, Inc.  You may also have the right to pursue formal legal actions in state or Federal court.
    
3. This written notice of DG Counseling, Inc. privacy practices and your privacy rights is provided as a matter of law.  "We will ask you to sign a form acknowledging receipt of our privacy policy.  You will receive a copy of the receipt and a copy will be placed in your permanent medical record".  We reserve the right to change our practices and to make new provisions effective for all individually identifiable health information we maintain.  Should we change our information practices, we will mail a revised notice to the address you have supplied to us.