Privacy Practices
HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
WCT Behavioral Health & Medication Management PLLC
WCT Behavioral Health & Medication Management PLLC. Final draft for review, August 4, 2026.
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
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:
Your Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.
Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. If we charge a fee, it will not exceed the limits set by Connecticut law, described under “Additional Protections Under Connecticut Law” below.
You can also ask us to send a copy of your record directly to another person or entity you identify. Your request must be in writing, signed by you, and clearly identify where to send it.
Ask us to correct your medical record
You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
We may say “no” to your request, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.
Request confidential communications
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way, for example home or office phone, or to send mail to a different address.
We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
If you pay for a service or health care item out of pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.
Get a list of those with whom we have shared information
You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we have shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures, such as any you asked us to make. We will provide one accounting a year for free, but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.
Get a copy of this privacy notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.
Choose someone to act for you
If you have given someone medical power of attorney, or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
Be notified of a breach
You have the right to be notified if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated
You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information at the end of this notice.
You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.
In these cases, you have both the right and the choice to tell us to:
- Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
- Share information in a disaster relief situation
If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission:
- Marketing purposes
- Sale of your information
- Most sharing of psychotherapy notes
Our Uses and Disclosures
How do we typically use or share your health information?
To treat you. We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
Example: A clinician treating you asks another provider about your overall health condition.
To run our organization. We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.
Recorded calls. Telephone calls to the numbers listed on our website are recorded and transcribed, and are used for scheduling, quality, and training. Recordings and transcripts are held by our call tracking provider under a Business Associate Agreement. You will hear a notice at the beginning of the call.
To bill for your services. We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.
How else can we use or share your health information?
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways, usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information, see www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.
Help with public health and safety issues. We can share health information about you for certain situations, such as preventing disease; helping with product recalls; reporting adverse reactions to medications; reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; and preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
Comply with the law. We will share information about you if state or federal law requires it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we are complying with federal privacy law.
Respond to organ and tissue donation requests. We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.
Work with a medical examiner or funeral director. We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.
Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests. We can use or share health information about you for workers’ compensation claims; for law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official; with health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law; and for special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services.
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions. We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order.
Records Protected Under 42 C.F.R. Part 2
Some of the care we provide, and some of the records we receive from other providers, relate to the diagnosis or treatment of substance use disorders. A federal law separate from HIPAA — found at 42 C.F.R. Part 2 — provides additional protection for those records. These protections are, in several respects, more restrictive than HIPAA. Where Part 2 applies and is more restrictive, we follow Part 2. This means some of the uses and disclosures described elsewhere in this notice are limited or prohibited for your substance use disorder records.
Your written consent. We will generally use and disclose records protected under Part 2 only with your written consent. A single consent may permit disclosure for treatment, payment, and health care operations. You may revoke your consent at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it. When we disclose records based on your consent, we will provide the recipient with a copy of your consent or a clear explanation of its scope.
These records may not be used against you in legal proceedings. Records protected under 42 C.F.R. Part 2, and testimony relaying their content, may not be used or disclosed in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you, unless you give written consent or a court issues an order after you — or the party holding the record — have been given notice and an opportunity to be heard. A court order authorizing use or disclosure must be accompanied by a subpoena or other legal requirement compelling disclosure before the record is used or disclosed. Anyone who receives these records from us remains subject to this same prohibition.
Redisclosure. If we disclose records protected under Part 2 to another party based on your consent, that party may be permitted to redisclose the information consistent with HIPAA — except that it may not use or disclose the information in any proceeding against you without your written consent or a qualifying court order. When we make such a disclosure, we notify the recipient of this restriction.
Requesting a restriction. You may ask us to restrict the disclosure of records protected under Part 2 for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We will consider your request and will tell you in writing if we cannot agree to it.
Prescription monitoring. We report to the Connecticut Prescription Monitoring Program as required by state law. We do not report information contained in records protected under 42 C.F.R. Part 2 to a prescription drug monitoring program without your consent.
Complaints. You may file a complaint about our handling of records protected under 42 C.F.R. Part 2 with us, using the contact information at the end of this notice, or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Our Responsibilities
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
- We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
- We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.
Additional Protections Under Connecticut Law
Connecticut law provides greater protection for certain behavioral health information than federal law does. Where Connecticut law is more protective, we follow Connecticut law.
Confidential communications with your clinician. Communications and records relating to your evaluation or treatment are confidential under Connecticut law, and we will not disclose them without your written consent except where a specific statutory exception applies. Depending on the license held by the clinician who treats you, these protections arise under one or more of the following sections of the Connecticut General Statutes:
- Section 52-146o — advanced practice registered nurses and other licensed health care providers
- Section 52-146q — licensed clinical social workers
- Section 52-146s — licensed professional counselors
- Section 52-146p — licensed marital and family therapists
What your consent must contain. Consent under these statutes must be in writing and must identify the records to be disclosed, the person or entity receiving them, and the purpose of the disclosure. A general or open-ended authorization is not sufficient. You may withdraw your consent in writing at any time. Withdrawal does not affect disclosures we made before we received your notice.
Substance use disorder records under Connecticut law. Connecticut law separately prohibits the disclosure of a patient’s identity, diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment where that disclosure would violate the federal confidentiality requirements for alcohol and drug patient records. This means the federal protections described above are also enforceable as a matter of Connecticut law.
Minors. Connecticut law allows a minor to consent to certain outpatient mental health treatment on their own. Where a minor has lawfully consented to their own treatment, a parent’s or guardian’s access to those records is limited under Connecticut law. Separately, where a minor seeks or receives treatment for alcohol or drug dependence, Connecticut law provides that the fact the minor sought or is receiving that treatment may not be reported or disclosed to the minor’s parents or legal guardian without the minor’s consent. We handle each request based on the consent documented in the minor’s record.
Copies of your records. Connecticut law limits what we may charge for copies of your health record. We will not charge more than sixty-five cents per page, and that amount includes any research fees, handling fees, related costs, and first class postage. We will not charge you for a record, or any part of a record, that is needed to support a claim or appeal for benefits.
Changes to the Terms of This Notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. If we make a material change, we will post the revised notice and make paper copies available at our office. You may request a copy of the current notice at any time.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this notice, wish to exercise any of the rights described above, or want to file a complaint, contact:
Privacy Officer
WCT Behavioral Health & Medication Management PLLC
PO Box 266
Bridgewater, CT 06752
Organizations Covered by This Notice
This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to WCT Behavioral Health & Medication Management PLLC and to all of its office locations.
This Notice of Privacy Practices governs protected health information. For information about how our website collects and uses visitor information, see our Website Privacy Policy & Cookie Notice.