Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy – Alpas Wellness NOVA

Alpas Wellness NOVA and all of its associates are committed to providing you with quality behavioral healthcare services. An important part of that commitment is protecting your health information according to applicable law. This notice (“Notice of Privacy Practices”) describes your rights and our duties under federal law.

Protected health information (“PHI”) is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition; the provision of healthcare services; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of healthcare services to you.

Our Duties

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI; provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI; and to notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI related to you. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. This Notice is effective as of the date listed on the first page of this Notice. This Notice will remain in effect until it is revised.

We are required to modify this Notice when there are material changes to your rights, our duties, or other practices contained herein. We reserve the right to change our privacy policy and practices and the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices, consistent with applicable law and our current business processes, at any time. Any new Notice of Privacy Practices will be effective for all PHI that we maintain at that time. Notification of revisions of this Notice will be provided as follows:

  • Upon request;
  • Electronically via our website or via other electronic means; and
  • As posted in our place of business

In addition to the above, we have a duty to respond to your requests (e.g., those corresponding to your rights) in a timely and appropriate manner. We support and value your right to privacy and are committed to maintaining reasonable and appropriate safeguards for your PHI.

Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Records

The confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records maintained by us is protected by federal law and regulations. Generally, we may not say to a person outside the treatment center that you are a patient of the treatment center, or disclose any information identifying you as an alcohol or drug abuser unless:

  • You consent in writing (as discussed below in “Authorization to Use or Disclose PHI”);
  • The disclosure is allowed by a court order (as discussed below in “Uses and Disclosures”); or
  • The disclosure is made to medical personnel in a medical emergency or to qualified personnel for research, audit, or program evaluation (as discussed below in “Uses and Disclosures”).

Violation of the federal law and regulations by the treatment center is a crime. Suspected violations may be reported to appropriate authorities in accordance with federal regulations.

Federal law and regulations do not protect any information about a crime you committed either at the treatment center or against any person who works for the treatment center or about any threat to commit such a crime (as discussed below in “Uses and Disclosures”). They also do not protect information about suspected child abuse or neglect from being reported under state law to appropriate state or local authorities (as discussed below in “Uses and Disclosures”).

See 42 U.S.C. 290dd-3 and 42 U.S.C. 290ee-3 for federal law and 42 CFR Part 2 for federal regulations.

Uses And Disclosures

Uses and disclosures of your PHI may be permitted, required, or authorized. The following categories describe various ways that we use and disclose PHI:

  • Among our Treatment Centers and Alpas Wellness NOVA: We may use or disclose information between or among personnel having a need for the information in connection with their duties that arise out of the provision of diagnosis, treatment, or referral for treatment of alcohol or drug abuse.
    For example, our staff, including doctors, nurses, and clinicians, will use your PHI to provide your treatment care. Your PHI may be used in connection with billing statements we send you, tracking charges and credits to your account, checking for eligibility for insurance coverage, and preparing claims for your insurance company, where appropriate.
  • Business Associates: We may disclose your PHI to business associates that are contracted by us to perform services on our behalf which may involve receipt, use, or disclosure of your PHI. All business associates must (i) protect the privacy of your PHI; (ii) use and disclose the information only for the purposes for which they were engaged; (iii) be bound by 42 CFR Part 2; and (iv) if necessary, resist in judicial proceedings any efforts to obtain access to patient records except as permitted by law.
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services: We are required to disclose PHI to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when the Secretary is investigating or determining our compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rules.
    Crimes on Premises: We may disclose to law enforcement officers information that is directly related to the commission of a crime on the premises or against our personnel, or to a threat to commit such a crime.
  • Reports of Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect: We may disclose required information to report under state law incidents of suspected child abuse and neglect to appropriate state or local authorities. However, we may not disclose the original patient records, including for civil or criminal proceedings that may arise out of the report of suspected child abuse or neglect, without consent.
  • Court Order: We may disclose information as required by a court order, provided certain regulatory requirements are met.
  • Emergency Situations: We may disclose information to medical personnel for the purpose of treating you in an emergency.
  • Research: We may use and disclose your information for research if certain requirements are met, such as approval by an Institutional Review Board.
  • Audit and Evaluation Activities: We may disclose your information to persons conducting certain audit and evaluation activities, provided they agree to certain restrictions on disclosure.
  • Reporting of Death: We may disclose information related to cause of death to a public health authority authorized to receive such information.

Authorization To Use Or Disclose PHI

Other than as stated above, we will not use or disclose your PHI other than with your written authorization. Subject to applicable law and limited exceptions, we will not:

  • Use or disclose psychotherapy notes;
  • Use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes; or
  • Sell your PHI

unless you (or your representative) have signed an authorization. If you or your representative authorize us to use or disclose your PHI, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time to stop future uses or disclosures. We will honor oral revocations upon authenticating your identity until a written revocation is obtained. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosures permitted while the authorization was in effect.

Patient/Client Rights

The following are the rights you have regarding PHI that we maintain about you. Information regarding how to exercise those rights is also provided.

  • Right to Notice
    You have the right to adequate notice of the uses and disclosures of your PHI, and our duties and responsibilities regarding the same, as provided herein. You have the right to request both a paper and an electronic copy of this Notice. You may ask us to provide a copy of this Notice at any time. You may obtain this Notice from facility staff or our Privacy Officer.
  • Right of Access to Inspect and Copy
    You have the right to access, inspect, and obtain a copy of your PHI for as long as we maintain it as required by law. This right may be restricted only in certain limited circumstances as dictated by applicable law. All requests for access to your PHI must be made in writing. Under a limited set of circumstances, we may deny your request. Any denial will be communicated to you in writing.
    If denied, you may request review. Another licensed health care professional (chosen by Alpas Wellness NOVA) will review your request and the denial. That person will not be the person who denied the request. We will comply with the decision of the designated professional. If you are further denied, you have a right to have the denial reviewed by a licensed third-party healthcare professional (i.e. one not affiliated with us). We will comply with the decision of that review.
    We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copying and mailing. For PHI maintained electronically, you may request a copy in the electronic form and format if readily producible; if not, then in a readable format (e.g. PDF). Your request may also include directions to transmit the copy to another individual or entity.
  • Right to Amend
    If you believe the PHI we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request that we amend your PHI for as long as it is maintained by us. The request must be in writing with a reason to support the amendment. Under certain circumstances, we may deny your request, including when (1) the PHI was not created by us; (2) is excluded from access under the law; or (3) is accurate and complete. If we deny your request, we will provide the rationale in writing. You may write a statement of disagreement, which we will maintain as part of your PHI and include in future disclosures. If we accept the amendment, we will coordinate with you to notify others who need to know.
  • Right to Request an Accounting of Disclosures
    You have the right to request a copy of an accounting (list) of certain disclosures we make of your PHI when required by law. You must make the request in writing. The request may cover a time period defined by applicable law (e.g. up to six years prior). We are not required to record certain disclosures (such as those made pursuant to your authorization). If you request this more than once in a 12-month period, we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee, informing you of the fee when responding to the request.
  • Right to Request Restrictions
    You have the right to request restrictions or limitations on how we use and disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, and operations. This request must be in writing. We are not required to agree to all restrictions, except in limited circumstances. If we do agree, we will comply unless you subsequently revoke the restriction in writing or we believe an emergency requires disclosure. In very rare cases, we may terminate a restriction we previously agreed to, but only after providing you notice of termination.
  • Out-of-Pocket Payments
    If you (or someone else) pay out-of-pocket in full for a specific item or service, you have the right to request that your PHI for that item or service not be disclosed to a health plan for purposes of payment or healthcare operations. We are required by law to honor that request unless terminated by you in writing or the disclosures are required by law. The request must be made in writing.
  • Right to Confidential Communications
    You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your PHI and health matters by alternative means or at alternative locations. Your request must be in writing and specify the alternative means or location. We will accommodate all reasonable requests consistent with our duty to protect your PHI.
  • Right to Notification of a Breach
    You have the right to be notified in the event that we (or one of our business associates) discover a breach involving unsecured PHI.
  • Right to Voice Concerns (Complaints)
    You have the right to file a complaint in writing with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe we have violated your privacy rights. Any complaints to us should be made in writing to our Privacy Official at the address listed below. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Questions, Requests for Information, and Complaints

For questions, requests for information, or privacy concerns, please contact us:

By phone: (703) 592-9175
By email: admissions@alpaswellnessvirginia.org
By mail:
Alpas Wellness NOVA
14 Pidgeon Hill Dr, Suite 340
Sterling, VA 20165