Information We May Collect
Information collected through our website may be used to:
- Respond to questions or requests for information.
- Schedule or coordinate appointments.
- Provide psychological or behavioral health services.
- Communicate with clients or prospective clients.
- Process billing or administrative transactions.
- Maintain and improve the operation, security, and usability of our website.
- Detect or prevent fraud, misuse, security incidents, or technical problems.
- Fulfill legal, regulatory, licensing, or professional obligations.
- Carry out other purposes with your authorization when required by law.
We do not use PHI for advertising or marketing purposes in a manner prohibited by HIPAA.
Appointment Requests and Online Forms
Information submitted through an appointment request, intake form, patient portal, or other healthcare-related electronic system may contain sensitive health information.
When electronic systems create, receive, maintain, or transmit PHI on our behalf, we take reasonable steps to use vendors and services appropriate for handling healthcare information and, when required by HIPAA, to maintain a Business Associate Agreement with those vendors.
Please avoid including unnecessary clinical details, diagnoses, trauma histories, or other sensitive information in a general website contact form unless the form is specifically designated as a secure method for communicating health information.
Email and Electronic Communications
Standard email and text messaging may not provide the same level of security as a dedicated healthcare communication system. You should avoid sending highly sensitive clinical information through ordinary email unless you have been instructed that the communication method is appropriate for that purpose.
Communications concerning treatment may become part of your clinical record when appropriate.
Nothing transmitted through a general website inquiry creates a psychologist-patient relationship. A professional relationship is established only after appropriate intake, consent, and acceptance of services by the practice.
Cookies, Analytics, and Tracking Technologies
Our website may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for website functionality, security, accessibility, performance, or basic analytics.
Because we provide healthcare services, we take additional precautions regarding tracking technologies. We do not knowingly permit advertising, analytics, social-media tracking, session-replay technology, pixels, or similar third-party technologies to receive PHI unless the disclosure is permitted by law and appropriate HIPAA safeguards are in place.
Tracking technologies are not permitted to collect information entered into patient portals, clinical forms, appointment systems, or other areas containing PHI unless their use complies with applicable healthcare privacy requirements.
Where appropriate, you may control certain cookies through your browser settings or through privacy controls provided on our website. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.
Advertising and Sale of Personal Information
Provident Pathways Psychological Services does not sell Protected Health Information.
We do not sell personal information obtained in connection with providing psychological or healthcare services.
We do not disclose PHI to third parties for targeted advertising without authorization when authorization is required by law.
If our website practices change in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.
Third-Party Service Providers
We may use third-party service providers for functions such as:
- Website hosting and security.
- Secure appointment scheduling.
- Electronic health records.
- Telehealth.
- Secure forms.
- Payment processing.
- Practice communications.
- IT support or data backup.
These providers may receive information only to the extent reasonably necessary to provide their services. When a third-party service provider qualifies as a Business Associate under HIPAA, we require appropriate contractual safeguards, including a Business Associate Agreement when required by law.
Third-party websites that you independently access through links on our website have their own privacy practices. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of websites or services that we do not operate or control.
Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information and PHI against unauthorized access, acquisition, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
These safeguards may include, as appropriate:
- Encryption of information in transit and at rest.
- Access controls and authentication.
- Secure hosting and data storage.
- Limiting access to information based on job responsibilities.
- Security monitoring and maintenance.
- Vendor security review.
- Workforce privacy and security practices.
- Procedures for responding to suspected privacy or security incidents.
No Internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, while we take privacy and security seriously, we cannot guarantee that unauthorized access will never occur.
Data Retention
We retain personal and health information only for as long as reasonably necessary to provide services and meet applicable clinical, professional, contractual, insurance, regulatory, and legal requirements.
Clinical records are maintained according to applicable federal and California record-retention requirements and professional standards.
Information that is no longer required is disposed of or deleted using methods appropriate to the sensitivity of the information and applicable legal requirements.
Your Health Information Rights
When HIPAA applies to your information, you may have rights that include the right to:
- Request access to or obtain copies of your health information.
- Request correction or amendment of certain information.
- Request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures.
- Request confidential communications by alternative means or at alternative locations.
- Receive an accounting of certain disclosures.
- Obtain a paper or electronic copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices.
- File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
These rights, including applicable limitations and instructions for exercising them, are described more fully in our Notice of Privacy Practices.
We will not retaliate against you for exercising a privacy right or filing a privacy complaint.
California Privacy
California law provides protections for personal information, including protections applicable to medical and psychological information.
Depending on the circumstances and the law that applies to particular information, California residents may have rights concerning access, correction, deletion, disclosure, or use of certain personal information.
Some health information maintained by healthcare providers is governed primarily by HIPAA and California medical confidentiality laws rather than the general provisions applicable to ordinary consumer information.
Requests concerning your information may be submitted using the contact information below. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request, and certain information may be retained when required or permitted by law.
Do Not Track and Privacy Preference Signals
Web browsers and devices may allow users to transmit “Do Not Track” or other privacy preference signals.
Because standards for certain Do Not Track signals are not uniform, our website may not respond to all browser-based Do Not Track mechanisms. Where applicable law requires recognition of a legally valid privacy preference signal, we will process the signal as required.
We do not use a user’s decision not to participate in tracking as a basis for limiting access to clinical services.
Children’s Privacy
Our psychological services may be provided to children and adolescents. However, this public website is intended primarily to provide information to parents, guardians, adult clients, and professionals and is not designed to solicit personal information directly from young children.
When information concerning a minor is collected as part of psychological services, it is handled according to applicable federal and California laws governing minors’ health information, consent, parental access, and confidentiality.
Parents and legal guardians should contact our practice directly with questions concerning a minor’s privacy rights.
Telehealth and Patient Portals
Telehealth sessions, patient portals, clinical questionnaires, electronic records, and other systems used in providing healthcare services may be governed by additional privacy and security practices.
When these systems are used to transmit or maintain PHI on our behalf, we select services intended for healthcare use and implement appropriate safeguards as required by applicable law.
Please use designated secure systems for clinical communications whenever they are available rather than submitting sensitive information through the general public portions of our website.
Data Breach Notification
If unsecured PHI or other protected personal information is accessed, acquired, used, or disclosed in a manner constituting a reportable breach, Provident Pathways Psychological Services will provide notifications as required by applicable federal and state law.
We maintain procedures for evaluating suspected privacy and security incidents and taking appropriate corrective action.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may modify this Privacy Policy as our services, technologies, legal obligations, or privacy practices change.
The current version will be posted on this website with its effective or revision date. We encourage visitors to review this policy periodically.
Material changes affecting the handling of PHI will also be addressed through our Notice of Privacy Practices when required.
Contact Us
Privacy Officer
Provident Pathways Psychological Services
info@providentpathways.com
(213)628-5826
If your concern involves Protected Health Information, you may also follow the complaint procedures described in our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Notice Regarding This Website Policy
This Privacy Policy describes privacy practices associated with this website and related electronic services. It is not a substitute for the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices provided to clients receiving healthcare services from Provident Pathways Psychological Services.