Privacy Policy

OVERVIEW

Minds in Action is committed to protecting your privacy online. This Privacy Policy describes the personal information we collect through this website, and how we collect and use that information. The terms “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Minds in Action. The terms “user,” “you,” and “your” refer to site visitors, customers, and any other users of the site. The term “personal information” is defined as information that you voluntarily provide to us that personally identifies you and/or your contact information, such as your name, phone number, and email address.

MINOR’S PRIVACY

To access or use the Site, you must be 18 years old or older and have the requisite power and authority to enter into this Privacy Policy. Children under the age of 18 are prohibited from using the Site.

INFORMATION WE COLLECT

When you visit our website, we may collect limited information such as your IP address, browser type, device information, pages viewed, and the referring URL. This is standard analytics information used only to measure site performance and usage patterns. This Site only collects the personal information you voluntarily provide to us, which may include: Name, Email, Shipping Address, Billing Address. The information you provide is used to process transactions, send periodic emails, and improve the service we provide. We do share your information with trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business and servicing clients and visitors. These trusted third parties agree to keep this information confidential. Your personal information will never be shared with unrelated third parties.

COOKIES

We may send cookies to your computer in order to uniquely identify your browser and improve the quality of our service. The term “cookies” refers to small pieces of information that a website sends to your computer’s hard drive while you are viewing the site. We may use both session cookies (which expire once you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your computer until you delete them). You have the ability to accept or decline cookies using your web browser settings. If you choose to disable cookies, some areas of the Site may not work properly or at all.

We also use Google Analytics to analyze traffic and usage of the site. Google Analytics gathers information about website use by means of cookies. You are encouraged to review Google’s privacy policy at: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/

QUESTIONS

If you have questions about this privacy policy please contact us at [email protected]

Client’s Rights

Clients at Minds in Action have the right to:

• Dignity & Respect: Freedom from abuse, humiliation, neglect, and discrimination (sex, race, religion, etc.).
• Confidentiality: Protection of personal information and records, with exceptions for legal or life-threatening situations.
• Informed Consent: The right to be fully informed about services, risks, benefits, and costs, and the right to refuse treatment.
• Participation & Autonomy: Active involvement in creating personal service or treatment plans.

OUR DUTIES

We are required to provide you with notice of our legal duties and our privacy practices with respect to your health information. We must maintain the privacy of information that identifies you and notify you in the event your health information is used or disclosed in a manner that compromises the privacy of your health information. We are required to abide by the terms of this notice. We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the revised notice effective for all health information that we maintain.

At Minds in Action we believe in a holistic treatment approach. We may consult with other licensed providers within our practice regarding your treatment to coordinate and communicate with one another about your counseling experience in an effort to offer the best help possible. If you are referred to another provider outside our practice we may disclose PHI to that provider with a consenting release of information.

A client is entitled to receive information from the therapist about degrees, credentials, methods of therapy, techniques used, duration of therapy, and the fee structure. You may seek a second opinion from another therapist or terminate therapy at any time. In the event that a therapist moves or discontinues practice, all client records are kept confidential. To learn more about our therapist at Minds in Action, please visit our website at https://mindsinactioncounseling.com/therapists/

YOUR CLIENT RECORD

Each time you utilize a service and work with a Minds in Action Staff Member, a record of the service provided is made. Typically, this record contains diagnoses, services provided, and a plan for future care or treatment. This information, often referred to as your client or medical record, serves as:

• basis for planning your care, treatment, and support
• means of communication among the many health professionals who contribute to your care
• legal document describing the care you received
• means by which you or a third-party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided
• a tool with which we can assess & continually work to improve the care we render and outcomes achieved

Understanding what is in your record and how your medical information is used is important to helping you ensure its accuracy; better understand who, what, when, where and why others may access your medical information; and make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.

CONFIDENTIALITY

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) provides safeguards to protect your privacy. Confidentiality is an important part of counseling. In Texas, there are three circumstances that require a counselor, or any other professional, to break a client’s confidentiality. They are:

• Suspected abuse of a child, elder, or other vulnerable person
• A threat to harm oneself or others
• A court order requiring confidentiality to be broken
• Confidentiality will otherwise not be broken unless requested in writing by the client.

YOUR RIGHT TO COMPLAIN

If you have specific concerns about communications, please communicate with your counselor about it and your concerns will be respected.

If a client feels that their rights have been violated or wishes to file a complaint, they are encouraged to contact The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council at 1-800-821-3205 or 1801 Congress Ave., Ste. 7.300 Austin, Texas 78701. The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council investigates and prosecutes misconduct committed by marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists, psychological associates, social workers, and licensed specialists in school psychology. Although not every complaint against or dispute with a licensee involves professional misconduct, the Executive Council will gladly provide you with information about how to file a complaint. Please call 1-800-821-3205 for more information.