Your right to confidentiality

We will not confirm to anyone outside HealSpace Springfield that you applied to us or live here, unless you tell us in writing that we may, a court orders it, or someone is in immediate danger. That includes employers, landlords, family members and friends.

The confidentiality of records identifying you as someone who has applied for or received services for a substance use disorder is protected by federal law and regulations at 42 CFR Part 2. Where your records also contain health information, the HIPAA privacy and security rules apply as well. Where Ohio law gives you more protection than federal law, we follow Ohio law.

These are narrow and we use them sparingly:

• Medical emergencies— to medical personnel treating you in a situation that poses an immediate threat to health.
• Court orders— where a court issues an order that meets the specific requirements of the federal rules. An ordinary subpoena is not enough on its own.
• Audit and evaluation— to qualified personnel reviewing the home, who may not re-disclose what they see.
• Crimes and threats— information about a crime committed at the home or against our staff, or a threat to commit one, is not protected.
• Suspected child abuse or neglect— we are required to report this to Ohio authorities.

If you want us to coordinate with a counselor, treatment provider, probation officer, court, employer or family member, we will ask you to sign a written consent that names exactly who may receive information, what may be shared, and for how long. You may revoke it at any time in writing, except where we have already acted on it.

We will not make consent a condition of being admitted, except where it is needed to verify eligibility for funding that pays for your stay.

Recovery housing is communal, so other residents will inevitably know you live here. We ask every resident to respect the confidentiality of everyone else in the home as a condition of residency, and we do not share your application, records or drug testing results with other residents.

• Ask to see and get a copy of the records we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct information you believe is wrong.
• Ask us to limit how we use or share your information.
• Ask who we have shared your information with.
• Receive a paper copy of this notice on request.
• Complain to us, or to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, without retaliation.

Violation of the federal confidentiality rules by a program is a crime. If you believe your records have been disclosed improperly, tell us first so we can investigate, and know that suspected violations may also be reported to the United States Attorney for this district.