Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: March 2026

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.

This is a summary of our privacy practices. The complete Notice of Privacy Practices — including detailed information about psychotherapy notes, substance use disorder protections, and state-specific rights — is provided to all patients through the Osmind patient portal and is available upon request.

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Clear Focus Psychiatry is committed to protecting the privacy of your protected health information (PHI) in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and Oregon state privacy laws.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Information

We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes:

Treatment: To provide, coordinate, or manage your psychiatric care and related services, including telehealth sessions and prescriptions.
Payment: To bill and collect payment for services, including submitting claims to your insurance company.
Healthcare Operations: For quality assessment, compliance activities, and other business operations necessary to run the practice.
As Required by Law: When required by federal, state, or local law, including mandatory reporting obligations.
To Avert a Serious Threat: When necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of others.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your PHI:

Right to access and obtain a copy of your records
Right to request amendments to your records
Right to an accounting of disclosures
Right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures
Right to request confidential communications
Right to receive a paper copy of this notice
Right to restrict disclosures to your health plan for services you paid for entirely out-of-pocket
Right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured protected health information

Telehealth & Technology

As a telehealth practice, we use the following HIPAA-compliant technologies:

HIPAA-compliant EHR system for records and telehealth video sessions
Encrypted email (Google Workspace with BAA)
HIPAA-compliant fax service (SRFax with BAA)
HIPAA-eligible phone system (Amazon Connect with BAA)
Electronic prescribing with EPCS for controlled substances

We maintain Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with all technology vendors that handle PHI.

Website Privacy

This website does not collect PHI. The inquiry form on our "Get Started" page collects basic contact information (name, email, phone) to facilitate scheduling. This information is transmitted via encrypted channels and is not stored on the website.

We do not use tracking cookies or third-party analytics on this website.

Oregon-Specific Protections

Oregon law (ORS 179.505; ORS 192.553–192.581) provides additional protections for mental health records beyond HIPAA. Your psychotherapy notes and mental health records receive heightened protection and will not be disclosed without your specific written authorization except as required by law. A general medical release is not sufficient for mental health, substance use disorder, or HIV-related records (ORS 192.567).

Washington-Specific Protections

Washington's Uniform Health Care Information Act (RCW 70.02) provides heightened protections for mental health records. The fact of admission to mental health services and all records from those services may not be disclosed except as specifically permitted by law (RCW 70.02.230). Washington patients have the right to access their records within 15 working days of a written request — stricter than HIPAA's 30-day standard (RCW 70.02.080).

Psychotherapy Notes

Psychotherapy notes — notes documenting or analyzing the contents of a counseling session, kept separate from your medical record — receive the highest level of protection under HIPAA (45 CFR 164.508(a)(2)). We will not release psychotherapy notes without your specific written authorization except in limited circumstances required by law.

Psychotherapy notes do not include: medication prescribing records, session start/stop times, diagnosis, treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis, or progress notes.

Substance Use Disorder Records

If you receive treatment related to a substance use disorder, those records receive additional federal protections under 42 CFR Part 2. These records cannot be used in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without your written consent or a court order.

Contact & Complaints

If you have questions about this notice or wish to exercise your rights, contact:

Clear Focus Psychiatry
Email: contact@clearfocuspsychiatry.com

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights — hhs.gov/hipaa or call 1-800-368-1019
Oregon Health Authority — oregon.gov/oha
Washington State Department of Health — doh.wa.gov

You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.