Notice of Privacy Practices

Before this goes live — please read this one

This draft is structured around the standard elements HIPAA has required in a Notice of Privacy Practices for years: how PHI may be used and disclosed, your rights, and the practice's duties. That structure is stable.

What's changed recently, and matters here: a federal deadline (February 16, 2026) already passed requiring HIPAA notices to include new language about substance use disorder (SUD) records, under updated 42 CFR Part 2 rules. This applies broadly — not just to addiction specialists, but to any provider who might ever create, receive, or reference an SUD record, which realistically includes most general therapy practices. I haven't drafted that specific clause myself, because I don't have HHS's actual current model language in front of me to work from, and getting a live compliance requirement wrong is worse than leaving it visibly incomplete.

Before publishing this page: pull the current model Notice of Privacy Practices directly from HHS (search "HHS model Notice of Privacy Practices" or check hhs.gov/hipaa) and either adapt its SUD/Part 2 section into this draft, or have someone who handles your compliance do it. Also fill in your actual license number, and confirm whether Missouri law adds any state-specific disclosures beyond the federal baseline — that's outside what I can verify.

Effective date: [date]

This notice describes how your health information may be used and disclosed, and how you can access it. Please review it carefully.

Our commitment

Stacey Stefanski, MA, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor — Missouri License #002726), is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), provide you with this notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices, and abide by the terms currently in effect.

How your information may be used and disclosed

Your PHI may be used and disclosed for:

Treatment — to provide, coordinate, or manage your care, including consulting with other providers involved in your care with your authorization.
Payment — to bill and collect payment for services, including verifying insurance benefits and submitting claims through Headway.
Health care operations — for activities like quality review, training, and practice administration.
As required by law — including situations involving a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elderly person, or dependent adult, or a valid court order.

[Placeholder for required substance use disorder / 42 CFR Part 2 disclosure language — see note above.]

Any other use or disclosure of your PHI requires your written authorization, which you may revoke at any time.

Your rights

Right to access — you may request a copy of your health records.
Right to request amendment — you may ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
Right to an accounting of disclosures — you may request a list of certain disclosures we've made of your PHI.
Right to request restrictions — you may ask us to limit certain uses or disclosures, though we're not always required to agree.
Right to confidential communications — you may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location.
Right to a paper copy — you may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you've agreed to receive it electronically.
Right to file a complaint — if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Stacey Stefanski directly, or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. Filing a complaint will not affect your care.

Changes to this notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the revised notice effective for PHI we already have as well as any we receive in the future. The current notice is always available on this page and will be provided to you at the start of care.

Contact

Questions or complaints: Stacey Stefanski through the contact form or (314) 948-3838.

HHS Office for Civil Rights: hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint or 1-800-368-1019.