THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW INFORMATION ABOUT YOU AND YOUR TREATMENT MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Strength Recovery Center is required by law to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of your health information and to provide you with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information. We also ask that you respect the privacy of others you encounter during treatment.
HIPAA Policy
Strength Recovery Center collects health information about you and stores it in an electronic health record. This record is the property of Strength Recovery Center, but the information within it belongs to you. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires Strength Recovery Center to maintain the privacy of your medical record. HIPAA generally limits the use and disclosure of the information in your record to what is necessary for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
In addition, certain information relating to your treatment at Strength Recovery Center is protected by federal regulations specific to drug and alcohol treatment, known as 42 CFR Part 2. These regulations provide additional safeguards for the confidentiality of any information related to your identity, diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment in a substance use disorder program. Strength Recovery Center may not disclose these records without your written consent, except under very limited circumstances permitted by law.
When a written consent is used, it must specify the scope of information to be disclosed, the parties authorized to receive the information, the purpose of the disclosure, and the timeframe of the consent. You may revoke your consent verbally or in writing at any time.
Strength Recovery Center may ask for your written consent to disclose treatment information for certain purposes, including:
- Sharing treatment information with your other healthcare providers.
- Obtaining payment from insurance or other payors.
- Contacting your family or loved ones for treatment coordination or in an emergency.
We will not disclose your treatment information for these purposes without your consent.
Disclosures Without Written Consent
Under certain limited circumstances, Strength Recovery Center may disclose your treatment information without written consent, including:
- For internal treatment and administrative purposes.
- To qualified service organizations that agree to maintain confidentiality.
- To outside auditors, evaluators, or regulatory agencies.
- For specific approved research purposes.
- In the event of a life-threatening medical emergency.
- To report a crime committed on the premises or against Strength Recovery Center staff.
- Where required by law, including child abuse or neglect reporting, reporting cause of death, or by a valid court order containing required findings.
Strength Recovery Center may also contact you to provide information about treatment services, updates, or appointment reminders.
Your Health Information Rights
Under HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, you have the following rights with respect to your health information:
- Right to Notice – You are entitled to a written copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
- Right to Access – You may request a copy of your treatment record or ask to receive it through a reasonable alternative method or location. All requests must be made in writing. A reasonable fee may be charged for copies.
- Right to Amend – You may request that Strength Recovery Center amend information in your record that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. If your request is denied, you will receive a written explanation and may disagree in writing.
- Right to Restrict Disclosures – You may request restrictions on how your information is used or disclosed, though Strength Recovery Center is not obligated to agree to these restrictions.
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures – You may request a written record of disclosures made in the past six years. This record does not include disclosures made with your consent, for treatment or payment, or to you or your legal representative. Your first request in a 12-month period is free; additional requests may require a reasonable fee.
Changes to This Notice
Strength Recovery Center reserves the right to change this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time and to make the revised notice effective for all health information maintained, including information created before the revision. You will be provided with an updated copy if changes are made. Until such changes occur, Strength Recovery Center must comply with the terms of this Notice.
Effective Date: April 1, 2025
Complaints Regarding Privacy Practices
If you have concerns about this Notice of Privacy Practices or how your health information is handled, you may direct your complaint to:
Executive Director
Strength Recovery Center
1221 Main Street
Weymouth, MA 02190
If you are not satisfied with the resolution, you may file a complaint with:
Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, DC 20201
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Bureau of Substance Addiction Services
250 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 624-5111
You may also submit your complaint to one of the regional U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Offices for Civil Rights. A list of regional offices is available at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/addresses.html