HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: June, 2026

Lisa B. Hipscher, LPC, LLC
333 Bloomfield Avenue, Suite 201-3
Caldwell, NJ 07006
Phone: 973-908-8296
Email: Lisahipscherlpc@gmail.com
Website: https://lisahipscherlpc.com/

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

This Notice describes how medical and mental health information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Lisa B. Hipscher, LPC, LLC is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your health information. This Notice applies to protected health information, also called “PHI,” that is created, received, maintained, or transmitted by this practice in connection with counseling, therapy, consultation, billing, payment, health care operations, and related professional services.

1. Our Legal Duties

We are required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• Provide you with this Notice explaining our legal duties and privacy practices.
• Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
• Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your protected health information.
• Not use or share your information except as described in this Notice, unless you authorize us in writing.

We may change the terms of this Notice. Any changes will apply to all protected health information we maintain. The revised Notice will be available upon request and may be posted on our website.

2. How We May Use and Disclose Your Information

The following sections explain common ways we may use or disclose your protected health information.

Treatment

We may use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your counseling and related care.

For example, we may use information you share during intake or therapy to assess your needs, develop a treatment plan, document your progress, coordinate care with another health care provider if appropriate, or respond to clinical concerns.

Payment

We may use and disclose your protected health information to bill and receive payment for services.

For example, we may share limited information with your insurance company, billing service, payment processor, or other responsible party to confirm benefits, submit claims, process payments, collect balances, or resolve billing questions.

Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose your protected health information for practice operations.

For example, we may use information for scheduling, quality improvement, professional consultation, legal compliance, recordkeeping, licensing requirements, supervision where applicable, training, auditing, business management, and other administrative activities necessary to operate the practice.

Appointment Reminders and Communications

We may contact you to remind you about appointments, respond to inquiries, discuss scheduling, provide administrative information, or communicate about your care.

Communications may occur by phone, voicemail, email, text message, mail, client portal, or other method you provide or authorize. Standard email and text messaging may not be fully secure, so please avoid sending sensitive clinical information through ordinary email or text unless directed by the practice.

Business Associates

We may share protected health information with service providers known as business associates when they perform services for the practice, such as billing, scheduling, records management, technology support, telehealth platforms, accounting, legal, or administrative services.

Business associates are required to protect your information and use it only as permitted by law and their agreements with the practice.

3. Uses and Disclosures That May Be Required or Permitted by Law

We may use or disclose your protected health information without your written authorization in certain situations, including:

Required by Law

We may disclose information when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.

Public Health and Safety

We may disclose information for public health and safety purposes when permitted or required by law, such as reporting certain diseases, preventing or controlling injury, reporting adverse events, or helping prevent a serious threat to health or safety.

Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation

We may disclose information to appropriate authorities if required or permitted by law regarding suspected abuse, neglect, domestic violence, exploitation, or endangerment of a child, elderly person, vulnerable adult, or other protected person.

Serious Threat of Harm

We may disclose information if necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of another person.

Legal Proceedings

We may disclose information in response to a court order, subpoena, discovery request, lawful process, or other legal requirement, subject to applicable legal protections.

Law Enforcement

We may disclose information to law enforcement officials when required or permitted by law.

Workers’ Compensation

We may disclose information as authorized by workers’ compensation laws or similar programs.

Health Oversight Activities

We may disclose information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, licensure, disciplinary actions, or compliance reviews.

Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors

We may disclose information to coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors as permitted or required by law.

Specialized Government Functions

We may disclose information for certain specialized government functions, such as military, national security, protective services, correctional institutions, or other lawful government activities when applicable.

4. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

We will not use or disclose your protected health information for the following purposes unless you give written authorization, except where permitted or required by law:

• Marketing purposes.
• Sale of your protected health information.
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes.
• Other uses or disclosures not described in this Notice.

You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time. If you revoke your authorization, we will stop using or disclosing your information for the purposes covered by that authorization, except to the extent we have already relied on it.

5. Psychotherapy Notes

Psychotherapy notes are notes recorded by a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of a private counseling session and kept separate from the rest of the clinical record.

Psychotherapy notes receive special protection under HIPAA. In most cases, we will not use or disclose psychotherapy notes without your written authorization, except for certain limited purposes permitted by law, such as use by the provider for treatment, training, legal defense, health oversight, or where otherwise required or permitted by law.

Your general clinical record is separate from psychotherapy notes and may include information such as diagnosis, symptoms, treatment plan, session dates, progress notes, medications, functional status, billing information, and other information related to your care.

6. Substance Use Disorder Information

If the practice creates, receives, or maintains substance use disorder treatment records that are subject to additional federal or state confidentiality protections, those records may receive additional privacy protections.

Where applicable, such information will only be used or disclosed as permitted by HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, state law, your written consent, or other applicable legal requirements.

7. Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information

You have the following rights regarding your protected health information.

Right to Inspect and Receive a Copy

You have the right to inspect or receive a copy of certain protected health information we maintain about you, usually including your medical and billing records.

We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies, mailing, or related supplies where permitted by law. In limited circumstances, we may deny your request, and you may have the right to have the denial reviewed.

Right to Request an Amendment

You may ask us to correct or amend information in your record if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete.

We may deny your request in certain circumstances, such as if the information is accurate and complete, was not created by this practice, is not part of the record maintained by this practice, or is not information you are permitted to inspect. If we deny your request, you may submit a written statement of disagreement.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your protected health information.

This accounting does not include all disclosures, such as disclosures made for treatment, payment, health care operations, disclosures made to you, disclosures made with your authorization, or disclosures excluded by law.

Right to Request Restrictions

You may request that we restrict certain uses or disclosures of your protected health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.

We are not required to agree to most requested restrictions. If we do agree, we will follow the restriction except in emergency situations or as otherwise permitted by law.

If you pay for a health care service in full out of pocket and ask us not to share information about that service with your health plan for payment or health care operations, we will honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You may request that we contact you in a specific way or at a specific location. For example, you may ask that we contact you only at a particular phone number, mailing address, or email address.

We will accommodate reasonable requests when feasible.

Right to Receive a Paper Copy

You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

Right to Choose Someone to Act for You

If you have given someone medical power of attorney, if someone is your legal guardian, or if someone is otherwise legally authorized to make health care decisions for you, that person may be able to exercise your rights and make choices about your protected health information.

We may take reasonable steps to confirm the person has authority to act on your behalf.

Right to File a Complaint

You have the right to file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

You may file a complaint directly with this practice using the contact information below. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

8. Your Choices

For certain health information, you may tell us your choices about what we share. In some situations, you have both the right and the choice to tell us to:

• Share information with family, close friends, or others involved in your care.
• Share information with someone involved in payment for your care.
• Share information in a disaster relief situation.
• Communicate with you in a particular way.

If you are not able to tell us your preference, such as during an emergency, we may share information if we believe it is in your best interest and permitted by law.

9. Minors and Parents/Guardians

The privacy rights of minors and the rights of parents or guardians to access a minor’s health information may vary depending on the client’s age, the type of service, consent requirements, safety concerns, state law, and professional ethics.

Where applicable, the practice will follow federal law, New Jersey law, relevant licensing standards, professional ethics, and signed consent documents regarding confidentiality and access to records for minors.

10. Telehealth Privacy

If you receive telehealth services, protected health information may be created, transmitted, or stored through electronic systems.

We use reasonable safeguards and appropriate technology arrangements to protect privacy during telehealth services. Clients are also responsible for participating from a private location whenever possible and protecting their own devices, internet connection, and communications.

Telehealth may involve additional consent, location confirmation, emergency contact information, and technology policies.

11. Our Responsibilities

Lisa B. Hipscher, LPC, LLC is required to:

• Keep your protected health information private and secure.
• Follow the duties and privacy practices described in this Notice.
• Notify you if there is a breach that may have compromised your information.
• Provide you with a copy of this Notice.
• Not use or disclose your information in ways not described in this Notice unless you authorize us in writing.

12. Changes to This Notice

We may change this Notice at any time. Changes may apply to all protected health information we maintain, including information created or received before the change.

The current Notice will be available upon request and may be posted on our website.

13. Questions and Complaints

If you have questions about this Notice, want to exercise your privacy rights, or wish to file a complaint with the practice, contact:

Lisa B. Hipscher, LPC, LLC
333 Bloomfield Avenue, Suite 201-3
Caldwell, NJ 07006
Phone: 973-908-8296
Email: Lisahipscherlpc@gmail.com

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. Filing a complaint will not affect your care, and you will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

14. Acknowledgment of Receipt

You may be asked to sign an acknowledgment that you received this Notice of Privacy Practices. Your signature confirms receipt of the Notice; it does not waive any privacy rights.