Notice of Privacy Practices
Last modified: September 2025
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL AND TREATMENT INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION, AND YOUR RIGHTS WITH REGARD TO YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Your health information is personal, and we are committed to protecting it. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your provider at South Shore Counseling or call the main office at 414-502-7780.
We are providing you with this notice, as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). As a health care provider, HIPAA requires us to respect and protect patient "protected health information" or "PHI" and requires us to be transparent with you regarding our practices concerning our collection, use and sharing of PHI obtained from or about you. HIPAA also requires us to make you aware of your privacy rights, including your ability to exercise your choice (i.e., "consent," also referred to as an "authorization") and provide your permission for us to collect, use, or share your PHI.
For purposes of this Notice, "South Shore Counseling" and the pronouns "we," "us" and "our" refer to South Shore Counseling Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates under common ownership or operational control, and its contracted or employed care providers which operate as a HIPAA single affiliated covered entity.
How We Use and Disclose Health Information
South Shore Counseling uses and discloses health information about you for treatment, to obtain payment for treatment, for administrative purposes, to evaluate the quality of care that you receive, and for other purposes permitted by HIPAA and applicable law. South Shore Counseling is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and provide you a notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to that information and to provide you with notice of a disclosure or breach of your unsecured protected health information. This Notice explains how South Shore Counseling uses and manages your health information, as well as what rights and choices you have related to that information. This Notice applies to all medical records about your care that are created, and/or maintained by South Shore Counseling. Your health information is contained in a medical record that is the physical property of South Shore Counseling. South Shore Counseling reserves the right to update its Notice of Privacy Practices without directly notifying individuals or providing them with updated copies. Instead, patients or users are expected to proactively check the South Shore Counseling webpage for the most current version of the notice.
If you are a patient insured by the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, you may be entitled to additional rights and restrictions regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information other than as set forth in this Notice. At all times, we will comply with the applicable requirements of the Department of Veteran Affairs regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information.
Specific Protections and Use Cases
Protections in HIPAA for psychotherapy notes
Psychotherapy notes mean notes recorded by a health care provider who is a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation during a private counseling session or a group, joint, or family counseling session and that are separated from the rest of the individual's medical record. The legal definition of psychotherapy notes under HIPAA excludes medication prescription and monitoring, counseling session start and stop times, the modalities and frequencies of treatment furnished, results of clinical tests, and any summary of the following items: Diagnosis, functional status, the treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis, and progress to date.
With few exceptions, the Privacy Rule requires a covered entity to obtain a patient's authorization prior to a disclosure of psychotherapy notes for any reason.
Substance Use Disorder Medical Records
South Shore Counseling offers substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. These SUD treatment records cannot be used to investigate or prosecute the patient without written patient consent or a court order. A separate and specific patient consent for the use and disclosure of SUD counseling notes is required.
Health Information Exchange (HIE)
South Shore Counseling may participate in a non-profit, non-governmental health information exchange (HIE) as required under state law. By opting in during your engagement signing the Patient Services Agreement, you have allowed your health information to be shared through the HIE. Only providers involved in your care can access your health information. Federal law gives special confidentiality protection to substance abuse treatment records.
How We May Use or Disclose Your Health Information
We may use or disclose your health information, in certain situations, without your consent or authorization. Below we describe examples of how we may use or disclose your health information:
- For Treatment: To provide you with mental health treatment or services and coordinate your care.
- For Payment: To obtain payment for treatment and services you receive.
- For Health Care Operations: For operational purposes, such as quality assessment.
- Communications: To provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives.
- Required or Permitted by Law: For purposes like public health activities, reporting child abuse, or for law enforcement as required by law.
- Individuals involved in your care: We may provide information to a family member or friend involved in your health care, so long as you do not object.
- Health and Safety: Duty to Warn: We may disclose information if we believe it is necessary to prevent a serious threat to the health and safety of a person or the public.
Your Health Information Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. You have the right to:
- Request a restriction on how we use or share your personal information.
- Request restriction to a health plan for services you pay for in full.
- View, inspect, and obtain a copy of your health and billing records.
- Request a correction to your health information if you believe it is incomplete or inaccurate.
- Request confidential communications using alternative means or at a different mailing address.
- Receive an accounting of disclosures of your health information.
- Obtain a paper copy of this Notice.
- Opt-Out of Health Information Exchange.
Contact, Complaints, and Emergencies
Contact Us
To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy, please reach out to us via the contact form on our website, or by written communication to: South Shore Counseling, N91W17194 Appleton Ave, Suite 204, Menomonee Falls, WI, 53051.
Complaints
You may complain to South Shore Counseling and to the Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint. You may contact the Officer for Civil Rights at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr.
In Case of Emergency
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.