Candor & Hope Therapy Inc. Beachwood, Ohio 44122 (216) 245-8488 | connect@candorandhopetherapy.com Primary website: https://candorandhopetherapy.com Effective date: October 8, 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.
Who this notice covers
This notice describes the health-information practices of Candor & Hope Therapy Inc. and its workforce when providing and administering care through the practice. It applies to individual, couples, family, group, and other clinical services provided by the practice, whether in person or through telehealth. A separate clinician or organization providing services outside this practice may have its own notice.
Our responsibilities
We must maintain the privacy of your protected health information, provide this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, follow the notice currently in effect, and notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information when the law requires notification. We use reasonable safeguards for information in electronic, paper, and spoken form.
Treatment payment and practice operations
HIPAA generally permits these uses and disclosures without a separate authorization. Ohio confidentiality law, professional rules, privilege, and protections for certain records may impose additional limits. We apply those limits where required; HIPAA permission alone does not override them.
Treatment: We use information to assess your needs, develop treatment plans, provide therapy, consult, coordinate care, and make referrals. For example, your therapist may consult with an authorized clinical supervisor about your care or coordinate treatment with another treating professional when the disclosure is legally permitted.
Payment: We use information to verify benefits, obtain required payment approvals, bill, and collect permitted amounts. For example, an insurance claim may include a diagnosis and the service provided when you use insurance and the disclosure is permitted.
Operations: We use information to operate the practice, evaluate quality, train and supervise staff, complete credentialing and compliance activities, and obtain professional support. For example, an authorized reviewer may examine documentation for a quality review. We limit access according to job responsibilities and applicable law.
Other legally permitted disclosures
Subject to applicable confidentiality requirements, we may use or disclose information for the following purposes when the legal conditions are satisfied:
Required law and oversight: mandatory reports, legally authorized public-health activities, professional-board oversight, audits, and HHS privacy-compliance investigations.
Safety and protection: legally required reports of suspected abuse or neglect; certain reports involving domestic violence; and legally permitted action to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Legal proceedings and law enforcement: qualifying court orders and other lawful requests after review of authorization, privilege, notice, protective-order, and confidentiality requirements. A subpoena does not automatically authorize release of your entire record.
Other permitted purposes: qualifying research with required privacy approvals; workers' compensation; certain military, national-security, or correctional functions; and legally permitted disclosures to coroners, medical examiners, funeral directors, or organ-procurement organizations.
Care communications: appointment reminders and information about treatment alternatives or health-related services, subject to your reasonable confidential-communication requests.
Mental health confidentiality and your choices
Ohio law and professional rules can protect mental health information beyond HIPAA. We obtain consent or authorization when required and disclose confidential clinical information only when a legally permitted or required exception applies. We explain relevant confidentiality limits during informed consent. Couples, family, group, minor-client, and legally compelled services may have additional confidentiality arrangements described in the applicable service consent.
When legally permitted, you may tell us whether to share relevant information with family, friends, caregivers, or others involved in your care or payment. We respect applicable permissions and objections. If you cannot express a preference, a limited disclosure may be permitted based on professional judgment, your best interests, and applicable law. Personal-representative and minor-client rules may affect who can exercise privacy rights.
Written authorization
Most uses or disclosures of separately maintained psychotherapy notes require your specific written authorization. These notes differ from ordinary progress notes, diagnoses, treatment plans, session times, and other clinical-record information. Exceptions are limited by law and may include the originator's treatment use, certain training, defense in a proceeding you bring, required oversight, disclosures required by law, and certain serious-threat situations.
We obtain written authorization for marketing and any sale of protected health information when HIPAA requires it. Other uses or disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization unless otherwise permitted or required by law.
You may revoke an authorization in writing by contacting the Privacy Officer. Revocation does not undo actions already taken in reliance on your authorization. Other legally applicable exceptions, including certain insurer rights to contest a claim, may apply.
Substance use disorder records
Candor & Hope Therapy Inc. is not a federally assisted substance use disorder treatment program subject to 42 CFR Part 2 merely because it provides mental health care or treats someone with a substance use history. If we receive or maintain records protected by Part 2, those records receive the additional protections required by law.
Part 2 records, or testimony relaying their contents, may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without your written consent meeting Part 2 requirements or a qualifying court order. The court-order process must provide the required notice and opportunity to be heard to you or the record holder. An order authorizing disclosure must also be accompanied by a subpoena or other legal requirement compelling disclosure. Other consent, redisclosure, and use restrictions apply where required.
Fundraising communications
If we contact you for fundraising as permitted by law, you may opt out of further fundraising communications. We will honor your choice, and your decision will not affect treatment or payment. Before any fundraising use of Part 2-protected records, we will provide a clear, conspicuous opportunity to elect not to receive those communications. This notice does not authorize an otherwise prohibited fundraising disclosure.
Your privacy rights
Contact the Privacy Officer using the phone or email listed below to exercise a right or learn how to submit a request securely. We may request written instructions and verify identity or legal authority, without imposing unreasonable barriers.
Access and copies: You generally may inspect or obtain electronic or paper copies of information in your designated record set. We generally act within 30 days, with only legally permitted extensions and required notice. Any fee must be reasonable and cost based where allowed. Separate psychotherapy notes and certain other categories are excluded from HIPAA access; some denials have review rights. We will explain a denial and any applicable review process.
Corrections: You may request amendment of information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete and explain the reason. We generally respond within 60 days, subject to permitted extensions. If we deny a request, we explain why in writing and describe your right to submit a statement of disagreement where applicable.
Restrictions: You may ask us to limit certain uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, operations, or involvement of others in care. We need not accept every request. When you pay in full out of pocket and request that information about that item or service not be disclosed to your health plan for payment or operations, we honor the restriction when HIPAA requires it, unless disclosure is required by law.
Confidential contact: You may ask us to communicate by a particular method or at a particular location. We accommodate reasonable requests as required by law. Tell us how to contact you safely.
Disclosure accounting: You may request an accounting of certain disclosures during the preceding six years, or a shorter period you specify. The accounting excludes categories the law does not require, including many treatment, payment, and operations disclosures and disclosures you authorized. The first accounting in a 12-month period is free; additional accountings may carry a permitted fee after advance notice and an opportunity to withdraw or modify the request.
Copies of this notice: You may obtain a paper copy even if you accepted an electronic copy. This notice is available on request and on practice websites that provide information about our services.
Representatives: A legally authorized representative may exercise applicable rights on your behalf. We verify authority and consider exceptions required or permitted by law, including protections in abuse, neglect, or endangerment situations.
Complaints: You may complain to us or HHS if you believe your privacy rights were violated. We will not retaliate or penalize you for a complaint or for exercising a privacy right.
Technology and clinical records
We use electronic systems for clinical records, scheduling, billing, communication, and telehealth. Vendors handling protected health information on our behalf must be covered by the arrangements required by law, including a Business Associate Agreement when required. A website privacy policy or cookie choice is not authorization to disclose protected health information contrary to law.
If approved AI-assisted tools are used for documentation or practice operations, clinicians retain responsibility for professional judgment and documentation review. Recording, transcription, or audio capture requiring additional permission is addressed through a separate consent process. This notice itself does not grant recording consent.
Contact and complaint process
Privacy Officer
Candor & Hope Therapy Inc. Beachwood, Ohio 44122 Telephone: (216) 245-8488 Email: connect@candorandhopetherapy.com Website: https://candorandhopetherapy.com
To ask a question, exercise a right, or file a complaint, call or email and ask for the Privacy Officer. For a complaint, describe the concern, approximate date, and how we can contact you. Do not send detailed health information or identity documents through ordinary email; ask for a secure method. Contact us for complete mailing instructions if you prefer to submit a paper request.
You may also complain directly to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights without first contacting us. Instructions are available at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html. The HHS complaint process generally requires filing within 180 days of when you knew of the act or omission, with extensions available for good cause under applicable rules.
Changes and availability
We reserve the right to change this notice and to apply revised provisions to information we already maintain and information received later, as permitted by law. Material changes will not take effect before the revised notice's effective date unless law requires otherwise. The current version is available on request, at the practice, and prominently on websites describing our services.
This notice does not replace informed consent, financial policies, or service-specific agreements. It does not waive legal rights or eliminate protections supplied by federal or Ohio law.