Notice of Privacy Practices
Last Updated: August 21, 2026
Embrace Wellness Counseling Services, PLLC
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.
At Embrace Wellness Counseling Services, PLLC (“Embrace Wellness,” “we,” “our,” or “us”), protecting your privacy is an important part of providing ethical, respectful, and confidential mental health care.
This Notice of Privacy Practices explains how we may use and disclose your Protected Health Information (“PHI”), the rights you have regarding your information, and our responsibilities for protecting it.
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
When you receive services from Embrace Wellness, we create and maintain information related to your care. This may include your contact information, health history, assessments, diagnoses, treatment plans, progress notes, billing information, insurance information, communications related to your care, and other information associated with the services you receive.
Federal and applicable state laws protect the privacy of this information.
Your Rights
Access Your Records
You may request to inspect or obtain a paper or electronic copy of certain health information we maintain about you.
We will generally provide access within the timeframe required by applicable law. In limited circumstances, access may be restricted or denied as permitted by law.
Psychotherapy notes receive additional protections under federal law and are generally treated differently from the remainder of your clinical record.
Request a Correction
If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend it.
We may deny your request in certain circumstances, but we will provide an explanation when required by law. If we deny your request, you may have the right to submit a written statement of disagreement.
Request Confidential Communications
You may ask us to communicate with you in a specific way or at a particular location.
For example, you may ask us to contact you only through a particular phone number or email address. We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
Request Restrictions
You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
We are not required to agree to every request. However, if you pay for a service in full out-of-pocket and ask us not to disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or health care operations, we will honor that request unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.
Receive an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information during the six years before your request.
The accounting will not include every disclosure. For example, certain disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations may not be included.
Receive a Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
Choose Someone to Act for You
If you have given another person legal authority to make health care decisions or exercise privacy rights on your behalf, such as through a medical power of attorney or legal guardianship, that person may exercise your rights as permitted by law.
We may verify that person's authority before taking action.
File a Privacy 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 Embrace Wellness Counseling Services, PLLC or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences regarding what we share.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include information shared with family members, friends, caregivers, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.
If you are unable to communicate your preference, such as during an emergency, we may share information when we reasonably believe doing so is in your best interest and is permitted by law.
Mental Health Information
Because we provide behavioral and mental health services, your records may contain particularly sensitive information.
We take additional care when handling mental health information and will follow federal and applicable state confidentiality requirements that provide greater protection than HIPAA when those requirements apply.
Psychotherapy Notes
Psychotherapy notes receive special protection under HIPAA.
Except in limited circumstances permitted by law, we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing psychotherapy notes.
Marketing and Sale of Information
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for purposes that require authorization under HIPAA, including certain marketing activities.
Embrace Wellness does not sell your Protected Health Information.
How We May Use and Share Your Information
HIPAA permits us to use or disclose your health information in certain circumstances without obtaining a separate written authorization from you.
Treatment
We may use and share your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your care.
For example, your therapist may consult with another treating provider or health care professional involved in your care when permitted by law.
Payment
We may use and disclose your information to bill and receive payment for services.
For example, we may provide information to your insurance company or other payer to determine eligibility, obtain authorization, submit claims, or receive payment.
Health Care Operations
We may use and disclose your information to operate our practice and improve the quality of the services we provide.
Examples may include quality improvement, clinical supervision, staff training, credentialing, compliance activities, auditing, business management, and reviewing the quality of care provided.
Business Associates
We may work with outside individuals or companies that perform services on our behalf and require access to PHI.
When required by HIPAA, these business associates must enter into agreements requiring them to appropriately safeguard your information.
When Required by Law
We may use or disclose your health information when federal, state, or local law requires us to do so.
Preventing Serious Threats to Health or Safety
When permitted or required by law, we may disclose information when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of another person.
Reporting Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation
We may disclose information to appropriate authorities when we are required or permitted by law to report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or other circumstances subject to mandatory reporting requirements.
Public Health and Safety
We may disclose health information for certain public health purposes when authorized by law.
Health Oversight Activities
We may disclose information to authorized agencies for legally permitted health oversight activities, such as audits, investigations, inspections, licensing, or disciplinary proceedings.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings
We may disclose information in response to certain court orders, subpoenas, administrative proceedings, or other lawful processes when the requirements for disclosure have been satisfied.
Mental health records may be subject to additional protections, and we will follow applicable law before releasing such information.
Law Enforcement
We may disclose health information to law enforcement when specifically permitted or required by law.
Workers' Compensation
We may disclose information as authorized by and necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws or similar programs.
Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors
We may disclose health information to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when permitted or required by law.
Specialized Government Functions
In certain circumstances, we may disclose health information for specialized government functions permitted by law, including certain military, national security, protective services, or correctional activities.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization
For uses or disclosures that are not otherwise permitted or required by law, we will obtain your written authorization.
If you provide written authorization, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already relied upon it.
A revocation will not affect disclosures already made based on your previous authorization.
Substance Use Disorder Records
Certain substance use disorder treatment records may receive additional confidentiality protections under federal law, including 42 CFR Part 2.
When those protections apply to records maintained by Embrace Wellness, we will use and disclose those records only as permitted by applicable law.
Certain uses and disclosures of substance use disorder records may require your written consent, and additional restrictions may apply to the redisclosure or use of those records in legal proceedings.
Electronic Communication & Telehealth
Embrace Wellness may provide services and communicate with clients electronically, including through telehealth platforms, electronic health records, secure portals, email, telephone, or other technology.
We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. However, no electronic communication method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
We encourage clients to use approved secure methods of communication when discussing sensitive health information.
Our Responsibilities
Embrace Wellness Counseling Services, PLLC is required by law to:
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Maintain the privacy and security of your Protected Health Information.
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Provide you with this Notice explaining our legal duties and privacy practices.
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Follow the privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect.
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Notify you as required by law if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
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Honor your rights regarding your health information as required by applicable law.
We will not use or disclose your health information in a manner that is inconsistent with this Notice unless the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law or you provide written authorization.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and our privacy practices as permitted by law.
Changes may apply to health information we already maintain as well as information we receive or create in the future.
When we make a material change, the updated Notice will be made available through our website and upon request.
The effective date shown at the top of this page identifies the current version of the Notice.
Questions or Privacy Concerns
If you have questions about this Notice, would like to exercise one of your privacy rights, or believe your privacy rights have been violated, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Embrace Wellness Counseling Services, PLLC
Email: admin@embracewellnesscs.com
Phone: (719) 499-4880
Mailing Address: 5245 Centennial Blvd, Ste 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
You may also submit a complaint to the:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
1-877-696-6775
Embrace Wellness will not retaliate against you for exercising your privacy rights or filing a complaint.
Acknowledgment
You may be asked to acknowledge that you received or were provided access to this Notice of Privacy Practices.
Your acknowledgment confirms receipt of the Notice. It does not mean that you are agreeing to any special use or disclosure of your health information.
Effective Date: August 21, 2026