Privacy Policy

Last updated August 12, 2024

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Thank you for choosing to be part of our community at AleroCares Mental & Behavioral Healthcare ("Company", "we", "us", or "our"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. We never market or sell your personal information and will only use your personal information to provide you with the very best behavioral health treatment. For questions related to this privacy statement please contact the Privacy Officer by calling the AleroCares Compliance Help Line (718) 582-5833 or email at qualityofcare@alerocares.org or by mail at 152 East 118th Street Suite # S1 1664, New York 10035.

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This privacy policy applies to all information collected through our website (such as www.alerocares.org), and/or any related services, sales, marketing or events (we refer to them collectively in this privacy policy as the "Sites"). 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.

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Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record

• Correct your paper or electronic medical record

• Request confidential communication

• Ask us to limit the information we share

• Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information

• Get a copy of this privacy notice

• Choose someone to act for you

• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

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Your Choices

You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:

• Tell family and friends about you or your loved one’s condition

• Provide disaster relief

• Provide mental health care

• Market our services and sell your information

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SMS & Email Terms and Conditions

We value your privacy and the information you consent to share in relation to our SMS and email marketing service. We use this information to send you text and email notifications (for your order, including abandoned checkout reminders), text and email marketing offers, and transactional texts and email communications, including requests for reviews from us. Opt-in data and consent for text messaging and email marketing will not be shared with any third parties except for messaging partners, for the purpose of enabling and operating our text messaging program and email marketing platform.

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Our website uses cookies to keep track of items you put into your shopping cart, including when you have abandoned your checkout. This information is used to determine when to send cart reminder messages via SMS.

 

By consenting to AleroCares Mental & Behavioral Health SMS and Email Marketing in the admissions process and or subscribing via our subscription tools, you agree to receive recurring text and email notifications (for your inquiry, including text and email marketing materials and transactional communications), text marketing offers, and transactional texts, including requests for reviews from us, even if your mobile number is registered on any state or federal do-not-call list. Message frequency varies. Consent is not a condition of purchase.

 

If you wish to unsubscribe from receiving text and/or email marketing messages and notifications, reply with STOP to any mobile message sent from us or use the unsubscribe link we provided you within any of our email messages. You understand and agree that alternative methods of opting out, such as using alternative words or requests, will not be considered a reasonable means of opting out. We do not charge for the service, but you are responsible for all charges and fees associated with text messaging imposed by your wireless provider. Message and data rates may apply.

 

For any questions, please text HELP to the number you received the messages from. You can also contact us for more information.

 

We have the right to modify any telephone number or short code we use to operate the service at any time. You will be notified on such occasions. You agree that any messages you send to a telephone number or short code we have changed, including any STOP or HELP requests, may not be received, and we will not be liable for honoring requests made in such messages.

 

To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree that we will not be liable for failed, delayed, or misdirected delivery of any information sent through the service, any errors in such information, and/or any action you may or may not take in reliance on the information or Service.

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Our Uses and Disclosures

We process your information for purposes based on legitimate business interests, the fulfillment of our contract with you, compliance with our legal obligations, and/or your consent.

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We may use and share your information as we:

•         Treat you

•         Run our organization

•         Bill for your services

•         Help with public health and safety issues

•         Do research

•         Comply with the law

•         Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

•         Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

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Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

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Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record​

• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.

• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

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Ask us to correct your medical record​

• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.

• We may say “no” to your request, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.

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Request confidential communications​

• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.

• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

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Ask us to limit what we use or share​

• You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.

• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

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Get a list of those with whom we have shared information​

• You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we have shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.

• We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.​

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Get a copy of this privacy notice​

• You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

 

Choose someone to act for you

• If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.

• We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

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File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated​

• You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information on page 1.

• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.

• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

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Your Choices​

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.

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In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care

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If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

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In these cases, we never share your information unless you give us written permission:

• Marketing purposes

• Sale of your information

• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

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In the case of fundraising:

• We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

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Our Uses and Disclosures

How do we typically use or share your health information?

We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.

 

>Treat you

We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.

Example: A therapist treating you for depressions asks another therapist about your overall mental status.

 

>Run our organization

We can use and share your health information to run our program, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.

Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

 

>Bill for your services

We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.

Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

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How else can we use or share your health information?​

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We must meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.

 

Help with public health and safety issues

We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:

• Preventing disease

• Reporting adverse reactions to medications

• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence

• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

 

Do research

We can use or share your information for health research.

 

Comply with the law

We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

 

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

We can use or share health information about you:

• For workers’ compensation claims

• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official

• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law

• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective If we make material changes to this privacy policy, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this privacy policy frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.

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Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

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Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.

• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.

• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.

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Changes to the Terms of this Notice

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site. If we make material changes to this privacy policy, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this privacy policy frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.

 

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HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS POLICY?

You can access our Notice of Privacy Practices here. If you have questions or comments about the Client Rights or Notice of Privacy Practices, contact us at qualityofcare@alerocares.org

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