HIPAA and Protected Health Information Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 21, 2026
Effective Date: April 1, 2020
Ubuntu Psychological Services is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal and health information. We handle protected health information (“PHI”) in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”), applicable California privacy laws, and other legal and professional requirements.
What Is Protected Health Information?
PHI includes information that identifies you and relates to your physical or mental health, diagnosis, treatment, assessment, medications, services received, insurance coverage, billing, or payment for healthcare services. PHI may be maintained electronically, on paper, or through verbal communication.
How We Use Your Information
Ubuntu Psychological Services may use or disclose your PHI for purposes permitted by law, including:
- Providing and coordinating treatment, assessments, and medication-management services
- Consulting with healthcare professionals involved in your care
- Billing insurance companies, regional centers, or other responsible payers
- Operating and improving our clinical practice
- Scheduling appointments and sending service reminders
- Meeting legal, regulatory, reporting, and professional obligations
- Responding to emergencies or serious threats to health and safety
- Reporting suspected abuse or neglect when required by law
- Responding to valid court orders or other lawful requests
We limit the PHI we use or disclose to the minimum information reasonably necessary whenever required by law.
Written Authorization
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for purposes not otherwise permitted or required by law. Written authorization is generally required for:
- Most disclosures of psychotherapy notes
- Marketing involving your health information
- Testimonials that identify you as a client
- The sale of your health information
- Other disclosures not permitted by law
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except when we have already acted in reliance on it.
Protecting Your Information
Ubuntu Psychological Services uses reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect PHI from unauthorized access, use, alteration, loss, or disclosure. Access to PHI is limited to authorized clinicians, employees, trainees, contractors, and service providers who need the information to perform approved duties.
Service providers that handle PHI on our behalf are required to protect the information as required by HIPAA and applicable contractual agreements.
Website Forms and Electronic Communication
Please do not submit highly sensitive medical, mental health, financial, or identifying information through general website contact forms, social media, or standard email.
Ordinary email and text messages may not always be secure. When appropriate, Ubuntu Psychological Services may ask you to communicate through our secure client portal or another approved method.
Information submitted through this website does not establish a therapist-client or healthcare provider-patient relationship. Such a relationship is established only after Ubuntu Psychological Services accepts you as a client and the required consent and intake documents are completed.
Cookies and Website Information
Our website may collect limited technical information, such as your device type, browser, IP address, and pages visited. This information may be used to maintain website security, understand website performance, and improve the user experience.
We do not intentionally use website tracking technologies to collect or disclose PHI for advertising purposes. Website information will not be combined with clinical records unless necessary to respond to a request you initiate or as otherwise permitted by law.
Your Rights
Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:
- Request an electronic or paper copy of your health record
- Request a correction to information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete
- Request confidential or alternative communication methods
- Ask us to restrict certain uses or disclosures
- Request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI
- Receive a copy of our complete Notice of Privacy Practices
- Authorize another person to act on your behalf
- File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated
Ubuntu Psychological Services will not retaliate against you for exercising your privacy rights or filing a complaint.
Breach Notification
If a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your PHI, Ubuntu Psychological Services will notify affected individuals and government agencies as required by applicable law.
Contact Us
To ask a privacy question, request a copy of our complete Notice of Privacy Practices, exercise your privacy rights, or submit a complaint, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Ubuntu Psychological Services
Phone: 888-662-9378
Email: info@ubuntupsych.com
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, by visiting:
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/
Website Is Not for Emergencies
This website and its contact forms are not monitored for emergency or crisis communications. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For immediate crisis support, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Updates to This Policy
Ubuntu Psychological Services may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The most current version will be posted on this website with its effective date.