Privacy Policy

At Into Action Recovery, we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our clients’ personal and health information. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information in accordance with federal and state laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act.

1. Purpose of This Policy

This policy ensures the privacy and security of your Protected Health Information (PHI), which includes any identifiable information related to your physical or mental health, treatment, or payment for healthcare services. It applies to all PHI we collect, whether in electronic, paper, or oral form.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

Personal Information: Name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, and other identifying details.
Health Information: Medical history, treatment plans, and other health-related details necessary for your care.

We collect this information through:

In-person consultations and forms.
Online forms on our website.
Phone or text (SMS) communications, with your explicit consent (see “SMS Communications” section below).

3. Use and Disclosure of Information

We use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes:

Treatment: To provide you with care and coordinate with other healthcare providers involved in your recovery.
Payment: To process billing and insurance claims related to your care.
Healthcare Operations: For administrative tasks, such as quality improvement, staff training, and legal compliance.
Legal Obligations: As required by law, such as reporting to public health authorities or responding to court orders.

We will not share your PHI with third parties without your written authorization except as permitted or required by law.

4. Your Rights Regarding Your PHI

Under HIPAA, you have the following rights:

Right to Access: You may request a copy of your PHI.
Right to Amend: You may request corrections to your PHI if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
Right to Request Restrictions: You may request limits on how we use or disclose your PHI, though we may not always be able to honor such requests.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI.
Right to Request Confidential Communications: You may ask us to contact you in a specific way (e.g., by phone or email) to protect your privacy.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details at the end of this policy.

5. Security Measures

We use a variety of safeguards to protect your PHI, including:

Technical Safeguards: Encryption of electronic PHI, secure servers, and access controls to prevent unauthorized access.
Physical Safeguards: Locked storage for paper records and restricted access to areas where PHI is kept.
Administrative Safeguards: Staff training on HIPAA compliance, regular security audits, and policies to ensure confidentiality.

These measures help prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of your PHI.

6. SMS Communications

If you opt to communicate with us via text message (SMS), we will collect your phone number and related information to enable these communications. We will only send SMS messages with your explicit consent, as described below:

Online Opt-In for SMS Communications

When you provide your phone number through an online form on our website, you must explicitly consent to receive SMS messages. The form will include:

A description of the SMS communications (e.g., appointment reminders, treatment updates).
A checkbox to confirm your consent (e.g., “By clicking this box, you provide express written consent to contact you via SMS no more than 2-4 times/month. Standard messaging and data rates apply. Text STOP to opt out at any time. Privacy Policy / TOS”).
A disclaimer about potential message and data rates.

After submitting the form, we may send SMS messages based on your selected preferences.

Offline Opt-In for SMS Communications

We may also collect consent for SMS during phone calls or in response to text messages you initiate. Examples include:

During a phone call, we might ask, “Is it OK for us to text you to follow up on this conversation?” and provide a disclaimer about message and data rates. If you agree, we may begin SMS communications.
If you text us first (e.g., from an advertisement or business card), this counts as consent for us to respond to your inquiry.

You can stop receiving SMS messages at any time by texting “STOP” to the number sending the messages.

Important: Any SMS communications involving PHI will use secure, encrypted platforms to ensure compliance with HIPAA and protect your privacy.

7. Data Retention

We keep your PHI for as long as needed to:

Provide you with care and treatment.
Meet legal and regulatory requirements, including state and federal record retention laws.

Once no longer needed, we securely delete or destroy your PHI in line with HIPAA guidelines.

8. Data Breach Notification

If a data breach involving your PHI occurs, we will:

Notify you and any affected individuals as required by law.
Take immediate steps to limit harm, investigate the breach, and strengthen our security measures.

9. Compliance with Laws

We adhere to all applicable federal and state laws, including:

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): Sets national standards for protecting PHI.
Texas Medical Records Privacy Act: Adds extra protections for medical records in Texas.

10. Contact Information

For questions or concerns about this privacy policy or your HIPAA rights, please contact us at:

Phone: (832) 224-4783
Email: info@intoactionrecovery.com

We are dedicated to addressing your concerns and protecting your privacy.