HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective date: January 1, 2026
Our commitment to your confidentiality
At Shepherding Hope, discretion is non-negotiable. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms currently in effect. All sessions take place over secure, encrypted, HIPAA-compliant telehealth, and your records are stored in HIPAA-compliant systems accessible only to those directly involved in your care.
How we use your information
Uses & disclosures
We use and share your health information only as necessary for the following purposes:
Treatment
We use your health information to provide, coordinate, and manage your counseling care — including consulting, with your consent, with your clinical supervisor, Erica Player, LPC-S.
Payment
We may use limited information to prepare superbills or documentation you request for out-of-network reimbursement. We do not sell your information.
Health-care operations
We may use information for quality, supervision, scheduling, and the administrative work required to run a safe, compliant practice.
Disclosures without your authorization
In most cases we share information only with your written authorization. The law permits — and sometimes requires — certain disclosures without it, including:
- When required by law, court order, or a valid subpoena.
- To prevent a serious and imminent threat to your safety or the safety of others.
- To report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation as required by Alabama law.
- For public-health activities and oversight by health authorities.
Any other use or disclosure will be made only with your written authorization, which you may revoke in writing at any time.
You are in control
Your rights
You have the following rights regarding the health information we maintain about you:
Access & copies
You may inspect and request a copy of the health information we hold about you.
Amendments
You may ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
Accounting of disclosures
You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your information.
Restrictions
You may request limits on how we use or share your information; we will accommodate reasonable requests.
Confidential communication
You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location.
Paper copy
You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
Our responsibilities
We are required to protect the privacy of your information, notify you promptly if a breach compromises it, and follow the duties described here. We will let you know if we are ever unable to agree to a request. We reserve the right to change this notice, and any change will apply to information we already hold; the current version is always available on this page.
Filing a complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us using the contact information below, or with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. You will never be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Questions about your privacy?
Contact our Privacy Officer
To exercise any right, request a paper copy of this notice, or file a complaint, reach out to Billy R. Gilbert, ALC, NCC, Privacy Officer for Shepherding Hope, LLC.
This notice is provided for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Effective January 1, 2026.