Touchstone Communities

Privacy Policy

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

This notice describes how your medical information may be used and disclosed by Touchstone Communities and how you may get access to this information. Once your health information is disclosed, it may be subject to redisclosure by the recipient and may no longer be protected by federal privacy law.  Please review it carefully.

TOUCHSTONE COMMUNITIES NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES for PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
Date of this Notice: February 16, 2026
 
(Original Effective Date of this Notice October 16, 2023)

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

This notice describes how your medical information may be used and disclosed by Touchstone Communities and how you may get access to this information. Once your health information is disclosed, it may be subject to redisclosure by the recipient and may no longer be protected by federal privacy law.  Please review it carefully.

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

Touchstone Communities Privacy

Your Choices


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

  • Tell family and friends about your condition

  • Provide disaster relief

  • Include you in a directory or internal announcement

  • Provide mental health care

  • Market our services

  • Raise funds

Our Uses and Disclosures


Touchstone Communities may use and share your information as we:

  • Treat you and coordinate your care

  • Run our organization

  • Bill for your services

  • Help with public health and safety issues

  • Comply with the law

  • Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

  • Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

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

  • Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

Special Privacy Protections for Substance Use Disorder Records


Some health information maintained by Touchstone Communities may be subject to additional privacy protections under federal law (42 CFR Part 2) because it relates to substance use disorder diagnosis, treatment, or referral.

When these protections apply:

  • Certain uses and disclosures of these records require your written authorization, even for treatment, payment, or health care operations.

  • These records generally may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without your consent or a court order.

  • Redisclosure of substance use disorder records is strictly limited by federal law.

Your Rights


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


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.


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’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.


Request confidential communication

  • 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.


Ask Touchstone Communities 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 affects 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.


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

  • You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve 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.


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.


File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

  • You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us.

  • 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 www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.

 

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

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.


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

  • Share information in a disaster relief situation

  • Include your information in a directory


If you cannot 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.


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

•      Marketing purposes

•      Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

 

Touchstone Communities does not sell or rent our patients’ names or addresses to any organization outside of Touchstone Communities.


In the case of fundraising:

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


If substance use disorder records are used or disclosed for fundraising purposes, you will be provided with a clear and conspicuous opportunity to opt out of receiving such fundraising communications.

Our Uses and Disclosures


How does Touchstone Communities typically use or share your health information?

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


Treat you and coordinate your care

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

Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

 

Run our organization

We can use and share your health information to run our communities, 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.


How else does Touchstone Communities 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. We have to 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

  • Helping with product recalls

  • Reporting adverse reactions to medications

  • Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence

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

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.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.


Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

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 services

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.

Our Uses and Disclosures


How does Touchstone Communities typically use or share your health information?

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


Treat you and coordinate your care

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

Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

 

Run our organization

We can use and share your health information to run our communities, 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.


How else does Touchstone Communities 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. We have to 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

  • Helping with product recalls

  • Reporting adverse reactions to medications

  • Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence

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

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.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.


Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

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 services

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.

Touchstone Communities 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.


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.

Contact Information

•      Privacy Official:  Amy Brantley, abrantley@touchstone-communities.com, (210) 828-5686.