Joyful Minds LLC Privacy Policy

 

Effective Date: September 26, 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how Joyful Minds LLC ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects the personal information of our patients and website visitors. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your information, especially as a healthcare provider.

 

1. Our Commitment to Privacy and Confidentiality

 

As a psychiatry practice providing medication management via telehealth, we treat your privacy and the confidentiality of your mental health information with the utmost seriousness. Your individually identifiable health information is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its associated regulations.

This policy supplements, but does not replace, the specific rights and protections outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), which provides full details on how we use and disclose your Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA.

 

2. Information We Collect

 

We may collect the following types of information:

• Protected Health Information (PHI): This includes information you provide as part of your psychiatric care, such as your medical history, current symptoms, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, appointment records, and billing information.

• Contact Information: This includes your name, address, phone number, email address, and date of birth.

• Technical Data: When you visit our website, we may automatically collect data such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, and website usage details via standard analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics).

 

3. How We Use Your Information

 

We use your information primarily to:

• Provide Clinical Care: To diagnose, treat, and manage your medication as part of your psychiatric treatment.

• Communicate with You: To schedule appointments, send appointment reminders, respond to your inquiries, and provide information relevant to your care.

• Process Payments and Operations: To bill for services, manage our business operations, and maintain accurate records.

• Improve Our Services: To analyze website usage and service performance to enhance the patient experience.

 

4. SMS (Text Messaging) Communications

 

We offer SMS communications for essential service-related messages, such as appointment reminders, appointment confirmations, and limited administrative communications.

• Consent: You must provide explicit written consent (e.g., by checking a box or signing an agreement) before we send you any text messages.

• Frequency: Message frequency is typically based on your appointment schedule.

• Cost: Standard message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier plan.

• Opt-Out: You may opt-out of receiving future SMS messages at any time by replying STOP to any message you receive. 

• Privacy: PHI is not sent via SMS. Communications are limited to scheduling and administrative details. Text messaging is not a substitute for clinical care or emergency contact. In an emergency, please call 911.

 

5. Disclosure of Your Information

 

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We only disclose your PHI and personal information as permitted or required by law, including:

• For Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations (TPO): As allowed under HIPAA. This may include sharing information with pharmacies, other treating providers, or your health insurance plan.

• To Business Associates: We may share information with trusted third-party vendors (e.g., telehealth platforms, secure email providers, billing services) who assist us in providing our services. These partners are required by contract and law to protect your PHI.

• When Required by Law: In response to court orders, warrants, subpoenas, or other legal processes.

 

6. Data Security

 

We implement reasonable and appropriate security safeguards to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. This includes using encrypted, HIPAA-compliant platforms for all telehealth sessions and electronic health records. However, no internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure.

 

7. Changes to This Privacy Policy

 

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post any new policy on our website with a new effective date.

 

8. Contact Us

 

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Joyful Minds LLC

971-268-8692

sorlova.joyfulminds@gmail.com