Mental Health Services Supplemental Notice of Privacy and Professional Practices for Teletherapy Sessions

This Notice is intended to provide general information about telehealth services provided by Mental Health Services. “Telehealth” may include secure videoconferencing, telephone conversations, and/or psychoeducation using interactive audio, video, or data communications. This Notice is an addendum to the standard Mental Health Services Notice of Privacy and Professional Practices document and does not replace it. Please take time to read and understand this notice, complete the necessary fields, and check the acknowledgment at the end. If you have any questions about this document, please ask our staff.

Confidentiality

No information about counseling will be released outside of Mental Health Services to anyone without a client’s written authorization (or their legal guardian’s), aside from the limitations outlined in the standard Mental Health Services Notice of Privacy and Professional Practices document, in accordance with the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 611. While telehealth sessions are conducted through secure and private phone calls and/or videoconferencing, there are additional risks with telehealth services. These include but are not limited to:

• The possibility that the transmission of medical information could be disrupted or distorted by technical failures
• The transmission of information could be intercepted by unauthorized persons
• The electronic storage of medical information could be accessed by unauthorized persons.

Location

Mental Health Services will verify the physical location and phone number of each client at the beginning of every session. Students must notify the therapist immediately if they are located outside of Texas. It is the student’s responsibility to use a location with sufficient lighting and privacy that is free from distractions and intrusions. Appointments may be rescheduled if a student is unable to participate in a private, distraction-free space.