Alpha
House, Inc.
HIPAA
Policy on Notice of Privacy Practice
Adopted:
March 24, 2003
Effective:
April 14, 2003
Policy:
It
is the policy of Alpha House, Inc. to provide our residents/clients with
written notice of our privacy practices, including among other things a
statement of each resident/client’s rights as set out by the HIPAA
Privacy Regulations. The
written Notice of Privacy Practices adopted by Alpha House, Inc. shall
be distributed to each resident/client or their legal representative
pursuant to the guidelines set forth below:
- Each
resident/client and/or their legal representative shall be provided
a copy of the most current Notice of Privacy practices at the time
of their initial intake into the program, unless impracticable in
the case of emergency treatment.
In case of a telephone intake, it shall be the responsibility
of the HIPPA coordinator or residential counselor to provide this
notice and take further steps described below, at the first
opportunity available.
- Each
resident/client or their legal representative shall be asked to sign
an Acknowledgement of Receipt of Notice of Privacy Practices to
acknowledge that they received a copy this notice.
If the resident client or legal representative is unwilling
or unable to acknowledge receipt in this way, the HIPPA coordinator
or residential counselor shall document his/her effort to obtain
this acknowledgement and the refusal or the reason the resident
client or legal representative did not sign the acknowledgement on
the acknowledgement form with the date and the HIPPA coordinator’s
or residential counselor’s signature.
- The
acknowledgement form or evidence of refusal or inability to sign
shall be immediately placed in the resident’s/client’s chart as
evidence indicating the provision of the Notice of Privacy
Practices.
- At
each treatment episode of each resident/client after April 14, 2003,
when pulling the file for quality monitoring, the HIPPA coordinator
or residential counselor shall check for the existence of the Notice
of Privacy Practices. If
there is no indication of the provision of the Notice of Privacy
Practices exists within the file, it shall be the responsibility of
the HIPPA coordinator or residential counselor to provide a copy of
the Notice of Privacy Practices and attempt to obtain the written
acknowledgement of receipt of the notice, under the guidelines set
forth above.
- The
Notice of Privacy Practices shall also be posted in the reception
area, as well as within the Alpha House, Inc. website.
Evidence
of HIPAA Notice of Privacy Compliance can be found in the Alpha House,
Inc., Client Information
Handbook.
Or click on the following – Alpha
House, Inc. Notice of Privacy Practices.
Privacy Policy
435 Shady Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 363-42200