Notice of Privacy Practices

Your information. Your rights. Our responsibilities.

Download Notice of Privacy Practices (PDF)

Effective date: November 9, 2026

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Practice: Powell Counseling Center, PLLC (PCC) | 7311 Clinton Highway, Suite B, Powell, TN 37849 | Phone: 865-328-2376 | Designated Privacy Officer: Kayla Tatum-Sharp | Backup Privacy Officer: Ashley Arriola | Administrative contact: Kim Tatum, admin@powellcounselingcenter.com

This notice is effective November 9, 2026.

Your rights

Get a copy of your health record

You may request to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of the health information we maintain about you, subject to limited legal exceptions. We generally respond within 30 days. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply to certain copies. We will explain any lawful denial and review rights.

Ask us to correct your record

You may request an amendment if you believe information is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny the request in certain circumstances and will explain our decision in writing, generally within 60 days.

Request private communications

You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a particular address. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Request limits on sharing

You may ask us to restrict certain uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not always required to agree. If you pay in full out of pocket for a service, you may ask us not to disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or health care operations. We will honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.

Receive a list of certain disclosures

You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your information for the preceding six years. Some disclosures, including many for treatment, payment, and operations, are excluded. One accounting in a 12-month period is generally free; a reasonable cost-based fee may apply to additional requests.

Get this notice and designate a representative

You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time. A person legally authorized to act for you, such as a qualifying guardian or health care representative, may exercise applicable rights after we verify their authority. Special confidentiality rules may apply to minors and certain services.

Complain without retaliation

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, contact PCC's designated Privacy Officer, Kayla Tatum-Sharp, through the office at 865-328-2376 or admin@powellcounselingcenter.com. Kim Tatum is the administrative contact who routes privacy requests; Ashley Arriola serves as backup Privacy Officer. You may also complain to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights at www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint or 1-877-696-6775. PCC will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your choices

You may tell us your preferences about sharing information with family, friends, or others involved in your care or payment, and in certain disaster-relief situations. If you cannot communicate your preference, limited disclosures may be made when permitted by law and in your best interest. Additional protections may apply to mental health records under Tennessee law.

We generally need your written authorization for uses and disclosures not otherwise permitted by law, including most disclosures of separately maintained psychotherapy notes, marketing requiring authorization, and any sale of protected health information. You may revoke an authorization in writing, except to the extent we already relied on it.

How we may use or share information

Treatment, payment, and health care operations

We may use and disclose information to provide and coordinate your care, consult with treating professionals when permitted, bill health plans or collect payment, and operate PCC (for example, quality improvement, supervision, compliance, and administrative functions). We use safeguards and apply the minimum-necessary standard where required by HIPAA. Some disclosures for treatment do not require your written authorization under HIPAA, although other laws may require additional permission.

Other legally permitted or required situations

Depending on applicable law, disclosures may be made for public health activities; reporting suspected child or vulnerable-adult abuse; responding to serious safety threats; health oversight; workers’ compensation; certain law-enforcement or government requests; judicial or administrative proceedings; medical examiners; research under legal safeguards; or when otherwise required by law. A subpoena does not automatically mean every requested mental health record may be released. We review the legal basis before responding.

Special protections for substance use disorder records

If PCC creates, receives, or maintains substance use disorder treatment records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, additional federal confidentiality rules apply. Such records generally cannot be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without specific written consent or a qualifying court order and other required legal process. Part 2 records may have additional consent, redisclosure, and breach-notification protections. PCC will follow the applicable rules for any records it maintains.

Business associates and electronic records

Authorized vendors that perform services for PCC may access information as necessary under applicable privacy and security agreements. We use electronic health records and may communicate through approved systems. No electronic method is risk-free; please use the secure client portal when available for sensitive information.

Our responsibilities

We are required to protect the privacy and security of your protected health information, provide this notice, follow the practices described in the current notice, and notify you of breaches when required by law. We may revise this notice. Any revised notice will be available upon request, at our office, and on our website. We will not use or disclose information beyond what is described or legally permitted without your written authorization.

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