You have a right to privacy about your mental health treatment. You are protected by State and Federal laws. Privacy means that information about your treatment cannot be shared with anyone unless you approve it. You must sign a release of Information to let your information be shared with others. It is important to sign a release so that NBHP staff can coordinate your care with health providers If you have supporters, like family or friends that help you a lot, it is important for you to sign a release for them so they can better help you in an emergency.

You’ve probably heard about HIPAA. HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance and Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law. Many parts of this law were written to protect the privacy of health care consumers. To learn more about HIPAA, go to the US Department of Health And Human Services web site. The State of Colorado also has laws on confidentiality of medical records.

There are some exceptions in federal and state regulations.

• Care Coordinators on your mental health treatment team can share information with one another to assure that you are provided the best services. They will need to share information to make referrals for you. They can contact others to get information in emergency situations.
• We can share your information for payment purposes.
• The court can require information to assure that your rights are properly protected.
• The court can order NBHP to provide information to others. You will be told about the court order and you can protest.