Effective Date: October 18, 2026
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Fostering Growth, LLC is committed to protecting the privacy of the health information we create, receive, and maintain when providing behavioral assessment, applied behavior analysis (ABA), treatment, caregiver consultation, and related services.
This notice explains how your health information may be used and disclosed, your rights regarding that information, and our legal responsibilities to protect it.
In this notice, “you” refers to the individual receiving services. When the individual is a child or another person represented by a legally authorized representative, the rights described here may be exercised by that representative as permitted by law.
You have the following rights regarding your health information. To exercise these rights, contact Fostering Growth using the contact information at the end of this notice.
Get a copy of your records. You may request access to or a copy of your health records, including electronic records. We will respond within the time required by law. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee when permitted.
Ask us to correct your records. You may request an amendment if you believe information in your records is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny a request in certain circumstances permitted by law. If we deny your request, we will explain the reason and describe any available next steps.
Request confidential communications. You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a particular location, such as by calling a specific phone number rather than another number. We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
Ask us to limit what we use or share. You may request restrictions on how your information is used or disclosed for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not generally required to agree to every request. If we agree to a restriction, we will follow it except as otherwise permitted or required by law.
If you pay for a service entirely out of pocket and request that information about that service not be disclosed to your health plan for payment or health care operations, we will honor that request when HIPAA requires us to do so, unless another law requires the disclosure.
Get a list of certain disclosures. You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information for the six years preceding your request, subject to exceptions under law. Disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations, among others, generally are excluded from this accounting.
Get a copy of this notice. You may request a paper or electronic copy of this notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
Choose someone to act for you. If a person has legal authority to act as your personal representative, that person may exercise your rights as permitted by law. We will verify that person's authority before acting on a request. For children, parental or guardian authority may depend on applicable law and the circumstances of the services.
File a complaint. You may complain to us or to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
We may use or disclose your protected health information without your separate written authorization when permitted or required by law. The following are common examples.
We may use your information to assess needs, develop treatment plans, provide ABA services, monitor progress, coordinate care, and support clinical decision-making.
For example, we may review assessment results and behavioral data to develop treatment goals and evaluate progress. We may disclose relevant information to another health care provider involved in your treatment when permitted by law.
We may use and disclose information to obtain payment for services, determine eligibility, submit claims, obtain prior authorization, and respond to billing or coverage inquiries.
For example, we may submit the information required to bill Vermont Medicaid for covered services and respond to requests concerning claims or medical necessity.
We may use or disclose information for activities necessary to operate and improve our practice, including quality assessment, compliance, auditing, credentialing, business administration, and other activities permitted by law.
We limit uses and disclosures to what is permitted by law and apply the minimum necessary standard where required.
When permitted by law, we may share relevant information with a parent, guardian, caregiver, or another person involved in your care. We will consider applicable consent requirements, legal authority, your preferences when relevant, and any restrictions imposed by law.
We will not assume that every family member or caregiver is automatically entitled to receive your records.
We may disclose information when required by law or when a specific legal permission applies. Depending on the circumstances, this may include disclosures for public health activities, health oversight, certain legal proceedings, law enforcement, reporting suspected abuse or neglect, or preventing or addressing a serious threat to health or safety.
We will follow applicable legal requirements and limits on these disclosures.
We may share information with service providers that perform necessary functions on our behalf, such as electronic record storage, billing support, or other administrative services, when permitted by law.
When a service provider qualifies as a business associate, we will require the appropriate written agreement and safeguards. We do not authorize service providers to use or disclose your health information beyond the purposes permitted by law and the applicable agreement.
Uses and disclosures not described in this notice will be made only when permitted or required by law or when you provide the authorization required for that purpose.
Certain activities, including most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes when applicable, certain marketing activities, and disclosures involving the sale of protected health information, require specific authorization when applicable under HIPAA.
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it or the law otherwise permits continued use or disclosure.
A general consent to treatment is not a substitute for a separate authorization when one is legally required.
Some types of health information may receive additional protection under federal or Vermont law. These protections may apply to substance use disorder treatment records, certain mental health records, records concerning legally protected health care activities, and other information subject to specific confidentiality requirements.
When additional protections apply, we will follow the applicable requirements. This notice does not authorize any disclosure that would otherwise be prohibited by law.
Fostering Growth, LLC is required by law to:
Maintain the privacy and security of protected health information.
Provide you with this notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices.
Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.
Notify you when required by law if a breach compromises the privacy or security of your protected health information.
Use and disclose your information only as permitted or required by law and this notice.
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect health information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
We may update this notice and our privacy practices as permitted by law. Any revised notice will be made available upon request and posted on our website when required. The effective date will identify the version currently in effect.
Privacy Contact: Hannah Scott
Fostering Growth, LLC
Mailing Address: 31 West St. Unit B. Bristol, VT 05443
Phone: (802) 377-3108
Email: hannah@fostering-growth.com
To exercise your rights, request a copy of this notice, ask a privacy question, or file a complaint with Fostering Growth, contact us using the information above.
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights:
Website: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html
Telephone: 1-800-368-1019
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
You have the right to receive a copy of this notice and to ask questions about your privacy rights.