Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

Effective date: July 8, 2026.

Our commitment to your privacy

Opal & Oak Psychiatry and Wellness PLLC (“we,” “us,” or “the practice”) is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI, and to notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI. We are required to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.

How we may use and disclose your health information

We may use and disclose your PHI, without your written authorization, for the following purposes:

• Treatment. To provide, coordinate, and manage your care, including sharing information with other providers involved in your treatment, laboratories, and pharmacies.
• Payment. To bill and obtain payment for services from you, your health plan, or another third party, including verifying coverage and benefits.
• Health care operations. For quality improvement, care coordination, training, licensing, and general administrative activities that support the practice.

Other uses and disclosures permitted or required by law

We may also use or disclose your PHI, as permitted or required by law, to:

• Comply with applicable law and public health activities;
• Report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence;
• Respond to health oversight agencies, courts, and lawful legal processes;
• Assist law enforcement in limited circumstances defined by law;
• Avert a serious and imminent threat to your health and safety or that of others;
• Support workers’ compensation, coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors; and
• Carry out specialized government functions, such as military or national security activities.

Uses and disclosures that require your written authorization

Most uses and disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization, which you may revoke in writing at any time. This includes, with limited exceptions, uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, uses and disclosures for marketing, and any sale of your PHI. Because we provide mental health care, certain categories of your information may receive additional protection under federal and North Carolina law.

Your rights regarding your health information

• Inspect and obtain a copy of your health record, in the form you request when readily producible;
• Request that we amend information you believe is incorrect or incomplete;
• Request an accounting of certain disclosures we have made;
• Request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI;
• Request confidential communications by alternative means or at an alternative location;
• Obtain a paper copy of this notice, even if you agreed to receive it electronically;
• Be notified if a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs; and
• Revoke any authorization you previously gave, in writing.

Our responsibilities

We are required to protect the privacy and security of your PHI, notify you if a breach affects your information, and follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice. We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we may in writing.

Web forms and this website

The public request and contact tools on this website collect only basic, operational information and are not intended for sensitive medical details. Secure intake and clinical communication are handled through our HIPAA-compliant patient portal, not by email or this website.

Changes to this notice

We may change this notice at any time, and changes will apply to all information we maintain. The current notice will be posted on this website and available at our office upon request, with its effective date.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the practice’s Privacy Officer (see below) or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20201; 1-800-368-1019 (TDD 1-800-537-7697); or at hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Contact

To exercise your rights or ask questions about this notice, contact our Privacy Officer at Opal & Oak Psychiatry and Wellness PLLC, 500 Benson Rd, Suite #225, Garner, NC 27529; 252-381-3152; or through the secure patient portal.