Notice of Privacy Practices

Nourish & Bloom LLC Licensed Therapy Services and Holistic Wellness Consulting

York, Pennsylvania, 17404 Phone: 443-322-4505

Effective Date: January 30, 2026

1. OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY

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. At Nourish & Bloom LLC, we are required by law to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI) and to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.

2. HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION

We use and disclose your PHI for Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations (TPO).

Treatment: We may use/disclose PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your care. Example: Consulting with another healthcare provider involved in your treatment.
Payment: As a private-pay practice, we use PHI to process your payments. If you request it, we may disclose limited PHI to your HSA/FSA administrator to verify eligibility.
Healthcare Operations: We may use PHI for business activities such as quality assessment, audits, and care coordination.
Required by Law: We may disclose PHI when required by federal, state, or local law (e.g., reporting abuse/neglect or complying with a court order).
Special Authorizations: Most uses and disclosures of Psychotherapy Notes (as defined by HIPAA), and uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes or the sale of PHI, require your specific written authorization.

3. PENNSYLVANIA STATE LAW PROTECTIONS

Pennsylvania provides additional layers of protection for sensitive information. We strictly adhere to:

Mental Health Procedures Act (Act 143): Mental health records are "super-confidential" and will not be released without explicit written consent except in cases of emergency or court mandate.
Confidentiality of HIV-Related Information Act (Act 147): Information regarding HIV status or testing requires a specific, separate authorization for release.
PA Drug and Alcohol Abuse Control Act (Act 63): Information regarding substance use treatment is protected by state law and Federal Regulation 42 CFR Part 2. These records cannot be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, or legislative proceedings without your specific consent or a court order.
Minors (Act 65): In PA, minors aged 14 and older may consent to their own outpatient mental health treatment. In such cases, the minor controls the release of their records.
For clients under the age of 18 who are not independently consenting under Pennsylvania law, parents or legal guardians provide consent for services, and may have access to the minor’s Protected Health Information as permitted or required by law. Certain information may remain confidential to respect the minor’s privacy in accordance with ethical standards.

4. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI

Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to review your clinical record (Progress Notes). You do not have an automatic right to access Psychotherapy Notes (private process notes kept separate from your medical record).
Right to Amend: You may request a correction to your record if you believe it is inaccurate.
Right to Restrict Disclosures (Private Pay Right): If you pay for a service in full out-of-pocket, you have the absolute right to restrict the disclosure of that information to a health plan/insurance company.
Right to Confidential Communications: You can request that we contact you only at a specific phone number or email address.
Right to a Breach Notification: You have the right to be notified following a breach of your unsecured PHI.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI (excluding TPO).

5. SERVICE DIFFERENTIATION (NOURISH vs. BLOOM)

Therapy Services (Bloom): These are clinical healthcare services fully governed by HIPAA and PA clinical privacy laws. For minors receiving therapy services, parent/guardian consent is obtained as legally required.
Holistic Wellness Consulting (Nourish): While these services are educational/lifestyle-based and not regulated as "healthcare" under HIPAA, Nourish & Bloom LLC applies the same rigorous privacy and encryption standards to this data to ensure your privacy. Holistic wellness consulting services are educational and may also be provided to minors with parental consent.

6. SECURITY SAFEGUARDS

Electronic Security: We utilize HIPAA-compliant, end-to-end encrypted platforms (TherapyNotes, Doxy.me) for all telehealth and data storage.
Physical Security: Any paper records are maintained in double-locked, fire-resistant storage.
Telehealth Risks: You acknowledge that while we use high-level encryption, no electronic communication is 100% risk-free. You are responsible for ensuring your own environment is private during sessions. All electronic communications, whether therapy-related or educational/consulting in nature, are stored securely and encrypted. Your electronic acknowledgment of this Notice constitutes your consent to receive telehealth services and communications in accordance with these privacy practices.

7. COMPLAINTS

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with:

Danielle Tschudy, MS, LPC (at the contact info above).
The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Current and new clients will be provided with a formal copy of this notice and will be asked to provide an electronic signature of acknowledgment through the secure client portal.