Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: June 30, 2026
Practice: Lisa Houston, PhD
Location: 1915 Swan Street, Silver City, NM | Telehealth statewide across New Mexico
Phone: (575) 221-0084
Email: compsychservices@proton.me

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

This Notice describes how medical and mental health information about you may be used and disclosed, and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

This Notice applies to protected health information maintained by Lisa Houston, PhD, including information related to psychological services, consultation, scheduling, billing, payment, and health care operations.

This Notice is separate from the website Privacy Policy. The website Privacy Policy explains how general website information may be collected and used. This Notice explains how protected health information is handled under HIPAA, New Mexico law, and professional confidentiality standards.

1. Our Responsibilities

Lisa Houston, PhD is required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.

• Provide you with this Notice of legal duties and privacy practices.

• Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.

• Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your protected health information.

• Use or disclose only the minimum necessary information when required by law or appropriate under HIPAA, except where HIPAA allows or requires otherwise.

The Practice will not use or share your protected health information other than as described in this Notice unless you authorize it in writing. You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent the Practice has already relied on it.

2. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your protected health information.

Get an Electronic or Paper Copy of Your Records

You may ask to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of health information maintained about you. The Practice will provide a copy or summary of your health information as required by law, usually within 30 days of your request.

A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply when permitted by law.

Ask to Correct Your Records

You may ask the Practice to correct health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

The Practice may deny the request in certain circumstances. If the request is denied, the Practice will explain the reason in writing as required by law.

Request Confidential Communications

You may ask the Practice to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location. For example, you may ask to be contacted only by phone, only at a certain number, or only through a particular mailing address.

The Practice will accommodate reasonable requests.

Ask the Practice to Limit What Is Used or Shared

You may ask the Practice not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.

The Practice is not required to agree to every request. If the Practice agrees, the request will be followed unless the information is needed for emergency treatment or disclosure is otherwise required by law.

If you pay for a service out of pocket in full, you may ask the Practice not to share information about that service with your health insurer for payment or health care operations. The Practice will honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.

Get a List of Certain Disclosures

You may ask for a list, also called an accounting, of certain disclosures of your protected health information made during the six years before your request.

This accounting will not include every disclosure. For example, it generally will not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, health care operations, disclosures made directly to you, or disclosures made with your written authorization.

Get a Copy of This Notice

You may ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

Choose Someone to Act for You

If you have given someone medical power of attorney, or if someone is your legal guardian or authorized personal representative, that person may exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.

The Practice may take reasonable steps to confirm that the person has authority to act for you.

File a Complaint

You may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

You may contact the Practice directly:

Lisa Houston, PhD
1915 Swan Street
Silver City, NM
(575) 221-0084
compsychservices@proton.me

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

The Practice will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

3. Your Choices

For certain health information, you may tell the Practice your choices about what may be shared.

If you have a clear preference about how information is shared in the situations described below, tell the Practice in writing.

Family, Friends, and Others Involved in Your Care

With your permission, the Practice may share limited information with a family member, friend, or another person involved in your care or payment for your care.

If you are unable to tell the Practice your preference, the Practice may share information if it is believed to be in your best interest and allowed by law.

Marketing

The Practice will not use your protected health information for marketing purposes without your written authorization, except where HIPAA allows limited face-to-face communications or promotional items of nominal value.

Sale of Information

The Practice will not sell your protected health information.

Psychotherapy Notes

Psychotherapy notes receive special protection under HIPAA. In most cases, the Practice will not use or disclose psychotherapy notes without your written authorization, except as allowed or required by law.

Permitted exceptions may include use by the Practice for treatment, use in training programs, defense in a legal action brought by you, oversight by health authorities, compliance investigations, serious and imminent threats to health or safety, medical examiner or coroner activities, or other uses required by law.

4. How the Practice May Use and Disclose Your Information

The Practice may use and disclose your protected health information in the following ways.

Treatment

The Practice may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your care.

Example: The Practice may use information from a prior session to guide treatment planning or may consult with another health care provider involved in your care, when appropriate and permitted by law.

Payment

The Practice may use and disclose your health information to bill and receive payment for services.

Example: If insurance billing is used, information may be shared with an insurance company to confirm eligibility, submit claims, or respond to payment questions.

Health Care Operations

The Practice may use and disclose your health information to operate the practice and improve services.

Example: The Practice may use information for scheduling, recordkeeping, quality review, compliance, professional consultation, licensing, auditing, or administrative purposes.

Business Associates

The Practice may share protected health information with service providers who perform work on behalf of the Practice, such as billing, secure communication, records management, accounting, legal, technology, or compliance services.

These service providers are required to protect your information through appropriate agreements when required by HIPAA.

Required by Law

The Practice may use or disclose your information when federal, state, or local law requires it.

Public Health and Safety

The Practice may disclose information when necessary or required for public health and safety purposes, including:

• Preventing or reducing a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence when required or permitted by law.

• Reporting adverse events or public health concerns when required by law.

• Complying with health oversight activities.

Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation

The Practice may disclose information to appropriate authorities when required or permitted by law to report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or harm involving a child, elder, vulnerable adult, or other protected person.

Serious Threat of Harm

The Practice may disclose information when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety, or the health or safety of another person, as permitted or required by law.

Health Oversight Activities

The Practice may disclose information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law. These may include audits, investigations, inspections, licensure, disciplinary actions, and compliance reviews.

Legal Proceedings

The Practice may disclose information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, but only as permitted or required by law.

Law Enforcement

The Practice may disclose information for law enforcement purposes when permitted or required by law.

Workers’ Compensation

The Practice may disclose information as authorized by and necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws or similar programs.

Medical Examiners, Coroners, and Funeral Directors

The Practice may disclose health information to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when permitted or required by law.

Specialized Government Functions

The Practice may disclose information for certain government functions, such as military, national security, protective services, or correctional institution purposes, when permitted or required by law.

5. Mental Health and New Mexico Confidentiality Protections

Because this Practice provides psychological services, your mental health information may receive additional confidentiality protection under New Mexico law and professional ethics.

The Practice safeguards confidential information obtained in the course of professional services. In general, confidential information is disclosed to others only with your written informed consent, unless disclosure is permitted or required by law.

Limits to confidentiality may include, but are not limited to:

• Risk of serious harm to yourself or another person.

• Suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child, elder, vulnerable adult, or other protected person.

• Court orders or other legal requirements.

• Health oversight, licensing, or professional review activities.

• Defense of the Practice in a legal or administrative proceeding.

• Professional consultation when appropriate and with reasonable safeguards.

• Other circumstances permitted or required by federal or New Mexico law.

These limits are also explained in the Practice’s informed consent materials.

6. Substance Use Disorder Records

Some records related to substance use disorder treatment may receive additional federal privacy protections under 42 CFR Part 2.

If the Practice creates, receives, or maintains substance use disorder treatment records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, those records will be handled according to those additional confidentiality requirements.

When 42 CFR Part 2 applies, substance use disorder treatment records generally may not be used or disclosed in a criminal, civil, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you without your written consent or a court order that meets federal requirements.

You have the right to ask questions about how substance use disorder treatment information may be used or disclosed. You may also request a copy of this Notice and may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

The Practice will follow HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2 when applicable, New Mexico law, and professional confidentiality standards when handling substance use disorder treatment information.

7. Reproductive Health Information

When applicable, the Practice will follow HIPAA requirements related to reproductive health care privacy.

The Practice will not use or disclose protected health information for a prohibited purpose under HIPAA.

When required by HIPAA, the Practice may request a signed attestation before disclosing protected health information that may relate to reproductive health care.

8. Electronic Communication and Telehealth

The Practice may provide telehealth services to clients located in New Mexico when clinically appropriate and legally permitted.

Electronic communication, including regular email, may not be fully secure. The Practice may direct you to use secure communication methods for sensitive clinical, billing, or records-related matters.

Do not use regular email for emergencies or urgent clinical issues.

9. Emergencies

This Practice does not provide emergency services through the website or regular email.

If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

If you are in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

10. Changes to This Notice

The Practice may change the terms of this Notice. Changes may apply to all protected health information maintained by the Practice, including information created or received before the change.

The updated Notice will be available upon request and should be posted on the Practice’s website.

11. Questions or Complaints

For questions about this Notice, privacy practices, or your privacy rights, contact:

Lisa Houston, PhD
1915 Swan Street
Silver City, NM
(575) 221-0084
compsychservices@proton.me

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

The Practice will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.