HIPPA Notice of Privacy Practices-
ENCOMPASS COUNSELING
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
KayLynn Aragon, MA, LMHC
7620 Jefferson St NE, Suite 8, Unit 7
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Phone: 505-456-2253
Email: Info@EncompassCounseling.net
Date: October 4, 2026
HIPAA NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
This notice describes how your protected health information may be used and disclosed and explains your rights regarding your health information.
Please review this notice carefully. If you have questions about this notice or our privacy practices, please contact KayLynn Aragon, MA, LMHC, at 505-456-2253 or Info@EncompassCounseling.net.
Encompass Counseling is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information, provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
We will follow the privacy practices described in this notice while it is in effect. We may change the terms of this notice, and any revised notice will apply to protected health information we maintain as permitted by law. The current notice will be available upon request and posted on our website.
YOUR RIGHTS
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights.
Get a copy of your health information
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your protected health information, subject to certain exceptions under applicable law.
You may request your records in paper or electronic form. Requests should be made in writing. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee when permitted by law.
If your request to access your records is denied, you may have the right to request that the denial be reviewed.
Ask us to correct your health information
You may ask us to correct health information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. We may deny your request in certain circumstances permitted by law, but we will provide you with an explanation if we do.
Request confidential communications
You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location—for example, by phone rather than email or at a different mailing address.
We will consider reasonable requests for confidential communications.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
You may ask us to limit how we use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
We are not required to agree to every request, except as required by law.
If you pay for a service or health care item completely out of pocket, you may request that we not disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or health care operations purposes, unless disclosure is required by law.
Get a list of disclosures
You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the six years before your request.
The accounting does not include certain disclosures, including disclosures for treatment, payment, health care operations, and disclosures you authorized.
One accounting within a 12-month period is generally provided without charge. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests as permitted by law.
Get a copy of this notice
You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have 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, that person may exercise your rights and make choices regarding your health information to the extent permitted by law.
We will verify that person's authority before taking action.
File a complaint
You may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
You may file a complaint with Encompass Counseling or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
We may use or disclose your protected health information in the following ways.
Treatment
We may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your mental health care.
For example, we may communicate with another health care professional involved in your treatment when permitted by law.
Payment
Encompass Counseling is a self-pay practice and does not bill health insurance companies directly.
When applicable and permitted by law, information may be used or disclosed for payment-related purposes, including when you request assistance with out-of-network insurance reimbursement or when a disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.
You may choose to submit a superbill to your insurance company yourself. If you use a third-party service to assist with out-of-network claims, such as Thrizer, information may be shared as necessary to provide that service and as permitted by applicable law.
Health Care Operations
We may use and disclose your health information as necessary to operate our practice, maintain records, improve the quality of services, manage administrative activities, and meet legal and professional requirements.
Encompass Counseling uses third-party technology and service providers to support practice operations, including electronic health records, secure communication, scheduling, billing, payment-related services, and other administrative functions.
Our electronic health record and client communication platform is SimplePractice. SimplePractice's Client Portal and Secure Messaging are designed to provide secure communication and other client services.
When required by law, appropriate agreements and safeguards are used to protect protected health information.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES PERMITTED OR REQUIRED BY LAW
We may use or disclose your protected health information without your authorization when permitted or required by applicable federal or New Mexico law.
Examples may include:
When required by law
We may disclose information when a federal, state, or local law specifically requires us to do so.
Public health activities
We may disclose information for certain public health activities as permitted or required by law.
Abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
We may disclose information when required or permitted by law to report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to the appropriate government authority.
Serious threats to health or safety
We may disclose information when permitted by law when we have a good-faith belief that disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.
Health oversight
We may disclose information to government agencies for activities authorized by law involving oversight of the health care system.
Judicial or administrative proceedings
We may disclose information in response to a court or administrative order or other lawful process when permitted or required by law.
A request for records, subpoena, or other legal process does not necessarily mean that records may be released without further review. We will respond according to applicable law.
Law enforcement
We may disclose information to law enforcement when permitted or required by applicable law.
Workers' compensation
We may disclose information as necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws.
Other government functions
We may disclose information for certain specialized government functions when permitted or required by law.
We will make disclosures only as permitted or required by applicable law and will limit the information disclosed as required by law.
MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION
Mental health information may be subject to additional protections under federal and New Mexico law.
Encompass Counseling will comply with applicable federal and New Mexico laws governing the confidentiality and disclosure of mental health information. When applicable law provides greater privacy protection than HIPAA, we will follow the law that provides the greater protection.
CLINICAL SUPERVISION
KayLynn Aragon, MA, LMHC, practices under the clinical supervision of Heather Georgieff, LPCC, as required by the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board.
Protected health information involved in clinical supervision will be handled in accordance with applicable federal and New Mexico privacy and confidentiality requirements.
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER RECORDS
If Encompass Counseling receives substance use disorder records that are subject to the federal Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records regulations under 42 CFR Part 2, we will protect and use or disclose those records in accordance with applicable Part 2 requirements.
This provision does not mean that Encompass Counseling is a federally assisted Part 2 program.
HHS's current 2026 HIPAA NPP guidance requires covered entities to address applicable Part 2 protections in their notices.
USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION
Some uses and disclosures of your protected health information require your written authorization.
When an authorization is required, we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your information for that purpose.
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already relied on the authorization.
Marketing
We will obtain your written authorization when required by law before using or disclosing your protected health information for marketing purposes.
Sale of health information
We will not sell your protected health information.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE COMMUNICATION
Encompass Counseling maintains social media accounts for educational and professional purposes.
To protect your privacy, we will not acknowledge or confirm that you are a current or former client on social media or other public platforms.
We will not post information, photographs, testimonials, or other content that identifies you as a client without your written authorization.
We ask that you do not share personal or private information about your therapy, mental health, or treatment in social media comments, direct messages, or other public or semi-public communications.
Because social media platforms are operated by third parties, information shared through those platforms is subject to their own privacy policies and security practices. Social media and direct messaging should not be considered a secure or appropriate method for communicating confidential health information or for addressing urgent or emergency concerns.
If you contact Encompass Counseling through social media, we may not respond to clinical or confidential matters through that platform. Please use the contact information provided by the practice for scheduling or other practice-related communication.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
Encompass Counseling may communicate with you electronically when appropriate and permitted by law.
SimplePractice Client Portal and Secure Messaging
Encompass Counseling uses the SimplePractice Client Portal and Secure Messaging as a preferred method for secure electronic communication with established clients.
Through the Client Portal, clients may be able to complete forms, access documents, request appointments, manage billing, and communicate with the practice through Secure Messaging. SimplePractice describes Secure Messaging as a HIPAA-compliant method of communication.
Please protect your Client Portal login information and use reasonable precautions when accessing your account, particularly on shared or public devices.
Email and Text Messaging
Email and text messaging may be used for limited administrative communication, such as scheduling or appointment-related communication.
Standard email and text messaging may carry privacy and security risks. Please avoid sending sensitive health information through standard email or text messaging when the SimplePractice Client Portal and Secure Messaging are available.
HIPAA does not prohibit electronic communication, but reasonable safeguards should be used when electronic communication is used to exchange health information.
Electronic communication is not continuously monitored and should not be used for emergencies.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Encompass Counseling is required by law to:
Maintain the privacy and security of your 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 if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your protected health information, as required by law.
Comply with applicable federal and New Mexico privacy laws.
Provide you with a copy of this notice upon request.
We will not use or disclose your protected health information other than as described in this notice or as otherwise permitted or required by law, unless you provide written authorization when authorization is required.
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
We reserve the right to change this notice and make the revised notice applicable to protected health information we already maintain as well as information we receive in the future, as permitted by law.
If we make a material change to our privacy practices, we will update this notice.
The current version of this notice will be available upon request and posted on our website.
COMPLAINTS
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Encompass Counseling.
Privacy Officer:
KayLynn Aragon, MA, LMHC
Encompass Counseling
7620 Jefferson St NE, Suite 8, Unit 7
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Phone: 505-456-2253
Email: Info@EncompassCounseling.net
You may also file a complaint with:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
Phone: 1-877-696-6775
Website: HHS Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal
You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
QUESTIONS
If you have questions about this notice or how Encompass Counseling handles your protected health information, please contact:
KayLynn Aragon, MA, LMHC
Encompass Counseling
505-456-2253
Info@EncompassCounseling.net
You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically