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1. Who this notice covers
This notice applies to all information AES maintains about your behavioral-health services — including screenings, evaluations, education, counseling, treatment, scheduling, billing, and the documentation we issue to courts, probation, and the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division. It applies to information collected from you in person, by telehealth, online, by phone, by mail, and through any AES portal.
AES is a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"). Because we provide substance-use treatment, AES is also subject to the additional confidentiality requirements of 42 CFR Part 2.
2. How AES uses and discloses your information
For treatment
AES clinicians, counselors, BHTs, and other staff use your information to provide and coordinate your care — including to consult with other clinicians involved in your treatment.
For payment
AES uses your information to bill insurance, AHCCCS, you, or a court-ordered payer for the services we provide, and to verify eligibility and benefits.
For health-care operations
AES uses your information for activities such as quality review, training, licensing, audits, and to evaluate the performance of our staff and our programs.
Disclosures we make only with your written authorization
Except as required or permitted by law (see below), AES will not share your information with attorneys, courts, probation officers, MVD, family members, employers, or any other third party without your signed, dated, and revocable written authorization specifying who may receive what information and for what purpose.
Disclosures permitted or required by law without your authorization
HIPAA permits AES to disclose your information without your written authorization in limited circumstances, including: when required by law; for public-health activities; to report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence as required by Arizona law; for health oversight; in response to a court order or properly issued subpoena (subject to additional 42 CFR Part 2 protections for substance-use records); to law enforcement in specific limited situations; to coroners and medical examiners; for organ donation; for limited research with appropriate safeguards; to avert a serious and imminent threat to health or safety; for workers' compensation; and for specialized government functions.
3. Special protection for substance-use records — 42 CFR Part 2
Information identifying you as a person with a substance-use disorder, or as someone who has applied for or received substance-use treatment from AES, is protected by federal regulations at 42 CFR Part 2. These protections are in addition to HIPAA. AES generally may not disclose this information without your specific written consent unless an exception applies (for example, a medical emergency, qualified research, audits and evaluations conducted under specific safeguards, child-abuse reporting, or a properly issued court order that meets the specific requirements of 42 CFR Part 2).
Federal law and regulations do not protect any information about a crime committed by a patient either at AES or against any person who works for AES or about any threat to commit such a crime. Federal law and regulations also do not protect any information about suspected child abuse or neglect from being reported to appropriate state or local authorities.
4. Your rights
- Right to inspect and copy. You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your AES records, with limited exceptions. Requests must be in writing. AES may charge a reasonable cost-based fee for copies.
- Right to request amendments. If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that AES amend it. AES may deny amendment requests in limited circumstances; if denied, you may submit a written statement of disagreement.
- Right to an accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures AES has made of your information for purposes other than treatment, payment, or operations.
- Right to request restrictions. You may ask AES to restrict how we use or disclose your information for treatment, payment, or operations. AES is not required to agree to all restrictions but will consider every reasonable request.
- Right to confidential communications. You may ask AES to contact you only at a particular phone number or address. AES will accommodate reasonable requests.
- Right to a paper copy of this notice. You may request a printed copy at any time.
- Right to revoke an authorization. You may revoke a prior written authorization at any time, in writing, except to the extent AES has already relied on it.
- Right to be notified of a breach. AES will notify you in the event of a breach of unsecured protected health information involving your records.
5. AES's duties
AES is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information, to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, to notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information, and to abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect.
6. Changes to this notice
AES reserves the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the new provisions effective for all information we maintain. The most current notice is always available on this page and on request from the AES Privacy Officer.
7. Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the AES Privacy Officer (contact below) or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, at hhs.gov/ocr/complaints or 1-800-368-1019 (TTY 1-800-537-7697). For complaints involving substance-use records, you may also report violations of 42 CFR Part 2 to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. AES will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
8. Contact the AES Privacy Officer
Alternative Education Solutions
Attention: Privacy Officer
privacy@aesmain.com
480-809-6230
13430 N. Scottsdale Rd, Suite 206
Scottsdale, AZ 85254