NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES (For clients)
Hawkins Comprehensive LLC – Psychiatry
Contact@DesignPsychiatry.com
Effective Date: February 14th, 2026
This Notice describes how medical and mental health information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully.
This Notice applies only to protected health information (PHI) created or maintained in the course of clinical care. For the Design Psychiatry website privacy policy, please see https://designpsychiatry.com/website-privacy-policy/.
Hawkins Comprehensive LLC operates under the registered “doing business as” (DBA) name Design Psychiatry. For purposes of this Notice, references to “the practice,” “we,” or “our” refer to Hawkins Comprehensive LLC, including its DBA, Design Psychiatry.
1. Our Legal Duties
We are required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (PHI)
- Provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
- Follow the terms of this Notice currently in effect
- Notify you as required by law if a breach of unsecured PHI occurs
2. Uses and Disclosures of PHI Without Your Authorization
We may use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization for the following purposes:
Treatment
To provide, coordinate, or manage your mental health care, including communication with other healthcare professionals involved in your treatment.
Payment
To obtain payment for services provided, including billing, claims management, and insurance eligibility determinations.
Healthcare Operations
For practice operations such as quality improvement, training, supervision, credentialing, licensing, auditing, compliance, and business administration.
3. Psychiatric Records and Special Confidentiality Protections
Mental health records receive enhanced confidentiality protections under federal and state law. Certain categories of information, including psychotherapy notes, are afforded heightened legal protection and are handled differently from the general medical record.
4. Psychotherapy Notes — Creation, Use, and Discretion
A psychiatrist who provides psychotherapy may or may not keep psychotherapy notes. The decision to create, maintain, limit, or discontinue psychotherapy notes—and the format and level of detail contained within them—is made at the sole professional discretion of the treating psychiatrist and may change over time.
When psychotherapy notes are kept, they may contain a variable degree of specific detail or more abstract clinical impressions, reflections, themes, or hypotheses. These notes are intended solely as a clinical aid to support the quality, effectiveness, and continuity of psychotherapy.
There may be times when the psychiatrist elects to keep minimal psychotherapy notes or no psychotherapy notes at all. The absence of psychotherapy notes does not indicate reduced care, attention, or therapeutic engagement.
Psychotherapy notes, as defined by HIPAA, are kept separate from the general medical record and are not used for billing, utilization review, credentialing, quality assurance, or routine coordination of care, except as specifically permitted or required by law.
5. Disclosure and Access to Psychotherapy Notes
Psychotherapy notes are subject to heightened legal protection and are not disclosed to other parties, including insurance companies, employers, attorneys, family members, or other healthcare providers, without the patient’s specific written authorization, except in limited circumstances required by law.
Unlike other portions of the medical record, patients do not have a general right under HIPAA to inspect or obtain copies of psychotherapy notes. This is distinct from the patient’s right to access other clinical documentation, such as diagnoses, medication records, treatment plans, and progress notes, which may be requested in accordance with applicable law.
Clinically relevant information necessary for treatment, coordination of care, legal compliance, and professional standards may be documented in the general medical record, regardless of whether psychotherapy notes are kept.
6. Uses and Disclosures Required or Permitted by Law
We may disclose PHI without your authorization when required or permitted by law, including:
- Serious and imminent threats to the health or safety of the patient or others
- Suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child, elder, or vulnerable adult
- Court orders, subpoenas, or other lawful legal processes
- Public health reporting requirements
- Law enforcement requests as required by law
- Workers’ compensation disclosures as authorized by and limited to the extent required by applicable state law
- Medical examiner or coroner investigations
- Health oversight and regulatory activities
7. Electronic Records, Communication, and Telepsychiatry
We utilize electronic health records and may communicate with you through secure electronic messaging and telepsychiatry platforms. While reasonable safeguards are in place, electronic communications carry inherent privacy risks. By participating in care, you acknowledge and accept these risks.
8. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Written Authorization
Your written authorization is required for:
- Release of psychotherapy notes
- Disclosure of records to employers, attorneys, or other third parties not involved in treatment, payment, or healthcare operations
- Marketing purposes
- Any other use or disclosure not described in this Notice
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent action has already been taken in reliance on it.
9. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the right to:
- Inspect and obtain copies of your medical records (excluding psychotherapy notes)
- Request amendments to your records
- Request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures
- Request confidential communications
- Receive an accounting of certain disclosures
- Obtain a paper or electronic copy of this Notice
- File a complaint without retaliation
Requests must be submitted in writing. Reasonable fees may apply as permitted by law.
10. Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with this practice (Hawkins Comprehensive LLC / Design Psychiatry) or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
11. Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice at any time. Any changes will apply to all PHI we maintain. The current version of this Notice will always be available upon request and updated on this website at https://designpsychiatry.com/notice-of-privacy-policy/.
12. Electronic Health Record System (SimplePractice)
Design Psychiatry uses SimplePractice as its electronic health record (EHR) system as of the effective date of this Notice. SimplePractice is a HIPAA-compliant platform used for scheduling, documentation, billing, secure messaging, telepsychiatry services, and storage of electronic health information.
SimplePractice employs administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the privacy and security of PHI. While no electronic system can guarantee absolute security, the practice uses this platform in accordance with HIPAA requirements and applicable professional standards.
Additional information about SimplePractice’s privacy and security practices is available at:
https://www.simplepractice.com/privacy/
Additional information about SimplePractice’s Client Portal Privacy Policy is available at: