Privacy Policy

THIS NOTICE INVOLVES YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS AND DESCRIBES HOW INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Terms Used in this Document:

  • The terms “client”, “user”, and “you” are used interchangeably to designate the person viewing this website (janeaswander.com) and/or choosing to purchase products or services.

  • The statement “this website” refers to janeaswander.com.

  • Janéa Swander is the sole owner of Connection Therapy Services, LLC and all business related services (such as but not limited to Quantum Alchemy, Jikiden Reiki®, Mental Health Services, workshops, classes, blogs, videos, and mentorships) are made through Connection Therapy Services, LLC. Therefore, Janéa Swander’s name and the name of her business, Connection Therapy Services, LLC, are at times used interchangeably in this document. The pronouns of “I, me, and my” used throughout this document refer to Janéa Swander and/or Connection Therapy Services, LLC as appropriate in the context of the information.

I. Confidentiality

· As a rule, I will disclose no information about you, or the fact that you are my client, without your written consent. This policy applies to all services with me.

· Mental Health Therapy Clients - Progress notes (mental health records) from mental health therapy sessions describe the services provided to you and contains the dates of our sessions, your diagnosis, functional status, symptoms, prognosis and progress, and any psychological testing reports. Health care providers are legally allowed to use or disclose records or information for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes. However, I do not routinely disclose information in such circumstances, so I will require your permission in advance, either through your consent at the onset of our relationship, or through your written authorization at the time the need for disclosure arises. You may revoke your permission, in writing, at any time, by contacting me at janeaswander@gmail.com.

“Limits of Confidentiality”

Possible Uses and Disclosures of Mental Health Records or of records related to other services with me without Consent or Authorization

There are some important exceptions to this rule of confidentiality – some exceptions created voluntarily by my own choice, [some because of policies in this business/office/agency], and some required by law. If you wish to receive mental health services or any other services (i.e., Jikiden Reiki®, Quantum Alchemy, classes, workshops, etc.) from me, you are asked to agree to these terms and conditions and accept my policies about confidentiality and its limits. You may discuss any concerns you have regarding confidentiality with me during our work together.

I may use or disclose records or other information about you without your consent or authorization in the following circumstances, either by policy, or because legally required:

· Emergency: If you are involved in a life-threatening emergency and I cannot ask your permission, I will share information if I believe you would have wanted me to do so, or if I believe it will be helpful to you.

· Child Abuse Reporting: If I have reason to suspect that a child is abused or neglected, I am required by Virginia law to report the matter immediately to the Virginia Department of Social Services. If you live in the United States of America but outside of Virginia, then I would be required to report the suspected abuse to the Department of Social Services/Child Protective Services related agency in your local area.

· Adult Abuse Reporting: If I have reason to suspect that an elderly or incapacitated adult is abused, neglected or exploited, I am required by Virginia law to immediately make a report and provide relevant information to the Virginia Department of Welfare or Social Services. If you live in the United States of America but outside of Virginia, then I would be required to report the suspected abuse to the Department of Social Services/Adult Protective Services related agency in your local area.

· Health Oversight: Virginia law requires that licensed psychologists [social workers; counselors] report misconduct by a health care provider of their own profession. By policy, I also reserve the right to report misconduct by health care providers of other professions. By law, if you describe unprofessional conduct by another mental health provider of any profession, I am required to explain to you how to make such a report. If you are yourself a health care provider, I am required by law to report to your licensing board that you are in treatment with me if I believe your condition places the public at risk. Virginia Licensing Boards have the power, when necessary, to subpoena relevant records in investigating a complaint of provider incompetence or misconduct.

· Court Proceedings: If you are involved in a court preceding and a request is made for information about your diagnosis and treatment and the records thereof, such information is privileged under state law, and I will not release information unless you provide written authorization or a judge issues a court order. If I receive a subpoena for records or testimony, I will notify you so you can file a motion to quash (block) the subpoena. However, while awaiting the judge’s decision, I am required to place said records in a sealed envelope and provide them to the Clerk of Court. In Virginia civil court cases, therapy information is not protected by patient-therapist privilege in child abuse cases, in cases in which your mental health is an issue, or in any case in which the judge deems the information to be “necessary for the proper administration of justice.” In criminal cases, Virginia has no statute granting therapist-patient privilege, although records can sometimes be protected on another basis. Protections of privilege may not apply if I do an evaluation for a third party or where the evaluation is court-ordered. You will be informed in advance if this is the case.

· Serious Threat to Health or Safety: Under Virginia law, if I am engaged in my professional duties and you communicate to me a specific and immediate threat to cause serious bodily injury or death, to an identified or to an identifiable person, and I believe you have the intent and ability to carry out that threat immediately or imminently, I am legally required to take steps to protect third parties. These precautions may include 1) warning the potential victim(s), or the parent or guardian of the potential victim(s), if under 18, 2) notifying a law enforcement officer, or 3) seeking your hospitalization. By my own policy, I may also use and disclose medical information about you when necessary to prevent an immediate, serious threat to your own health and safety. If you become a party in a civil commitment hearing, I can be required to provide your records to the magistrate, your attorney or guardian ad litem, a CSB evaluator, or a law enforcement officer, whether you are a minor or an adult.

· Workers Compensation (for mental health therapy clients only): If you file a worker’s compensation claim, I am required by law, upon request, to submit your relevant mental health information to you, your employer, the insurer, or a certified rehabilitation provider.

· Records of Minors: Virginia has a number of laws that limit the confidentiality of the records of minors. For example, parents, regardless of custody, may not be denied access to their child’s records; and CSB evaluators in civil commitment cases have legal access to therapy records without notification or consent of parents or child. Other circumstances may also apply, and we will discuss these in detail if I provide services to minors.

Other uses and disclosures of information not covered by this notice or by the laws that apply to me will be made only with your written permission. [This sentence is now required under the HIPAA “Final Rule.”]

Patient’s Rights and Provider’s Duties:

(This section is specific to mental health therapy clients.)

· Right to Request Restrictions - You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information about you. You also have the right to request a limit on the medical information I disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care. If you ask me to disclose information to another party, you may request that I limit the information I disclose. However, I am not required to agree to a restriction you request. To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing, and tell me: 1) what information you want to limit; 2) whether you want to limit my use, disclosure or both; and 3) to whom you want the limits to apply.

· Right to Receive Confidential Communications by Alternative Means and at Alternative Locations — You have the right to request and receive confidential communications of protected health information (PHI) by alternative means and at alternative locations. (For example, you may not want a family member to know that you are seeing me. Upon your request, I will send your bills to another address. You may also request that I contact you only at work, or that I do not leave voice mail messages.) To request alternative communication, you must make your request in writing, specifying how or where you wish to be contacted.

· Right to an Accounting of Disclosures – You generally have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of PHI for which you have neither provided consent nor authorization (as described in section III of this Notice). On your written request, I will discuss with you the details of the accounting process

· Right to Inspect and Copy – In most cases, you have the right to inspect and copy your medical and billing records. To do this, you must submit your request in writing. If you request a copy of the information, I may charge a fee for costs of copying and mailing. I may deny your request to inspect and copy in some circumstances. I may refuse to provide you access to certain psychotherapy notes or to information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use in, a civil criminal, or administrative proceeding.

· Right to Amend – If you feel that PHI I have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask me to amend the information. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing, and submitted to me. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports s your request. I may deny your request if you ask me to amend information that: 1) was not created by me; I will add your request to the information record; 2) is not part of the medical information kept by me; 3) is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; 4) is accurate and complete.

· Right to a copy of this notice – You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask me to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Changes to this notice: I reserve the right to change my policies and/or to change this notice, and to make the changed notice effective for medical information I already have about you as well as any information I receive in the future. The notice will contain the effective date. A new copy will be given to you or posted in the waiting room. I will have copies of the current notice available on request.

II. Privacy Use within the Website (janeaswander.com)

· Contact Form - The contact form asks users to provide contact information (i.e., name, email address, etc.) . This information is used to contact the user and/or reply to messages by the user via email when necessary. Information that could be sent to the user may include but not be limited to the following: news, updates in services offered, promotions, trainings, workshops, classes, etc. provided by Janéa Swander, MA, LCSW - Connection Therapy Services, LLC.

· Website Links - This website contains links to other websites and organizations. Neither Janéa Swander nor Connection Therapy Services, LLC are responsible for the privacy practices or the content of these websites.

· Appointment Scheduling - This website uses a third party company for appointment scheduling, which requests clients to enter information such as name and email and to complete questionnaire forms at the time of scheduling the appointment. The information provided is used by Janéa Swander, MA, LCSW - Connection Therapy Services, LLC and staff to provide the services being purchased. Mental health clients may use the online scheduling platform on this website to schedule the 15 minute free consultation appointment. Following the consultation appointment, therapy/counseling sessions are scheduled directly with Janéa Swander, MA, LCSW and are not scheduled via this website - janeaswander.com.

· Payment - Janéa Swander, MA, LCSW - Connection Therapy Services, LLC uses PayPal and Stripe for the purchase of goods and services. Payment information is not stored on or through this website - janeaswander.com.

· Website Activity - Information may be recorded relating to your use of janeaswander.com, such as the searches you undertake within this website, the pages you view, your browser type, IP address, requested URL, referring URL, and timestamp information. This information may be used to administer and to perform statistical analyses of user behavior. This data is collected and stored with a service provider such as google analytics.

· Cookies - Cookies may be sent to your computer in order to uniquely identify your browser and improve the quality of my service. The term “cookies” refers to small pieces of information that a website sends to your computer’s hard drive while you are viewing janeaswander.com. Both session cookies (which expire once you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your computer until you delete them) may be used. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies using your web browser settings. If you choose to disable cookies, some areas of janeaswander.com may not work properly or at all. This website does not respond to Do Not Track signals sent by your browser.

Complaints: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint. To do this, you must submit your request in writing to me at janeaswander@gmail.com. You may also send a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Last Revised - 9/14/2022