Privacy Policy

KBH Privacy Policy

This NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES encompasses the Kennebec Behavioral Health System; its member organizations: Kennebec Behavioral Health, Kennebec Mental Health Associates, KMHA Foundation, Inc., and KMHA Real Estate, Inc.

Effective date of this Notice 03/17/2026

Previous version effective dates 04/14/2003, 07/01/2006, 09/23/2013, 10/01/2016 (minor non-substantive clarification 10/2018 and 02/2026)

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

THIS NOTICE ALSO DESCRIBES HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT CONCERNING A VIOLATION OF THE PRIVACY OR SECURITY OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION, OR OF YOUR RIGHTS CONCERNING YOUR INFORMATION.

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO A COPY OF THIS NOTICE (IN PAPER OR ELECTRONIC FORM) AND TO DISCUSS IT WITH OUR CORPORATE COMPLIANCE/PRIVACY OFFICER AT 207-873-2136 OR cchaput@kbhmaine.org IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

Who Will Follow This Notice?

Employees, volunteers, and students of the entities listed above will follow this notice. These individuals will follow this notice in their use of and disclosure of protected health information they receive or create. We will share protected health information with other member organizations so we can treat you, obtain payment and carry out necessary operations. Some of your information may be available to people or companies, known as business associates, who are not employed by us. These Business Associates work on our behalf performing necessary functions, which allow us to deliver quality Healthcare Services to you. Each of our Business Associates is subject to the same confidentiality rules regarding your Protected Health Information as we are.

Your Protected Health Information

Protected Health Information (PHI) is information, including demographic information, which may identify you and relates to health care services provided to you, the payment of health care services provided to you, or your physical or mental health condition, in the past, present or future. The contents of this information may include information we have created and recorded about you AND information that we have received about you from another health care provider, such as a hospital, doctor, or therapist. This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your PHI. It also describes your rights to access and control your PHI. We are required by Federal Law to maintain the privacy of PHI and to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices, but reserve the right to change this Notice at any time. Any change in the terms of this Notice will be effective for all PHI that we are maintaining at that time. If a change is made to this Notice, it will be posted at all of our locations and a paper copy of the revised Notice will be made available to all individuals receiving services at their next appointment. Our notice is also posted on KBH’s Website at www.kbhmaine.org.

Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information

Right To Request Limits On Uses And Disclosures Of Your Protected Information

You have the right to ask that we limit or restrict how we use and disclose your protected information for Treatment, Payment and Healthcare Operations, including such disclosures made with your written consent. We will consider your written request, and may honor reasonable requests where possible. The law does not require us to agree to every request. If you wish to restrict certain sensitive or other health information from your insurer after you or your personal representative have paid out-of-pocket in full for your services, please discuss this request with us. We will honor your request where we are not required by law to make the disclosure. Your request must indicate (1) the specific restriction or limit requested, (2) whether you wish to limit our use, disclosure, or both; and (3) to whom you want the limits or restriction to apply. If we agree to your request, we will comply with your request except in emergency situations. You may not limit or restrict the uses and disclosures that we are legally required to make, or where the restricted information is needed to provide emergency treatment. You may terminate a restriction or limit, which was approved by indicating so in writing. We may also terminate an approved restriction or limit by notifying you in writing of our intent to do so with respect to information created or received from that day forward.

Right To Choose How We Send Information To You

You have the right to ask that we send information to you at an alternate address or by alternate means to ensure your confidentiality. Your request must be in writing and you can make your request at the time of intake or with your provider. We must accommodate reasonable requests so long as we can easily provide it in the format and manner you requested. We may condition accommodations on your providing us with information regarding how payment, if any, will be handled and your specification of an alternative address or method of contact to resolve billing and payment issues.

Right To Inspect And Get Copies Of Your Health Information

In most cases, you have the right to review or request copies of information used to make decisions about your care. Your request must be in writing and can be submitted to your provider. If we did not create the information or if we don’t have your information but we know who does, we will tell you how to get it. In certain situations, we may deny your request. If we do, we will tell you in writing our reasons for the denial and how you can have the denial reviewed. If you request copies of your information, we may charge a fee for the cost of the copying, mailing, or other supplies associated with your request. You may ask us to provide your electronic record in electronic format. If we are unable to provide your record in the format you request, we will provide the records in a form that works for you and our office. You may ask us to transmit your record to a specific person or entity by making a written, signed request.

Right To Correct or Amend Your Information

If you believe that your information is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request that we correct the existing information or add the missing information. That request must be made in writing and you must provide a reason for the change. We will respond within 60 days of receiving your request. Your request and our response will become part of your record. If we accept your request, we will make reasonable efforts to inform others, as identified by you, of the amendment. We may deny your request if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. We may also deny your request if the information in your record is accurate and complete, not created by us, not allowed to be looked at and copied for you, or not a part of our records. Our written denial will tell you the reasons for the denial and how to file a written statement of disagreement, should you choose to submit one.

Right To Obtain A List Of The Disclosures We Have Made of your Information

You have the right to obtain a list of instances in which we have disclosed your information by submitting your written request to our Privacy Officer. This list will not include uses or disclosures that you have already consented to, those made for treatment, payment or health care operations, made directly to you, or before the effective date of April 14, 2003. We will respond within 60 days of receiving your written request and will include disclosures made in the last six years, but not before the effective date of this notice, unless you request a shorter time. We will provide the list to you at no charge. If you make more than one request in the same year, we may charge you a reasonable fee for each additional request.

Right To A Paper Copy Of and Notification of Changes to This Notice

You have the right to a paper copy of this notice, and may ask us to give you one at any time. We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and will post any changes in our waiting areas and on our website. We will provide you with a revised copy at your next visit or you may obtain a copy of this notice at the following website, www.kbhmaine.org.

Right To Withdraw Your Authorization To Use Or Disclose Your Information

If you give us permission to use or disclose your information, you may withdraw or cancel that permission at any time. If you withdraw your permission, we will no longer use or disclose PHI information about you for the reasons covered by your written authorization. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission.

Fundraising

You have the right to opt-out of any fundraising solicitation or communication.

Breach Notification

We are required to have safeguards in place that protect your health information. In the event that there is a breach of those protections, we will notify you, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and others, as the law requires.

You May File a Complaint

If you would like to file a complaint regarding our privacy practices, policies or procedures OR you think your rights under this notice have been violated, please feel free to contact Kennebec Behavioral Health’s Chief Privacy Officer, at 207-873-2136. Our Privacy Officer will work with you to resolve your complaint. You may also send a written complaint to Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services (OCR) if you believe your privacy rights have been violated by us. You should contact the OCR in writing at: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html. You will not be penalized or otherwise retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Permitted Uses and Disclosures

Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations

Federal law allows for the use and disclose of PHI, for the purposes of Treatment, Payment and Healthcare Operations, without your authorization. Examples of the uses and disclosures that we may make under each section are listed below:

Treatment. Treatment refers to the provision and coordination of health care services by a therapist, psychiatrist, mental health professional, social worker, psychologist, nurse, case manager, or other mental health treatment professionals responsible for your care. For example, assessments completed by your therapist will be documented within your record. As a member of a larger treatment team, information on your assessment such as diagnosis and initial treatment plan may be shared with the entire treatment team.

From time to time your provider may order laboratory tests and in the process of such your demographic information and diagnosis may be shared with the laboratory for this purpose
Kennebec Behavioral Health participates in e-prescribing. Through this process Kennebec Behavioral Health may request and use your prescription medication history from other healthcare providers and/or third party pharmacy benefit payors for treatment
Kennebec Behavioral Health may disclose health care information to a pharmacy for the purpose of dispensing your

Payment. Payment refers to the activities of a health care provider such as obtaining or providing reimbursement for the provision of health care, determining eligibility or coverage, billing, claims management, collection activities, review of health care services with respect to medical necessity, coverage under a health plan, appropriateness of care, or justification of charges, and utilization review activities, including pre-certification and preauthorization of services and concurrent and retrospective review of services. For example, we may collect your name, social security number, diagnosis, treatment location, and type of procedure in order to complete a claim form. We may then send that claim form to your insurance company so that we may receive payment from them for the services we provided.

Health Care Operations. Health Care Operations refers to the basic business functions necessary to operate as a health care provider. Examples of uses and disclosures under this section include: conducting quality assessment and improvement activities, including outcomes evaluation and development of clinical guidelines; policy development; reviewing the competence or qualifications of staff; evaluating staff performance; conducting training programs in which students, trainees, or practitioners in areas of health care learn under supervision to practice or improve their skills as health care providers; accreditation, certification, licensing, or credentialing activities; legal services and auditing functions, including fraud and abuse detection and compliance programs; and other related functions that do not include treatment. For example, we may review information in your record to see if you and other clients are meeting their treatment goals. We will then analyze this

information and makes changes to the way we provide care. We may read your treatment plans and those of others we are treating at KBH to ensure that your therapist and other treatment professionals are completing the treatment plans in a timely manner. We may review your record, and many others at KBH, to help us prepare for a forthcoming licensing or accreditation visit.

We will allow our business associates to use your health information if needed.

For example: Some of the functions noted above, are provided by individuals or organizations, known as business associates, who are not employed by us. An example, KBH uses transcription services to help document physician notes. Therefore, we provide them with information to complete the notes. We require all Business Associates to protect our clients’ health information through a use of a Business Associate Agreement.

Other Allowable Uses and Disclosures

We participate in HealthInfoNet, the statewide health information exchange (HIE) designated by the State of Maine. The HIE is a secure computer system for health care providers to share your important health information to support treatment and continuity of care. For example, if you are admitted to a health care facility not affiliated with Kennebec Behavioral Health’s health care providers there will be able to see important health information held in our electronic medical record systems.

Your record in the HIE includes prescriptions, lab and test results, imaging reports, conditions, diagnoses or health problems. To ensure your health information is entered into the correct record, also included are your full name and birth date. All information contained in the HIE is kept private and used in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. The information is accessible to participating providers to support treatment and healthcare operations.

You do not have to participate in the HIE to receive care. For more information about HealthInfoNet and your choices regarding participation, visit www.hinfonet.org or call toll-free 1-866-592-4352.

When Allowed by Law: The law allows us to use or disclose your protected health information in certain situations, including:

When required by state or federal law;
To report abuse or neglect;
To persons authorized by law to act on your behalf, such as a guardian, health care power of attorney or surrogate;
For disaster relief purposes, such as to notify family about your whereabouts and condition;
For public health activities such as reporting on or preventing certain diseases;
To comply with Food and Drug Administration requirements;
For health oversight purposes such as reporting to Medicare, Medicaid or licensing audits, investigations or inspections;
Where required by S. Department of Health and Human Services to determine our compliance;
To assist coroners or funeral directors in carrying out their
To comply with a valid court order, subpoena or other appropriate administrative or legal request if you are involved in a lawsuit or to assist law enforcement where there was a possible crime on the We may also share your information where necessary to prevent or lessen a serious or imminent threat to you or another.
If you are an inmate, we may release your information for your health or safety in the correctional We may share your information with appropriate military entities if you are a member or veteran of the armed forces. We may be required to disclose information for national security or intelligence purposes.

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Special Provisions for Substance Use Disorder Treatment Records Protected by 42 C.F.R. Part 2

As a licensed, federally assisted provider of substance use disorder treatment services, KBH is required by law to communicate to you that federal law (42 U.S.C. § 290dd-2) and regulations (42 C.F.R. Part 2) protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records (“SUD Records”), notify you of KBH’s legal duties and privacy practices with respect to SUD Records, and notify affected clients following a breach of unsecured SUD Records. Your SUD Records are subject to the following terms and rights:

How KBH May Use and Disclose SUD Records without Your Consent

KBH may, without your consent, use SUD Records and disclose SUD Records to persons or entities outside of KBH, in the following limited circumstances and for the following purposes:

For Treatment Purposes: We may use SUD Records for treatment-related purposes, such as to provide treatment to you, to communicate information between or among KBH personnel involved in providing diagnosis, treatment, or referrals for you, and for other treatment-related purposes required or authorized by
For Payment Purposes When You Lack Decisional Capacity: We may use and disclose SUD Records to a third- party payor or health plan for the sole purpose of obtaining payment for services provided to you by KBH if KBH’s program director determines that you suffer from a medical condition that prevents you from taking knowing or effective action on your own behalf and consents to such disclosure on your
For Healthcare Operations Purposes: We may use SUD Records for healthcare operations purposes, such as to evaluate the quality of the care and services provided to you and to conduct patient satisfaction
For Appointment Reminders and to Provide Information about Alternative Treatments and Services: We may use SUD Records to contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to
Uses and Disclosures for Internal and Administrative Oversight Activities: We may use and disclose SUD Records in communications of information between or among KBH personnel having a need for the information in connection with their duties that arise out of the provision of diagnosis, treatment, or referral for treatment of you, if the communications are (i) within KBH, or (ii) between KBH and an entity that has direct administrative control over
Disclosures To Contracted Service Providers: We may use and disclose SUD Records to a contracted service provider, called a “business associate” (BA) or “qualified service organization” (QSO), when such information is needed by the BA or QSO to provide contracted services to KBH, and when certain other legal requirements are met to ensure that such contracted service providers maintain the privacy and security of SUD Such contracted services might include data processing, bill collecting, dosage preparation, laboratory analyses, or legal, accounting, population health management, medical staffing, or other professional services, or services to prevent or treat child abuse or neglect, including training on nutrition and child care and individual and group therapy.
To Report Certain Crimes and Criminal Threats: We may use and disclose certain limited SUD Records (circumstances of the incident, patient status, name, address and last known whereabouts) to law enforcement agencies or officials when such information is directly related to a client’s commission of, or threat to commit, a crime on KBH’s premises or against KBH
To Comply with Mandatory Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Laws: We may use and disclose SUD Records to report incidents of suspected child abuse and neglect to appropriate State or local authorities, when such reporting is required under Maine
To Provide Treatment in a Medical Emergency: We may disclose SUD Records to medical personnel to the extent necessary to meet a bona fide medical emergency in which (i) your prior informed consent cannot be obtained, or

(ii) KBH is closed and unable to provide services or obtain your prior written consent during a temporary state of emergency declared by a state or federal authority as the result of a natural or major disaster, until such time that KBH resumes operations.

To the FDA to Avert a Health Threat: We may disclose SUD Records to medical personnel of the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who assert a reason to believe that the health of any individual may be threatened by an error in the manufacture, labeling, or sale of a product under FDA jurisdiction, and that the information will be used for the exclusive purpose of notifying clients or their physicians of potential
For Research Purposes: We may use and disclose SUD Records for purposes of conducting scientific research if state and federal legal requirements are
Uses and Disclosures to Prevent Multiple Enrollments in Detoxification and Maintenance Treatment Programs: In the event that we receive information from a central registry or any detoxification or maintenance program that you are enrolled in another program, we may (i) use such information to prevent you from enrolling in multiple programs unless such multiple enrollments are authorized by a court order, and (ii) communicate as necessary with the other program to verify that no error has been made and to prevent or eliminate any multiple
For Management Audits, Financial Audits and Program Evaluation: We may disclose SUD Records to (i) federal, state, or local governmental agencies providing financial assistance to KBH or that are authorized by law to regulate KBH’s activities, (ii) third-party payors or health plans covering KBH patients (including Medicare and Medicaid/MaineCare), (iii) quality improvement organizations (QIO) performing QIO reviews, (iv) any contractors, subcontractors or legal representatives of such agencies or entities, and (v) an entity with direct administrative control over KBH, for the purpose of conducting audit or evaluation
For Public Health: We may disclose SUD Records for public health purposes so long as (i) the disclosure is made to a public health authority, and (ii) the content of the information from the record disclosed has been de-identified such that there is no reasonable basis to believe that the information can be used to identify
To Comply with Lawful Subpoenas and Court Orders: We may disclose SUD Records when compelled by law to comply with a subpoena and special court order that meets the requirements of 42 F.R. Part 2, Subpart E.
To Comply with Vital Statistics Reporting Laws: We may disclose a deceased client’s SUD Records relating to the cause of death of the client under laws requiring the collection of death or other vital statistics, or permitting inquiry into the cause of
For Other Purposes When Required or Authorized by Law: We may disclose SUD Records for other purposes when such disclosure is required or authorized by

If a use or disclosure for any of the above purposes is prohibited or materially limited by other applicable law, the description of such use or disclosure above either reflects the more stringent law or KBH will comply with the more stringent applicable law, as the case may be.

Uses and Disclosures of SUD Records Requiring Your or a Personal Representative’s Written Consent

Other uses and disclosures of SUD Records may be made only with your or your personal representative’s written consent. For example:

Acknowledgement of Presence at KBH or Status as a KBH Client: We may acknowledge your presence at KBH, or your status as a KBH client, only with your written consent or pursuant to a special court order that meets the requirements of 42 F.R. Part 2, Subpart E. In response to a request for information about you, we may only provide the requesting party a copy of 42 C.F.R. Part 2, and advise the inquiring party that such regulations restrict the disclosure of SUD Records, but we may not otherwise affirmatively say that the regulations restrict the disclosure of the records or information of an identified client.
Disclosures for Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations Purposes: With your written consent, we may disclose your SUD Records to:
A health care provider outside of KBH for treatment purposes, such as to coordinate the care you are receiving from KBH with health care or services you are receiving from your primary care physician or from a
An insurance company, health plan, or other third-party payor such as Medicare or MaineCare (Medicaid) for payment purposes, such as to obtain payment for the healthcare services provided to you, or to determine your eligibility for coverage and
Outside entities and contractors for certain health care operations We may also disclose SUD Records to outside entities and contractors for health care operations purposes without your written consent if certain legal requirements are met, for example, if KBH has entered into a Qualified Service Organization

Agreement or HIPAA Business Associate Agreement with the outside entity or contractor to protect your health information.

You may provide a single consent for all future uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes. Records that are disclosed to a Part 2 program, HIPAA covered entity, or business associate pursuant to your written consent for treatment, payment, and health care operations may be further disclosed by that Part 2 program, covered entity, or business associate, without your written consent, to the extent the HIPAA regulations (45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164) permit such disclosure.

Disclosures to Prevent Multiple Enrollments in Detoxification and Maintenance Treatment Programs: With your written consent, we may disclose SUD Records to a central registry or to any detoxification or maintenance treatment program within 200 miles of KBH for the purpose of preventing you from enrolling in multiple programs if certain legal requirements are
Disclosures to Elements of the Criminal Justice System Which Have Referred Clients to KBH: With your written consent, we may disclose SUD Records to those persons within the criminal justice system which have made your participation in a KBH program a condition of the disposition of any criminal proceedings against you or a condition of your parole or other release from custody, if certain legal requirements are
Disclosures of Substance Use Disorder Counseling Notes: We may not use or disclose any SUD counseling notes we maintain or may have received about you without your written consent, except that (i) the originator of such notes may use them for treatment, (ii) KBH may use such notes for its own training programs in which students, trainees, or practitioners in SUD treatment or mental health learn under supervision to practice or improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual SUD counseling, (iii) KBH may use or disclose such notes to defend itself in a legal action or other proceeding brought by you, (iv) KBH may make certain disclosures required by law or involving deceased clients, (v) KBH may make certain disclosures to those overseeing the originator of the counseling notes, and (vi) KBH may make disclosures of counseling notes when authorized by a special court
Disclosures for Fundraising Purposes: KBH may use or disclose SUD Records to fundraise for the benefit of KBH only if (i) you are first provided with a clear and conspicuous opportunity to elect not to receive fundraising communications, and (ii) KBH also complies with HIPAA’s requirements for uses and disclosures for fundraising
Disclosures to Your Personal Representative: If you have been adjudicated as lacking the capacity to manage your own affairs for any reason other than insufficient age, we may disclose SUD Records to a personal representative authorized under Maine law to act on your behalf, such as an agent under a health care power of attorney, a court- appointed guardian or a health care
Disclosures Authorized by Your Personal Representative: In the event that you have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to manage your own affairs, we may disclose SUD Records to persons or entities designated by your guardian, health care power of attorney, health care surrogate, or another person authorized under Maine law to act on your behalf, in a written consent signed by your personal We may also disclose your health information to persons or entities pursuant to a written consent provided by an executor, administrator or personal representative of your estate in the event that you are deceased.
Other Uses and Disclosures: KBH will make uses and disclosures of SUD Records not described in this Notice only with your written
Right to Revoke Consent: You have the right to revoke your consent in writing, except to the extent that KBH or another lawful holder of your health information that is permitted to make the disclosure has already acted in reliance on However, your consent to disclose your health information to elements of the criminal justice system when your participation in a KBH program is a condition of the disposition of criminal proceedings or a condition of parole or other release, is revocable only upon the passage of a specific amount of time or upon the occurrence of a specified, ascertainable event described in the consent, which cannot be later than the final disposition of the conditional release or other action in connection with which your consent was given.

Special Provisions Concerning your Rights Involving Your SUD Records

Generally, clients have the same rights concerning their SUD Records as they do to their other health information maintained by KBH. The following are certain differences in these rights concerning SUD Records:

Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to obtain a list of the disclosures we have made of your SUD Records as described above under the heading “Right To Obtain A List Of The Disclosures We Have Made of your Information” with one KBH will provide a list of these disclosures made for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes only where we make this disclosure through an electronic health record.
Right to a List of Disclosures by an Intermediary: You have the right to receive from an intermediary a list of disclosures made by the intermediary for the past 3 years as provided 42 F.R. §2.24. An intermediary is a person, other than (i) KBH or another Part 2 program, (ii) a HIPAA covered entity, or (iii) a business associate, who has received Part 2 records under a general designation in a written patient consent to be disclosed to one or more of its member participant(s) who has a treating provider relationship with the patient.
Right to Not Receive Fundraising Communications: You have the right not to receive fundraising communications from KBH by notifying KBH’s Privacy

Special Legal Protections for Uses and Disclosures of SUD Records in Legal Proceedings:

SUD Records, or testimony relaying the content of such records, shall not be used or disclosed in any civil, administrative, criminal, or legislative proceedings against the client unless based on specific written consent or a court order;
SUD Records shall only be used or disclosed based on a court order after notice and an opportunity to be heard is provided to the client or the holder of the record, where required by 42 S.C. 290dd-2 and 42 C.F.R. Part 2; and
A court order authorizing use or disclosure must be accompanied by a subpoena or other similar legal mandate compelling disclosure before the record is used or

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Any uses and disclosures not described in this Notice will be made only with your written authorization. These authorizations are typically completed on a Kennebec Behavioral Health Release of Information form. You may take back your authorization (revoke) at any time by making a request in writing to KBH Record Room or to your service provider at KBH. Revoking an authorization will not affect any information released before the authorization was revoked. Taking away your approval to release records could result in improper diagnosis, improper treatment, and denial of insurance coverage or have other negative consequences.

Although we are required to abide by the terms of the Notice that is currently in effect, we reserve the right to change our privacy practices at any time and to make the new Notice provisions effective for all protected health information that we maintain. If our privacy practices change, we will provide you with a revised Notice during your next visit.

If you would like to file a complaint regarding our privacy practices, policies or procedures OR you think your rights under this notice have been violated, please feel free to contact Kennebec Behavioral Health’s Privacy Officer, at 207-873- 2136. Our Privacy Officer will work with you to resolve your complaint. You may also contact the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services at 1-877-696-6775. You will not be penalized or otherwise retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Maine's HMIS Notice of Privacy Practices

> Download Maine’s HMIS Notice of Privacy Practices

This Agency (Name: Kennebec Behavioral Health) and other service providers, homeless agencies and social service agencies, including street outreach, shelters and housing programs, collect personal information about the people we serve in a computer system called Maine’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). If Agency is a HIPAA covered entity, this HMIS Notice of Privacy Practices is a supplement to Agency’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, and you should also review Agency’s HIPAA Notice for additional information about how Agency protects the privacy and security of your protected health information. This HMIS Notice of Privacy Practices may be amended at any time and an amendment may affect information given to the Agency prior to the amendment.

Why do we collect this information?

So we know how many people we serve and the types of people we serve at our Agency and in the state.
So we all understand what people need and can plan services to meet those needs.
To satisfy U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requirements.

Who can see information that is in Maine’s HMIS?

People who work for this Agency will use it to help provide services to you or your family.
Other agencies like this Agency that provide services and have received permission from you to see your information. The agencies that participate in Maine’s HMIS may change from time to time. A copy of the current list of participating agencies is available upon request or on our website: www.mainehmis.org.
Auditors or funders who have legal rights to review the work of this Agency, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and other state or local government entities.
Organizations that run, administer, and work, on the HMIS system. When these organizations work on the system, they may see information about you. They are required to protect your confidential information.
The law says we have to report physical or sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults. If we have cause to suspect that there is abuse or neglect in your household, we must report it to Child or Adult Protection.
We may disclose your information to protect the health or safety of you or others as required by law.
Others as required by law, including officials with a valid subpoena, warrant, or court order.
We may disclose your information to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of an individual or the public

We will not disclose your information for any other use unless you permit us in writing.

How is your privacy protected?

All users of HMIS data must sign an agreement to protect your privacy and comply with state and federal laws and policies before seeing any information.
The HMIS computer program used for this purpose has industry standard security safeguards and protocols and is updated regularly to meet these security requirements.

What are your rights?

If you do not want your name, social security number, or date of birth entered in HMIS, tell the intake worker. This Agency will not refuse to help you if you refuse to authorize Agency to share your information with other providers/ agencies through HMIS. However, federal and state regulations may require limited data collection for funding purposes.
You have the right to request a copy of Maine’s HMIS information about you.
You have the right to correct mistakes in HMIS information about you.
If you think this Agency or Maine’s HMIS violated your privacy rights, you have the right to complain or appeal. Ask a staff person for a complaint and appeal form. If Agency is a HIPAA covered entity, see Agency’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices for information about how to file a HIPAA privacy complaint.