Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how NorthLeaf Adolescent Treatment Center may collect, use, disclose, and protect information through this website, admissions communications, verification forms, and related digital services.

If you or your teen becomes a patient, NorthLeaf may also provide a separate Notice of Privacy Practices that explains how protected health information may be used and disclosed for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and other purposes allowed or required by law. If there is a conflict between this website policy and a formal Notice of Privacy Practices, the Notice of Privacy Practices controls for protected health information.

Information you provide may include your name, contact information, insurance-related details, relationship to the prospective patient, preferred contact method, and information you choose to share about treatment needs or next-step questions.

Please do not use website forms to submit emergency information, crisis details, full clinical histories, highly sensitive documents, or urgent safety concerns. If there is an immediate risk of harm, call 911, go to the nearest emergency room, or call or text 988 for crisis support.

Like many websites, we may collect limited technical information such as device type, browser type, pages visited, approximate location derived from IP address, referral source, and general website performance data. We use this information to maintain, secure, and improve the website.

We may use information to respond to inquiries, discuss admissions or program fit, support insurance verification, coordinate requested follow-up, improve website functionality, maintain security, comply with legal obligations, and operate the organization.

When information is protected health information under HIPAA, NorthLeaf will use and disclose it only as permitted or required by applicable law, including for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, with authorization, or as otherwise allowed by law.

HIPAA gives individuals important rights related to protected health information, including the right to request access to records, request amendments, request certain restrictions, request confidential communications, receive an accounting of certain disclosures, receive a paper copy of a notice of privacy practices, and file a complaint without retaliation.

Some rights may be limited by law, clinical judgment, minor-consent rules, safety considerations, or other applicable requirements. Because NorthLeaf serves adolescents, parent, guardian, and minor privacy rights may depend on the type of care, the teen's age, consent rules, custody or guardianship documentation, safety considerations, and state or federal law.

If NorthLeaf creates or receives substance use disorder treatment records that are protected by federal confidentiality rules for substance use disorder patient records, those records may receive additional protections under 42 CFR Part 2.

Where Part 2 applies, identifying substance use disorder treatment information generally may not be disclosed without written consent unless a specific exception applies. Part 2-protected information may also be subject to limits on redisclosure. NorthLeaf will evaluate these requirements when they apply and will use appropriate consent and disclosure practices.

Information submitted for insurance verification may be used to review benefits, communicate with payers or authorized representatives, and help families understand coverage questions. Verification of benefits is not a guarantee of payment, authorization, admission, or clinical appropriateness.

Do not submit full insurance documents, detailed clinical histories, or unnecessary sensitive information through website forms unless NorthLeaf specifically instructs you to use a secure process for that purpose.

NorthLeaf may use cookies, analytics tools, security tools, hosting providers, and similar technologies to understand website use, measure performance, prevent abuse, and improve the user experience.

We do not intentionally use website analytics to collect full clinical histories, diagnosis details, treatment notes, or information you enter into free-text form fields for advertising purposes. If advertising or analytics tools are used, NorthLeaf should configure them to avoid sending protected health information, substance use disorder information, or other sensitive treatment information to those platforms.

We may share information with service providers who help operate the website, process inquiries, support communications, provide hosting or security, assist with insurance verification, or otherwise support NorthLeaf operations. These providers are expected to protect information appropriately and, where required, enter into business associate or similar privacy agreements.

We may also disclose information when required or permitted by law, including for health oversight, public health, safety, abuse or neglect reporting, court orders, law enforcement requests, emergency circumstances, or other legally recognized purposes. NorthLeaf will not sell protected health information.

Certain uses and disclosures of protected health information may require written authorization, including many marketing uses, sale of protected health information, and certain uses of psychotherapy notes if such records exist.

If you provide an authorization, you may generally revoke it in writing, except to the extent NorthLeaf has already relied on it or where another legal limitation applies.

NorthLeaf uses administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. No website, email, phone, or electronic system can be guaranteed completely secure.

Information is retained according to legal, clinical, operational, and payer requirements. Retention periods may differ depending on the type of record, whether care is provided, and applicable federal or state law.

You may contact NorthLeaf to request updates to contact preferences, ask privacy questions, request access to applicable records, request corrections, request restrictions, or ask for confidential communications. NorthLeaf may require identity verification before processing certain requests.

You may also adjust browser settings to block or delete cookies. Some website features may not work as intended if cookies are disabled.

If NorthLeaf discovers a breach of unsecured protected health information, NorthLeaf will evaluate the incident and provide notifications required by applicable federal and state law.

You may file a privacy complaint with NorthLeaf without fear of retaliation. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you believe your HIPAA privacy rights have been violated.

To contact NorthLeaf about privacy questions or complaints, call the admissions line listed below and ask to be directed to the Privacy Officer or privacy contact.

NorthLeaf may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Continued use of the website after an update means the revised policy applies to website activity going forward.