How Citizens Behavioral Health Protects Your Health Information
Citizens Behavioral Health is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality mental and behavioral healthcare. We value your privacy and are committed to protecting it in full compliance with all applicable federal and state laws.
This section explains our duties, your rights, and how your Protected Health Information (PHI) is used.
PHI = Any information about you and your health, including demographics, medical history, treatment details, and payment for services.
We may use or share your PHI only when authorized, required, or permitted by law. Here are the main ways we use it:
Our doctors, nurses, therapists, and staff may access your PHI to diagnose, treat, and coordinate your care. This includes referrals, internal case discussions, and communication with Carolina Center for Recovery when needed for continuity of care.
We use PHI to prepare invoices, check insurance eligibility, submit claims, and manage your account. We may also use it for licensing, accreditation, quality improvement, and business operations.
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: We must provide PHI during HIPAA compliance reviews.
• Court Order/Subpoena: We’ll share information if required by a valid court order.
• Crimes on Premises: We may notify law enforcement about crimes on our property, threats to staff, or threats of crime.
• Child Abuse/Neglect: We must report suspected abuse/neglect as required by North Carolina law.
• Emergencies: We may share necessary PHI if you need urgent medical care.
• Public Health/Death Reporting: We may report causes of death or other data to authorized public health agencies.
Vendors who help us operate — like billing, IT, or shredding services — must sign agreements to protect your PHI, use it only for our services, and follow 42 CFR Part 2.
We may use PHI for research approved by an Institutional Review Board, or share it with auditors who agree to strict confidentiality rules.
We will not use or share your PHI for any reason not listed above without your written authorization. You can revoke authorization anytime. Revocation won’t affect uses already made. You also have the right to:
Request a paper or electronic copy of your medical record. We’ll provide it within 30 days. A reasonable copy fee may apply.
Ask us to correct information you believe is wrong. If we deny it, we’ll explain why in writing within 60 days.
Ask us to limit how we use or share your PHI for treatment, payment, or operations. We’ll consider all reasonable requests.
Choose how and where we contact you — cell, home, work, or alternate address. We’ll honor all reasonable requests.
We never sell your PHI. We won’t use therapy notes or PHI for marketing without your written permission.
If you have questions or concerns about your privacy, contact:
Citizens Behavioral Health
Phone: 919-235-5762 ext. 100
