Privacy Policy & HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
Starting Today Mental Health Services is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your health information. This notice describes how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal and medical information.
Effective Date: June 21, 2026 · Last Updated: June 21, 2026
HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
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.
Starting Today Mental Health Services, operated by Milagros Garcia, LCSW-QS, MSW, is required by law to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI) and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice currently in effect.
Protected Health Information (PHI) includes any information that identifies you and relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition, the provision of health care to you, or payment for that care.
Our Legal Duties
- Maintain the privacy and security of your Protected Health Information
- Provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
- Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect
- Notify you if there is a breach that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information
- Not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing
How We Use & Share Your Health Information
Treatment
We may use and share your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your mental health treatment. For example, we may share information with other health care providers involved in your care, such as your primary care physician, psychiatrist, or other specialists, when clinically appropriate and with your consent.
Payment
We may use and share your health information to bill and receive payment for services provided to you. This includes submitting claims to your insurance company (such as Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Optum, or others) and verifying your insurance coverage.
Health Care Operations
We may use and share your health information for our health care operations, including quality assessment, training, licensing, and business management activities necessary to run our practice.
As Required by Law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we are complying with federal privacy law.
Mandatory Reporting & Safety
As a licensed mental health professional, we are required by law to report certain information without your consent, including: suspected child abuse or neglect, suspected elder or dependent adult abuse, situations where you present a serious and imminent danger to yourself or others, and court orders or legal proceedings requiring disclosure.
Uses Requiring Your Written Authorization
All other uses and disclosures of your PHI — including most sharing with family members, employers, schools, or other third parties — require your written authorization. You may revoke that authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already acted on it.
Psychotherapy notes receive special protection under HIPAA and California law and will not be disclosed without your specific written authorization except as required by law.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights regarding your Protected Health Information. To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to [email protected].
Right to Access
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information, including your medical record and billing records. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies.
Right to Amend
You have the right to request that we correct or add to your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny your request in certain circumstances.
Right to an Accounting
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information in the past six years.
Right to Restrict
You have the right to request restrictions on how we use or share your health information for treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree to your request in most cases.
Right to Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location (e.g., only by email, only at a certain phone number).
Right to a Paper Copy
You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
Telehealth Privacy & Informed Consent
All therapy sessions are conducted via secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platforms. By scheduling and participating in telehealth services, you acknowledge and consent to the following:
- Telehealth sessions are conducted over encrypted video platforms that meet HIPAA security standards.
- You are responsible for ensuring your own privacy during sessions — including your physical location, device security, and network security.
- Telehealth has inherent technology risks including potential interruptions, technical failures, or unauthorized access despite security measures.
- In the event of a technology failure during a session, your therapist will attempt to contact you by phone to continue or reschedule.
- Telehealth services are available only to clients physically located in states where Milagros Garcia is licensed: CA, CO, FL, ME, OR, TX, VA, and WA.
- You have the right to withdraw consent for telehealth services at any time and request in-person referrals where available.
- Session recordings are never made without your explicit written consent.
Website Privacy Policy
Information We Collect
When you use our website or submit a contact form, we may collect your name, email address, phone number, and the content of your message. We do not collect sensitive health information through our website contact form — please do not include PHI in contact form submissions.
How We Use Website Information
Information submitted through our contact form is used solely to respond to your inquiry and schedule an initial consultation. We do not sell, rent, or share your contact information with third parties for marketing purposes.
Cookies & Analytics
Our website may use cookies and analytics tools to understand how visitors use the site and to improve the user experience. This data is aggregated and does not identify individual visitors. You may disable cookies in your browser settings at any time.
Third-Party Scheduling
Appointment scheduling is handled through Headway, a third-party platform. When you schedule through Headway, their privacy policy and terms of service apply. We encourage you to review Headway's privacy practices at headway.co/privacy.
Data Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information submitted through this website. However, no internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to us online.
Children's Privacy
Our website is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, please contact us immediately.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
To file a complaint with HHS: hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice at any time. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed Notice effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post the current Notice on our website and make it available to you upon request.
Privacy Officer Contact
For questions about this Notice, to exercise your rights, or to file a complaint, please contact: