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Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: December 15, 2003

Last Updated: September 1, 2026

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

Aven Care Providers is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your protected health information (PHI). This Notice explains how we may use and disclose your health information, the choices and rights you have, and our responsibilities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and other applicable privacy laws.

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. You may:

Get a copy of your health information

You may ask to see or obtain an electronic or paper copy of the health information we maintain about you. We will provide access within the time required by law. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee where permitted.

Ask us to correct your health information

You may ask us to correct health information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. We may deny certain requests, but if we do, we will explain the reason in writing as required by law.

Request confidential communications

You may ask us to contact you in a specific way, such as at a particular telephone number or address. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

You may ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not always required to agree to your request. If you pay for a health care item or service out of pocket in full, you may ask us not to share information about that item or service with your health plan for payment or health care operations. We will agree unless a law requires us to share the information.

Get a list of certain disclosures

You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the period allowed by law, including who received the information and why. The accounting does not include every type of disclosure, such as most disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations. We will provide one accounting in a 12-month period without charge and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests where permitted.

Get a copy of this Notice

You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.

Choose someone to act for you

If another person has legal authority to act on your behalf, such as a legal guardian, health care agent, or other authorized personal representative, that person may exercise your rights as permitted by law. We will verify the person’s authority before taking action.

File a complaint

You may complain if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You may contact Aven Care Providers using the information at the end of this Notice. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. Aven Care Providers will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint or exercising your privacy rights.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you may tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference about how we share your information in the situations below, tell us what you want us to do and we will follow your instructions when required by law.

• Share information with family members, friends, caregivers, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.

• Share information for disaster-relief purposes.

• Contact you about services, care coordination, or other communications permitted by law.

If you are unable to tell us your preference, for example because you are incapacitated, we may share information if we determine that doing so is in your best interest and is permitted by law.

Uses Requiring Written Permission

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI when HIPAA or other applicable law requires authorization. This generally includes most uses of psychotherapy notes, certain marketing uses, and any sale of PHI. Aven Care Providers does not sell PHI. If you authorize a use or disclosure, you may revoke the authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already relied on it.

How We Typically Use or Share Your Information

Provide and coordinate your care and services

We may use and share your health information with caregivers, health care professionals, service coordinators, Regional Centers, authorized representatives, and others involved in providing or coordinating your care and services, as permitted by law.

Run our organization

We may use and share your health information to operate Aven Care Providers, improve quality, supervise staff, coordinate services, conduct audits, investigate complaints or incidents, manage risk, train personnel, and perform other health care operations permitted by law.

Bill and obtain payment for services

We may use and share your health information to bill and obtain payment from health plans, Medi-Cal, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Centers, government programs, or other responsible payers.

Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law

We may use or disclose health information for other purposes permitted or required by law. These uses and disclosures are subject to applicable legal conditions and may include:

• Public health and safety activities, such as preventing disease, reporting certain injuries or adverse events, and reporting suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or domestic violence when required or permitted by law.

• Health oversight activities, including audits, inspections, licensing, and regulatory reviews.

• Workers’ compensation and similar programs.

• Certain law-enforcement and government requests.

• Judicial or administrative proceedings and other legal actions when the legal requirements for disclosure are met.

• Research activities that meet applicable HIPAA requirements.

• Organ and tissue donation requests where applicable.

• Work with a medical examiner, coroner, or funeral director as permitted by law.

• Preventing or reducing a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

• Other disclosures required by federal, state, or local law.

When California or another applicable law provides greater privacy protection than HIPAA, Aven Care Providers will follow the more protective requirement.

Substance Use Disorder Records

Aven Care Providers does not operate a substance use disorder treatment program and does not routinely receive or maintain substance use disorder patient records protected by 42 CFR Part 2. However, to the extent we ever receive or maintain information that is protected by Part 2, we will apply the protections required by law. Such information generally may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without your written consent or a court order and subpoena that satisfy applicable legal requirements.

Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.

• We will notify affected individuals as required by law if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of unsecured PHI.

• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in the Notice that is currently in effect.

• We will make this Notice available to any person who asks for it and will post the current Notice on our website as required.

• We will not use or share your information other than as described in this Notice or otherwise permitted by law unless you authorize us in writing. If you authorize us, you may change your mind in writing at any time, subject to actions already taken in reliance on the authorization.

Changes to This Notice

We may change the terms of this Notice and our privacy practices as permitted by law. Changes may apply to health information we already maintain as well as information we receive in the future. The current Notice will be available upon request, at our office as applicable, and on our website.

Questions or Complaints

If you have questions about this Notice, want to exercise a privacy right, or want to file a privacy complaint, contact:

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. Information about filing a complaint is available at www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/.