Notice of Privacy Practices
Lower Valley Psychotherapy Services, LLC
Deep River, Connecticut
Privacy Contact: Christine Nucci, LCSW
Phone: 860-552-2295
Email: cnucci14@gmail.com
Effective Date: 10/5/26
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.
About This Notice
This notice applies to protected health information maintained by Lower Valley Psychotherapy Services, LLC in connection with psychotherapy services. It explains your privacy rights, our responsibilities, and how your information may be used or disclosed.
It does not describe the separate non-therapy services offered through Co-Parenting Solutions, LLC.
Your Rights
To exercise the following rights, contact Christine Nucci using the information above. We can explain the request process and arrange an appropriate way to receive any necessary documentation.
Access your records. You may request to inspect or obtain copies of your clinical and billing records, electronically or on paper. We generally respond within 30 days, or sooner when required by law. If a legally permitted extension is necessary, we will explain the reason and expected completion date in writing. Any fee will comply with applicable law. Certain information, including separately maintained psychotherapy notes, is excluded from the HIPAA access right. Ordinary progress notes are not automatically excluded. If access is denied, we will explain the reason and any available review rights.
Request an amendment. You may request correction of information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. Please identify the information and explain your request in writing. We generally respond within 60 days, subject to a legally permitted extension. We may deny a request in circumstances permitted by law. If denied, we will explain why and how you may submit a statement of disagreement.
Request confidential communications. You may ask us to contact you through a particular method or at a different address. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Request restrictions. You may ask us to limit certain uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We generally do not have to agree, but will follow restrictions we accept, subject to legal exceptions. If you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you may request that information about that service not be disclosed to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations. We must honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.
Request an accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures made during the preceding six years. The accounting does not include every disclosure; treatment, payment, healthcare operations, authorized disclosures, and other legally excluded disclosures are generally omitted. One accounting in a 12-month period is free. We will explain any permitted fee for additional requests before proceeding.
Receive this notice. You may request a paper copy at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
Have an authorized representative act for you. A person legally authorized to act on your behalf may exercise applicable rights. We will verify that authority and consider any legal limitations before releasing information.
File a complaint. You may complain to Christine Nucci or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for doing so.
How We Use and Disclose Information
The following activities are subject to HIPAA, Connecticut confidentiality laws, and any other applicable protections. HIPAA permission alone does not override a stricter confidentiality requirement.
Treatment. We use information to assess your needs, plan treatment, and provide psychotherapy. When legally permitted, information may be shared with another treating professional to coordinate care—for example, with a prescribing provider concerning symptoms relevant to treatment. We obtain consent when required.
Payment. We use appropriate information to bill for services and receive payment. For example, an insurance claim may include identifying information, service dates, diagnosis, and billing codes. Disclosures remain subject to applicable consent requirements and any valid restriction you have requested.
Healthcare operations. We use information for necessary practice functions, such as reviewing care quality, maintaining records, and administering services. Service providers handling protected health information on our behalf must have appropriate safeguards and agreements when required.
Other Legally Permitted or Required Disclosures
Depending on the circumstances, information may be disclosed for the following purposes, only when applicable legal conditions are met:
Mandatory reporting and safety: Reporting suspected abuse or neglect when required, or addressing a serious threat of harm under applicable law.
Public health: Authorized public health activities, such as legally required disease reporting.
Oversight and compliance: Authorized audits, licensing reviews, investigations, or disclosures to HHS to assess HIPAA compliance.
Legal proceedings: Responding to legally valid requests when disclosure is authorized or required. A subpoena does not automatically authorize release of confidential psychotherapy records; consent, privilege, court procedures, and other legal protections must be considered.
Law enforcement and government functions: Limited disclosures permitted or required for law enforcement, national security, military activities, or other specified government purposes.
Workers’ compensation: Disclosures authorized by applicable workers’ compensation law.
After death or for donation: Legally permitted disclosures to coroners, medical examiners, funeral directors, or organ procurement organizations.
Research: Disclosures only with appropriate authorization or another legally permitted research process and safeguards.
Connecticut law provides additional protection for confidential social-work communications and records. We obtain consent unless a recognized legal exception applies. Examples include certain necessary treatment disclosures, mandatory reports, and disclosures concerning an imminent risk of physical injury.
Family Members and Others Involved in Your Care
You may tell us whether you want information shared with family members or others involved in your care or payment. We follow applicable consent requirements. If you cannot express your wishes, limited disclosure may be permitted in appropriate circumstances, including emergencies, subject to Connecticut law and other confidentiality protections.
Psychotherapy Notes and Written Authorization
“Psychotherapy notes” has a specific legal meaning: separately maintained notes documenting or analyzing counseling conversations. It does not include every treatment record or progress note.
Most uses or disclosures of these notes require your written authorization. Narrow legal exceptions may apply, including use by the clinician who created them and certain legally authorized disclosures.
Marketing uses and disclosures generally require authorization, subject to applicable exceptions. This practice does not sell protected health information.
Uses and disclosures not described in this notice require your written authorization unless otherwise permitted or required by law. You may revoke an authorization in writing. Revocation does not undo actions already taken in reliance on it.
Special Protection for Substance Use Disorder Records
If we receive or maintain substance use disorder records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, additional safeguards apply.
Those records, or testimony describing their contents, may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without your qualifying written consent or an appropriate court order issued after required notice and an opportunity to be heard. A court order must be accompanied by a subpoena or other legal requirement compelling disclosure.
Our Responsibilities
We must maintain the privacy of protected health information, provide this notice, and follow the notice currently in effect. We maintain safeguards required by applicable privacy and security laws.
We will notify you without unreasonable delay, within applicable legal deadlines, following a breach of unsecured protected health information when notification is required.
Information lawfully disclosed to a recipient may sometimes be redisclosed and no longer protected by HIPAA. Other laws, including Connecticut confidentiality law and Part 2 where applicable, may continue to restrict its use or disclosure.
Changes to This Notice
We may revise this notice and, when legally permitted, apply revised practices to information already maintained as well as future information. The updated notice will show its effective date and will be available on our website, in our office, and upon request.
Questions or Complaints
Contact Christine Nucci, LCSW, at 860-304-0325 or cnucci14@gmail.com with questions, privacy requests, or complaints. Please avoid sending sensitive clinical details through ordinary email; contact us to arrange an appropriate communication method.
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:
Online: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html
Phone: 1-877-696-6775
Mail: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201.
Your care will not be adversely affected because you file a privacy complaint.