NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Effective Date: August 20, 2026
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how Ocean Coast Counseling, under the professional care of Stephanie Costa, LCSW, may use and disclose your protected health information (“PHI”) and explains your rights regarding that information.
Please review this notice carefully.
HIPAA requires covered health care providers to explain their privacy practices and patients' rights regarding protected health information. A current notice must also be made available on the provider's website.
Your Health Information
Protected health information is information about your health, treatment, or payment for health care that identifies you or could reasonably be used to identify you.
Ocean Coast Counseling is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your health information in accordance with applicable federal and New York law.
How We May Use or Disclose Your Health Information
We may use or disclose your health information without your written authorization when permitted or required by law, including for:
Treatment. We may use or disclose information to provide, coordinate, or manage your care and treatment.
Payment. We may use or disclose information to obtain payment for services, including communicating with insurance companies or other payers when appropriate.
Health Care Operations. We may use or disclose information as necessary for activities such as quality assessment, professional activities, administrative functions, and other health care operations permitted by law.
Required by Law. We may disclose information when federal, state, or local law requires us to do so.
Public Health. Information may be disclosed for certain public health activities permitted or required by law.
Abuse or Neglect. Information may be disclosed when required by law concerning suspected child abuse, neglect, or other legally reportable circumstances.
Serious Threats to Health or Safety. Information may be disclosed when permitted or required by law to help prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings. Information may be disclosed when authorized or required by applicable law, including in response to qualifying court orders or other lawful processes.
Law Enforcement. Information may be disclosed to law enforcement when permitted or required by applicable law.
Workers' Compensation. Information may be disclosed as authorized by workers' compensation laws.
Health Oversight. Information may be disclosed to appropriate government agencies for legally authorized oversight activities.
These examples are not exhaustive. Other uses and disclosures may be permitted or required by applicable federal and New York law.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization
Except as permitted or required by law, Ocean Coast Counseling will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your protected health information for purposes that require authorization.
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent Ocean Coast Counseling has already relied upon that authorization.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the right to:
Obtain a copy of your records. You may request access to your protected health information and obtain copies as permitted by law.
Request corrections. You may request that information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete be corrected or amended.
Request confidential communications. You may ask that we communicate with you through a particular method or at a particular location when permitted by law.
Request restrictions. You may request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures of your health information. We are not required to agree to every requested restriction.
Receive an accounting of certain disclosures. You may request information about certain disclosures of your protected health information, subject to applicable exceptions.
Receive a copy of this notice. You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time.
Choose someone to act for you. If you have legally authorized a personal representative to act on your behalf, that individual may exercise certain rights concerning your health information as permitted by law.
Minors and Family Matters
Ocean Coast Counseling provides services to children and adolescents. Privacy and consent requirements involving minors may vary depending on the child's age, the nature of treatment, parental or guardian rights, custody arrangements, court orders, and applicable law.
When providing services to minors or working with families, Ocean Coast Counseling will manage confidential information in accordance with applicable federal and New York law, professional obligations, and any applicable legal orders.
New York social-work guidance specifically recognizes that confidentiality considerations may differ when working with minors or multiple clients and recommends clarifying how individual confidences will be managed.
Divorce, Custody, and Court Matters
When therapy occurs in the context of divorce, custody disputes, family conflict, or other legal proceedings, confidentiality may be affected by applicable law, court orders, releases, subpoenas, or other legal requirements.
Therapy and forensic court evaluations are separate professional services. Information obtained in a forensic evaluation may be subject to different expectations and limitations regarding confidentiality because the purpose of the evaluation is different from treatment.
Forensic Court Evaluations
Forensic court evaluations provided by Ocean Coast Counseling are separate from therapeutic services and are generally private-pay services rather than insurance-covered treatment.
When Stephanie Costa serves as a forensic evaluator, the purpose of the service is to provide professional evaluation and recommendations within the scope of the referral, court order, or other applicable circumstances.
The privacy and confidentiality expectations applicable to forensic services may differ from those applicable to treatment. Clients should discuss the scope and purpose of a forensic evaluation before providing information.
Our Responsibilities
Ocean Coast Counseling is required to:
Maintain the privacy and security of protected health information as required by law.
Provide you with this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices.
Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
Notify affected individuals as required by law if a breach occurs involving unsecured protected health information.
Provide you with a copy of this Notice upon request.
Ocean Coast Counseling reserves the right to change its privacy practices and this Notice. Any revised Notice will be made available on the Website and at the practice locations as required by law.
Questions or Complaints
If you have questions about this Notice or believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact:
Stephanie Costa, LCSW
Ocean Coast Counseling
2175 Wantagh Ave, Suite 105
Wantagh, NY 11793
92 Broadway
Greenlawn, NY 11740
Email: scosta@oceancoastlcsw.com
Phone: 516-584-4969
You also have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. You will not be retaliated against for filing a privacy complaint.