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.

The Lion's Lamb Family Therapy, LLC (the “Practice”) is committed to protecting your privacy. The Practice is required by federal law to maintain the privacy of Protected Health Information (“PHI”), which is information that identifies or could be used to identify you. The Practice is required to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices (this “Notice”), which explains the Practice's legal duties and privacy practices and your rights regarding PHI that we collect and maintain.

YOUR RIGHTS

Your rights regarding PHI are explained below. To exercise these rights, please submit a written request to the Practice at the address noted below.

To inspect and copy PHI.

• You can ask for an electronic or paper copy of PHI. The Practice may charge you a reasonable fee.
• The Practice may deny your request if it believes the disclosure will endanger your life or another person's life. You may have a right to have this decision reviewed.

To amend PHI.

• You can ask to correct PHI you believe is incorrect or incomplete. The Practice may require you to make your request in writing and provide a reason for the request.
• The Practice may deny your request. The Practice will send a written explanation for the denial and allow you to submit a written statement of disagreement.

To request confidential communications.

• You can ask the Practice to contact you in a specific way. The Practice will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

To limit what is used or shared.

• You can ask the Practice not to use or share PHI for treatment, payment, or business operations. The Practice is not required to agree to your request, and may say “no,” for example, if it could affect your care.
• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask the Practice not to share that information for the purpose of payment or operations with your health insurer. The Practice will say “yes” unless a law requires it to share that information.
• You can ask for the Practice not to share your PHI with family members or friends by stating the specific restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply.

To obtain a list of those with whom your PHI has been shared.

• You can ask for a list, called an accounting, of the times your health information has been shared. You can receive one accounting every 12 months at no charge, but you may be charged a reasonable fee if you ask for one more frequently.

To receive a copy of this Notice.

• You can ask for a paper copy of this Notice, even if you agreed to receive the Notice electronically.

To choose someone to act for you.

• If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights.

To file a complaint if you feel your rights are violated.

• You can file a complaint by contacting the Practice using the following information:

The Lion's Lamb Family Therapy
523 W Lamar Alexander Pkwy
Maryville, TN 37801
Vickie Starkey, LMFT
865-213-1535

You can file a complaint with the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists at https://www.tn.gov/health/licensure/pct.html.

• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html.

• The Practice will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

YOUR CHOICES

For certain health information, you can tell the Practice your choices about what it shares. If you have a clear preference for how the Practice shares your information in the situations described below, talk with the Practice. Tell the Practice what you want it to do, and it will follow your instructions.

In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell the Practice to:

• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.
• Share information in a disaster relief situation.

If you are not able to tell the Practice your preference, for example if you are unconscious, the Practice may go ahead and share your information if it believes it is in your best interest. The Practice may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases, the Practice never shares your information unless you give written permission:

• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES

1. Routine Uses and Disclosures of PHI

The Practice is permitted under federal law to use and disclose PHI, without your written authorization, for certain routine uses and disclosures, such as those made for treatment, payment, and the operation of our business. The Practice typically uses or shares your health information in the following ways:

To treat you.

• The Practice can use and share PHI with other professionals who are treating you.
• Example: Your primary care doctor asks about your mental health treatment.

To run the health care operations.

• The Practice can use and share PHI to run the business, improve your care, and contact you.
• Example: The Practice uses PHI to send you appointment reminders if you choose.

To bill for your services.

• The Practice can use and share PHI to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
• Example: The Practice gives PHI to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

2. Uses and Disclosures of PHI That May Be Made Without Your Authorization or Opportunity to Object

The Practice may use or disclose PHI without your authorization or an opportunity for you to object, including:

In all cases, including those listed below, if the Practice has substance use disorder patient records about you, subject to 42 CFR part 2, the Practice cannot use or share information in those records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without (1) your consent or (2) a court order and a subpoena.

To help with public health and safety issues

• Public health: To prevent the spread of disease, assist in product recalls, and report adverse reactions to medication.
• Required by the Secretary of Health and Human Services: We may be required to disclose your PHI to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements of the final rule on Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information.
• Health oversight: For audits, investigations, and inspections by government agencies that oversee the health care system, government benefit programs, other government regulatory programs, and civil rights laws.
• Serious threat to health or safety: To prevent a serious and imminent threat.
• Abuse or Neglect: To report abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

To comply with law, law enforcement, or other government requests

• Required by law: If required by federal, state or local law.
• Judicial and administrative proceedings: To respond to a court order, subpoena, or discovery request.
• Law enforcement: For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official.
• Specialized Government Functions: For military or national security concerns, including intelligence, protective services for heads of state, or your security clearance.
• National security and intelligence activities: For intelligence, counterintelligence, protection of the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state, for purpose of determining your own security clearance and other national security activities authorized by law.
• Workers' Compensation: To comply with workers' compensation laws or support claims.

To comply with other requests

• Business Associates: To organizations that perform functions, activities or services on our behalf.
• Research: The Practice can use or share your information for health research.
• Organ and tissue donation: The Practice can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.
• Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors: The Practice can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

You may revoke your authorization, at any time, by contacting the Practice in writing, using the information above. The Practice will not use or share PHI other than as described in this Notice unless you give your permission in writing.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Practice is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of PHI.
• The Practice is required to abide by the terms of this Notice currently in effect. Where more stringent state or federal law governs PHI, the Practice will abide by the more stringent law.
• The Practice reserves the right to amend this Notice. All changes are applicable to PHI collected and maintained by the Practice. Should the Practice make changes, you may obtain a revised Notice by requesting a copy from the Practice, using the information above, or by viewing a copy on the website: thelionslamb.com
• The Practice will inform you if PHI is compromised in a breach.

This Notice is effective on 11/15/2026.