Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: July 8, 2026

This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how medical and behavioral health information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully.

Ascend Behavioral Wellness & Assessment Services LLC is committed to protecting your health information and respecting your privacy. We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information, provide you with this notice, follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice, and notify affected individuals if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of protected health information.

For questions about this notice, contact:

Ascend Behavioral Wellness & Assessment Services LLC
Kadiatu Tarawalie, MA, NCC, LPC
Phone: 609-246-0427
Email: info@ascendbehavioralwellness.com
Practice Location: New Jersey / Virtual Services

Your Rights

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

Right to Get an Electronic or Paper Copy of Your Record

You may ask to see or receive an electronic or paper copy of your health record and other health information maintained by the practice. Requests must be submitted in writing. We will respond as required by applicable law. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply when permitted.

Right to Ask Us to Correct Your Record

You may ask us to correct health information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. We may deny the request in certain circumstances, but we will provide an explanation in writing when required.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location. For example, you may request that we contact you only by phone, email, patient portal, or mail. We will make reasonable efforts to honor reasonable requests.

Right to 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 health care operations. We are not required to agree to all requests. If we agree, we will follow the agreed restriction except when needed for emergency treatment or when otherwise required by law.

If you pay for a service out of pocket in full, you may ask us not to share information about that service with your health insurer for payment or health care operations unless a law requires us to share it.

Right to Receive a List of Certain Disclosures

You may ask for a list, also called an accounting, of certain times we have shared your health information. The list will not include all disclosures, such as disclosures for treatment, payment, health care operations, or disclosures you authorized.

Right to Get a Copy of This Notice

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

Right to Choose Someone to Act for You

If you have given someone legal authority to make health care decisions for you, or if someone is your legal guardian or legally authorized representative, that person may exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We may verify that the person has legal authority before taking action.

Right to File a Complaint

You may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

You may contact Ascend Behavioral Wellness & Assessment Services LLC directly at:

Phone: 609-246-0427
Email: info@ascendbehavioralwellness.com

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you may tell us your choices about what we share.

Family, Friends, and Others Involved in Your Care

You may tell us whether you want us to share information with family members, friends, caregivers, or others involved in your care or payment for your care. If you are unable to tell us your preference, we may share information if we believe it is in your best interest and consistent with applicable law and professional judgment.

Mental Health Information

Because behavioral health information is sensitive, we make reasonable efforts to protect your privacy and only share information as permitted or required by law, with your written authorization, or as necessary for treatment, payment, health care operations, safety, or legal compliance.

Marketing and Sale of Information

We will not sell your health information. We will not use or disclose your health information for marketing purposes unless permitted by law or unless you give written authorization.

Psychotherapy Notes

To the extent psychotherapy notes are created and maintained separately from the clinical record, most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes require your written authorization, except in limited circumstances permitted by law.

Our Uses and Disclosures

We may use and share your health information in the following ways.

Treatment

We may use and share your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your care. This may include communication with other health care providers involved in your care when permitted or authorized.

Example: We may share information with your primary care provider, psychiatrist, hospital, or referral provider when clinically appropriate and permitted by law.

Payment

We may use and share your health information to bill and receive payment from health plans, insurance companies, or other responsible payors.

Example: We may provide diagnosis, service dates, procedure codes, or treatment-related information to your insurance company for claims, authorizations, payment, or benefits verification.

Health Care Operations

We may use and share your health information to run the practice, improve services, maintain records, conduct quality review, complete compliance activities, and manage business operations.

Example: We may use information to review documentation, coordinate scheduling, manage billing, or consult with professional advisors who help the practice operate.

Appointment Reminders and Practice Communications

We may contact you by phone, voicemail, text message, email, patient portal, or mail for appointment reminders, scheduling, billing, administrative matters, and other practice-related communications. You may tell us your communication preferences.

Email and text messaging may not be fully secure. Do not use email, text, voicemail, or website forms for emergencies or highly sensitive clinical information.

Business Associates and Service Providers

We may share health information with vendors and service providers who help us operate the practice, such as electronic health record systems, billing services, secure communication platforms, technology providers, or professional advisors. When required, we require these vendors to protect health information through appropriate agreements.

Required by Law

We may use or disclose your health information when required by federal, state, or local law.

Public Health and Safety

We may share information for certain public health and safety purposes, including preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety, reporting certain diseases or injuries, or complying with public health reporting requirements.

Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation

We may disclose health information when required or permitted by law to report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or domestic violence.

Serious Risk of Harm

We may disclose information if we believe it is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of another person, consistent with applicable law and professional ethics.

Legal Proceedings and Court Orders

We may disclose information in response to a court order, subpoena, legal process, or other lawful request when required or permitted by law. We may also disclose information in connection with professional, civil, criminal, or disciplinary proceedings as allowed by law.

Workers’ Compensation, Law Enforcement, and Government Requests

We may disclose health information for workers’ compensation, law enforcement, regulatory, licensing-board, or government purposes when required or permitted by law.

Health Oversight Activities

We may disclose information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, licensure, or disciplinary actions.

Research

We do not routinely conduct research. If research is conducted, health information will be used or disclosed only as permitted by law and applicable ethical requirements.

Substance Use Disorder Records

To the extent Ascend Behavioral Wellness & Assessment Services LLC maintains substance use disorder patient records that are subject to 42 CFR Part 2, those records receive additional protections. We will not use or disclose Part 2-protected records in criminal, civil, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without your written consent or a court order and subpoena or other legal requirement consistent with applicable law.

Our Responsibilities

We are required to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of protected health information.
• Follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice.
• Notify affected individuals if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of protected health information.
• Provide this notice to clients and make it available upon request.
• Make this notice available on the practice website.
• Update this notice when privacy practices materially change.

Changes to This Notice

We may change the terms of this notice. Changes will apply to all information we maintain. The updated notice will be available upon request and posted on our website.