Best Behavioral Services
Effective Date: January 7th, 2026
Best Behavioral Services (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is a behavioral and mental health practice providing services to individuals and families in Utah. We are committed to protecting the privacy of your Protected Health Information (“PHI”) in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the HIPAA Omnibus Rule, and applicable Utah state laws, including the Utah Mental Health Professional Practice Act and Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) standards.
This Notice explains how your PHI may be used and disclosed, your rights regarding that information, and our legal responsibilities.
Our Legal Duties
We are required by law to:
Maintain the privacy and security of your PHI
Provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices
Follow the terms of this Notice currently in effect
Notify you without unreasonable delay if a breach of unsecured PHI occurs
How We May Use and Disclose Your Information
1. Treatment
We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your mental and behavioral health care. This may include sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in your care when clinically appropriate.
2. Payment
We may use and disclose your PHI to bill for services and receive payment from insurance companies or other payers. This may include eligibility verification, claims submission, and utilization review.
3. Healthcare Operations
We may use your information for healthcare operations, including quality improvement, licensing, audits, staff training, compliance activities, administrative functions, and clinical documentation support necessary to operate the practice.
Limits of Confidentiality (Utah Law)
Utah law requires mental health professionals to disclose information without client authorization under certain circumstances. These include, but are not limited to:
Suspected abuse or neglect of a child, vulnerable adult, or disabled individual
A credible or imminent threat of serious harm to the client or others
Court orders, subpoenas, or lawful investigations
Professional consultations, supervision, documentation support, or peer review, when identifying information is limited
Disclosures are made only as required by law and in accordance with professional and ethical standards.
Utah-Required or Permitted Disclosures
We may disclose PHI when required by federal, state, or local law, including mandatory reporting obligations and public safety requirements. When Utah law provides greater privacy protections than HIPAA, Utah law is followed.
Special Protections for Mental Health Information
Mental health records receive heightened protection under Utah law. Psychotherapy notes, when applicable, are maintained separately and are not disclosed without your written authorization except as permitted by law.
Professional Consultation, Supervision & Documentation Support
As permitted under HIPAA and Utah law, providers may consult with other licensed professionals, supervisors, or authorized support personnel for clinical, ethical, training, quality-of-care, or documentation purposes. Reasonable efforts are made to limit shared information to what is necessary.
Minors & Parental Access (Utah-Specific)
Utah law allows minors to consent to certain mental health services. When a minor legally consents to their own treatment:
Parents or guardians do not automatically have access to records
Disclosures are made only as permitted by Utah law or with appropriate authorization
Determinations regarding parental access are made in accordance with Utah law and the clinical best interests of the minor.
Record Retention
In accordance with Utah licensing requirements, Best Behavioral Services maintains clinical records for:
A minimum of seven (7) years after the last date of service for adults
A minimum of seven (7) years after a minor reaches the age of 18
Records are securely stored and destroyed in a manner that protects confidentiality and complies with applicable laws.
Business Associates & Third-Party Services (HIPAA-Compliant)
We utilize HIPAA-compliant third-party service providers (“Business Associates”) to support clinical care, operations, and documentation. Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) are maintained as required by law.
Electronic Health Records & Telehealth
We use SimplePractice as our electronic health record (EHR), practice management, billing, and telehealth platform.
Virtual Administrative Support
We may use Virtual Administrative Support to provide trained virtual administrative and operational support services. Virtual assistants may have limited access to PHI only as necessary to perform assigned administrative tasks and are contractually required to maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA standards.
AI-Assisted Clinical Documentation
We may use PMH Scribe or similar HIPAA-compliant AI-assisted documentation tools to support clinical note-taking and documentation accuracy.
These tools are used solely to assist the provider in creating clinical documentation
Providers review, edit, and approve all clinical notes
AI tools do not make clinical decisions or replace professional judgment
Access to PHI is limited to the minimum necessary and governed by a Business Associate Agreement
Telehealth & Electronic Communications
Telehealth services are provided through HIPAA-compliant platforms. While reasonable safeguards are used, no electronic system can be guaranteed 100% secure.
Standard email or text messaging may not be fully secure. By choosing electronic communication, you acknowledge and accept this risk unless you request alternative methods.
Uses & Disclosures Requiring Written Authorization
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for:
Marketing purposes
Sale of health information
Release of psychotherapy notes
Any purpose not otherwise permitted by law
You may revoke an authorization at any time in writing, except where actions have already been taken in reliance on it.
Your Rights Under HIPAA & Utah Law
You have the right to:
Access your medical and billing records
Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete records
Request confidential communications
Request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures
Receive an accounting of disclosures, where applicable
Obtain a paper copy of this Notice at any time
Requests must be submitted in writing and may be denied as permitted by law.
Complaints & Concerns
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint without fear of retaliation.
Privacy Officer
Best Behavioral Services
Email: care@bestbehavioralservices.com
Phone: 385 246 2375
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
Licensing Concerns
Clients may also contact the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) regarding concerns related to professional conduct or licensure.
Website Privacy
Our website, www.bestbehavioralservices.com, may collect limited non-identifying information (such as cookies or analytics). Any PHI submitted through secure forms or the patient portal is protected in accordance with HIPAA and Utah law.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice at any time. Changes apply to all PHI we maintain and will be posted on our website with an updated effective date.