YOUR INFORMATION. YOUR RIGHTS. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
Effective August 26, 2026 · Sanctuary Counseling
A clear promise about your privacy
Sanctuary Counseling is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your protected health information. This notice explains our legal duties, the ways we may use or share information, and the choices and rights available to you. It applies to Sanctuary Counseling and its care locations.
Your rights
When it comes to your health information, you have important rights. We will help you exercise them.
• Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you.
• Ask us to correct health information you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
• Ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific place for confidential communication.
• Ask us to limit what we use or share. We are not always required to agree, but we will consider your request.
• Ask us not to share information with your health plan for payment or operations when you paid for that service in full out of pocket, unless the law requires disclosure.
• Get a list of certain disclosures we made during the six years before your request, subject to legal exceptions.
• Get a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Choose a legally authorized personal representative to exercise your rights for you.
• File a complaint without retaliation if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
Your choices
You may tell us your preferences about sharing information with family, close friends, or others involved in your care; helping with disaster relief; and contacting you about fundraising. If you are unable to tell us your preference, we may share information when we believe it is in your best interest or necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat. We will not use or share psychotherapy notes in most circumstances, sell your information, or use it for marketing without your written permission when authorization is required by law.
How we may use and share information
• Treat you and coordinate your care with other professionals involved in your treatment.
• Run our practice, improve services, support quality and safety, and contact you when necessary.
• Bill for services and obtain payment from health plans or other responsible parties.
• Comply with public-health, safety, oversight, licensing, reporting, and other legal requirements.
• Respond to workers’ compensation, law-enforcement, government, court, subpoena, lawsuit, medical-examiner, organ-donation, and research matters when applicable law permits or requires it.
We follow federal and New York laws that may require stricter protections for mental health, HIV-related, genetic, and substance-use information. When a stricter law applies, we follow it.
To the extent we maintain substance use disorder patient records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, we will not use or disclose those records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without your written consent or a qualifying court order and subpoena, as required by law.
Our responsibilities
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information, tell you promptly if a breach may have compromised it, follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice, and give you a copy of this notice. We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you authorize us in writing. You may revoke that authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we already acted on it.
Questions, requests, or complaints
Contact the Sanctuary Counseling Privacy Contact for questions, copies of this notice, record requests, restrictions, corrections, confidential communications, disclosure accountings, or complaints. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Inquiry@SanctuaryPC.org
716-291-0059
381 Kenmore Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14223
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by visiting hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint, calling 1-877-696-6775, or writing to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201.
Changes to this notice
We may change the terms of this notice, and the changes may apply to all information we maintain about you. The current notice will be available on this website, upon request, and at our offices.
View the current HHS model Notice of Privacy Practices