Discovery House will comply with all state and Federal regulations, HIPAA 42 CFR PART 2 (June 9, 1987) and all state regulations governing confidentiality. When Federal and state requirements on this subject differ, Discovery House will adhere to the stricter of the two regulations.

Discovery House will not disclose any information identifying you unless:

1. We are sharing necessary information among our staff;
2. We are giving general information outside the clinic which cannot identify you as an individual;
3. You give us written permission, with the following conditions:
• Any information released about you to individuals, organizations, employers and/or agencies, including spouse or partners, parents, children, friends, other patients, third party payers and the justice system will be done so only with your prior written consent.
• Federal regulation does not allow for verbal authorization or blanket consents.
• Forms utilized for the purpose of consent to release of information must be filled out appropriately and completely, and a copy offered to you. You will not be asked to sign a blank release.
• The release must identify to whom the information is being given, what specific parts of the record must be released, the reason for releasing the information, and the time period the release is valid.
• You may revoke a release at any time.
4. We have special agreements with other service providers who promise to obey confidentiality regulations and who cannot disclose that information to any other party;
5. When there is a medical emergency (this may include providing information about your dose level and dates if you are hospitalized or jailed);
6. When a judge issues a specific written court order which identifies what parts of the record must be released;
7. For research and audit purposes when specific information identifying you cannot be disclosed;
8. We believe you have committed a crime on the clinic premises;
9. You make statements and we suspect there has been child abuse and/or neglect.

In the State of Pennsylvania the following applies: Information released to judges, probation or parole officers, insurance companies and health or hospital plans or governmental officials, is for the purpose of determining the advisability of continuing the patient with the program and will be restricted to the following:

• Whether the patient is or is not in treatment
• The patient’s prognosis
• The nature of the project
• A brief description of the patient’s progress, a short statement as to whether the patient has relapsed into drug or alcohol abuse and the frequency of such relapse.