Effective Date: January 8, 2026
Organization: Sierra Behavioral Therapy (“SBT,” “we,” “our,” or “us”)
This Notice describes: (1) how we may use and disclose your protected health information (“PHI”) as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) and applicable Texas law, and (2) how we handle information collected through our website. Please review it carefully.
1. Our Duties
We are required by law to:
Maintain the privacy and security of your PHI.
Provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
Notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI as required by HIPAA and applicable law.
Follow the terms of this Notice currently in effect.
2. What Is Protected Health Information (PHI)?
PHI is individually identifiable information about your health or condition, the healthcare you receive, or payment for your healthcare. PHI may include demographic information and may be maintained in paper or electronic form.
3. How We May Use and Disclose Your PHI (HIPAA)
HIPAA allows us to use and disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following purposes:
Treatment
We may use and share your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your care and related services (for example, sharing information with clinicians involved in your treatment).
Payment
We may use and share your PHI to bill and collect payment for services (for example, submitting claims to your insurer or verifying coverage).
Healthcare Operations
We may use and share your PHI for our operations, such as quality assessment, training, accreditation, licensing, credentialing, auditing, compliance, and business planning.
Business Associates
We may share PHI with vendors who perform services for us (e.g., billing, IT, electronic health record systems, scheduling). These vendors (“Business Associates”) must agree in writing to safeguard your PHI and use it only as permitted by HIPAA and applicable law.
Required by Law and Public Benefit Activities
We may disclose PHI when required by federal or Texas law and for certain public benefit activities, including public health reporting, health oversight activities, judicial or administrative proceedings, law enforcement purposes, reporting abuse or neglect, and to prevent a serious threat to health or safety, as permitted by law.
Individuals Involved in Your Care
Unless you object, we may share PHI with a family member, relative, close friend, or other person you identify who is involved in your care or payment for your care, consistent with HIPAA.
Special Situations
HIPAA also permits certain uses and disclosures for organ and tissue donation, research (under required protections), workers’ compensation, and for coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors, as applicable.
4. Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for purposes not described in this Notice, including (when applicable under HIPAA):
Marketing (as defined by HIPAA), unless an exception applies
Sale of PHI
Most disclosures of psychotherapy notes (if applicable), except as permitted by law
You may revoke your authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already acted on it.
5. Your Rights Regarding Your PHI
You have the following rights, subject to certain legal requirements:
Right to Access and Obtain Copies
You may request to inspect or obtain a copy of your PHI (paper or electronic). We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee as allowed by law.
Right to Request an Amendment
You may request that we amend PHI you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny your request in certain circumstances but will provide a written explanation.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI during the prior six (6) years, as permitted by HIPAA.
Right to Request Restrictions
You may request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to all requests, but if we do agree, we will comply unless needed to provide emergency treatment.
If you pay out-of-pocket in full for a service, you may request that we not share information about that service with your health plan for payment or operations purposes. We will honor this request when required by HIPAA.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You may request that we contact you in a specific way or at a different location. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Right to Receive a Paper Copy
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time.
6. Texas-Specific Privacy Rights and Protections
Texas law may provide additional privacy protections for health information. In certain situations, Texas law may be more protective than HIPAA, and we will comply with the more protective requirements when applicable.
This includes additional protections related to mental health information, minors, parental or guardian involvement, and breach notification requirements under Texas law.
7. Right to File a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us and/or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”). You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
8. Communication Preferences and Opt-Out for Non-Essential Messages
You may opt out of non-essential communications at any time by:
Replying STOP to text messages (where applicable)
Using the unsubscribe link in email messages (where applicable)
Contacting us at services@sierrabehavioraltherapy.com or by phone at 817-784-7323
Please note that opting out of non-essential communications may limit our ability to provide certain reminders or service updates. We may still contact you for essential purposes such as appointment coordination, treatment needs, or billing matters, as permitted by law.
9. SMS Communications and Consent
If you provide your mobile phone number and consent to receive SMS messages from Sierra Behavioral Therapy, we may send you text messages related to appointments, scheduling, service updates, and other non-promotional communications.
Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply.
You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any text message. You may request assistance by replying HELP or by contacting us using the information in the “Contact Us” section of this Notice.
SMS consent is not a condition of receiving services.
10. Mobile Information Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or share mobile phone numbers or SMS consent information with third parties for marketing or promotional purposes.
Mobile information may be shared only with service providers who assist us in delivering text messages (such as messaging and telecommunications providers) and only for the purpose of providing our communications services.
11. Security and Retention
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect PHI and other sensitive information in accordance with HIPAA and applicable Texas and federal laws. No method of storage or transmission is 100% secure; however, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and protect information.
We retain information only as long as needed for treatment, payment, operations, legal compliance, and legitimate business purposes, after which it is securely deleted, destroyed, or de-identified when appropriate.
12. Website Privacy: Information We Collect Online
When you visit our website, we may collect:
Contact and form information such as name, email, phone number, and information you submit through forms
Device and usage data such as IP address, browser type, operating system, pages viewed, and usage logs
Cookies and analytics data used to understand website performance and improve user experience
Information submitted through our website may become PHI if it relates to your health, services requested, or care.
13. Cookies, Analytics, and Third-Party Links
Our website may use cookies and analytics tools to improve functionality and understand usage trends. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some site features may not function properly.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites linked from our website.
14. Children’s Privacy
We provide services for children and families. Online information about minors should be submitted only by a parent or legal guardian or with appropriate authorization. If we become aware that we have received information about a child without proper consent, we will take steps to address the issue.
15. U.S. Use Only
This website and our services are intended for individuals located in the United States. By using our website or services, you understand that information may be processed and stored in the United States.
16. Changes to This Notice
We may update this Notice from time to time. The Effective Date at the top indicates the most recent version. Changes apply to PHI we already have as well as any PHI we receive in the future, as permitted by law.
17. Contact Us (Privacy Officer)
Sierra Behavioral Therapy
Attn: Privacy Officer
2909 E Arkansas Ln, Suite C-101
Arlington, TX 76010
Email: services@sierrabehavioraltherapy.com
Phone: 817-784-7323