Notice of Privacy Practices
Last Updated: October 7, 2026
Mood and Mind Counseling
St. Petersburg, Florida
Email: caracancio@moodandmindcounseling.com
Website: moodandmindcounseling.com
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how Mood and Mind Counseling may use and disclose your protected health information (“PHI”), as well as your rights regarding your health information.
Please review this notice carefully.
Protected health information is information about your health, health care, or payment for health care that identifies you or could reasonably be used to identify you.
Mood and Mind Counseling is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your health information as required by applicable federal and state law, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).
Your Rights
When it comes to your protected health information, you have certain rights.
Get a copy of your health information
You have the right to inspect and obtain a paper or electronic copy of your health information maintained by Mood and Mind Counseling, subject to applicable legal limitations.
You may request your records by contacting Mood and Mind Counseling using the contact information provided in this notice.
We will generally provide access to your requested records within the time period required by applicable law. Reasonable, cost-based fees may apply where permitted by law.
Ask us to correct your health information
You may ask us to correct health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
We may deny your request in certain circumstances permitted by law. If we deny your request, we will provide you with a written explanation and information about your right to submit a statement of disagreement, when applicable.
Request confidential communications
You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location.
For example, you may ask us to contact you by telephone rather than email or to send information to a particular mailing address.
We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
You may ask us to limit how we use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
We are not required to agree to every restriction request.
However, if you pay for a service or health care item completely out of pocket and request that we not disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or health care operations purposes, we will generally agree to that request unless disclosure is required by law.
Get a list of certain disclosures
You have the right to request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made by Mood and Mind Counseling during the six years preceding your request.
The accounting does not include certain disclosures, including disclosures made for treatment, payment, and health care operations, disclosures made directly to you, and certain other disclosures excluded by law.
Get a copy of this notice
You have the right to request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
Choose someone to act for you
If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian or otherwise legally authorized to act on your behalf, that person may exercise your rights and make choices regarding your health information, as permitted by law.
We will verify the person's authority before taking action.
File a complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Mood and Mind Counseling or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you may have choices about how we share your information.
You may ask us to:
Share information with a family member, close friend, or another person involved in your care or payment for your care
Share information in a disaster-relief situation
If you are unable to communicate your preference, we may share information when we believe doing so is in your best interest or when necessary to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Uses and disclosures requiring your written authorization
Generally, we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your protected health information for purposes other than those permitted or required by law.
In particular, your written authorization is generally required for:
Marketing purposes
The sale of your protected health information
Most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already relied on the authorization.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information Without Your Authorization
The following are examples of circumstances in which we may use or disclose your protected health information without your written authorization when permitted or required by law.
For treatment
We may use or disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your mental health care.
For example, we may communicate with another health care provider involved in your care when appropriate and permitted by law.
For payment
We may use or disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide.
For example, we may provide information necessary to process a claim or collect payment for therapy services.
For health care operations
We may use or disclose your health information as necessary to operate our practice and maintain the quality of services we provide.
Examples may include activities related to quality assurance, business management, compliance, and administrative functions.
Appointment reminders and health-related services
We may use your health information to contact you about appointments, scheduling, treatment-related information, or other health-related services or benefits.
Business associates
We may disclose protected health information to companies or individuals that perform services for or on behalf of Mood and Mind Counseling when those services require access to protected health information.
These individuals and organizations are known as business associates.
Business associates are required to appropriately safeguard protected health information through contractual and other legal requirements.
Examples may include secure electronic health record, practice-management, billing, scheduling, or other services used in operating the practice.
Individuals involved in your care or payment
When appropriate and permitted by law, we may disclose relevant health information to a family member, close friend, or another person identified by you who is involved in your care or payment for your care.
We may also disclose limited information when necessary to assist with disaster-relief activities.
Required by law
We may use or disclose your health information when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.
Public health activities
We may disclose health information for certain public health activities permitted or required by law, including activities related to preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability and reporting certain conditions or events to public health authorities.
Abuse, neglect, or exploitation
We may disclose health information when required or permitted by law to report suspected child abuse, neglect, or exploitation, or suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult.
Health oversight
We may disclose health information to appropriate government agencies for activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, inspections, licensure activities, and other oversight of the health care system.
Judicial and administrative proceedings
We may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order and, when permitted by law, in response to certain subpoenas, discovery requests, or other lawful processes.
Law enforcement
We may disclose health information to law enforcement officials when permitted or required by applicable law, including in response to certain court orders, warrants, subpoenas, or other legal processes.
Serious threats to health or safety
We may use or disclose health information when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of you, another person, or the public, when permitted by law.
Workers' compensation
We may disclose health information as authorized or required by laws relating to workers' compensation or similar programs.
Coroners and medical examiners
We may disclose health information to a coroner or medical examiner when necessary to carry out their lawful duties.
Organ and tissue donation
When applicable, we may use or disclose health information to organizations involved in organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation as permitted by law.
Military and veterans
When applicable, we may disclose health information to authorized military command authorities or other authorized officials as permitted or required by law.
National security and intelligence activities
We may disclose health information to authorized federal officials for lawful national security and intelligence activities as permitted by law.
Inmates and individuals in custody
If you are an inmate or otherwise in lawful custody, we may disclose health information to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials when permitted or required by law.
Psychotherapy Notes
Psychotherapy notes receive special protections under HIPAA.
Psychotherapy notes are a specific type of notes maintained separately from the medical record that document or analyze the contents of private counseling conversations.
Except in limited circumstances permitted or required by law, Mood and Mind Counseling will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing separately maintained psychotherapy notes.
Psychotherapy notes are different from information contained in your regular clinical record, such as diagnosis, treatment plans, symptoms, progress, and other information maintained as part of your designated record set.
Mental Health and Clinical Records
Your clinical and health information is maintained confidentially and is protected by applicable federal and Florida law.
Florida law provides additional confidentiality protections for patient records maintained by health care practitioners and places requirements on records owners regarding the confidentiality and security of patient records.
Mood and Mind Counseling will follow the more protective requirement when applicable.
Substance Use Disorder Records
If Mood and Mind Counseling maintains records that are subject to the federal confidentiality requirements for substance use disorder patient records under 42 CFR Part 2, those records will be handled in accordance with applicable Part 2 requirements.
Part 2 provides additional protections for certain substance use disorder treatment records. The federal Part 2 rules were updated in 2024, with compliance required beginning February 16, 2026.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your protected health information when an authorization is required by law.
This includes, when applicable:
Uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes
Uses or disclosures for marketing
Sale of protected health information
Other uses or disclosures not otherwise permitted or required by law
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that Mood and Mind Counseling has already acted in reliance on it.
Our Responsibilities
Mood and Mind Counseling is required by law to:
Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information
Provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices describing our legal duties and privacy practices
Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect
Notify affected individuals as required by law if a breach occurs that compromises the privacy or security of their protected health information
Provide you with a copy of this notice upon request
We will not use or disclose your protected health information other than as described in this notice or as otherwise permitted or required by law unless you provide written authorization.
If you provide written authorization for a use or disclosure, you may revoke that authorization in writing as described above.
Electronic Communications
Mood and Mind Counseling may use secure electronic systems for certain clinical and administrative functions, including client forms, scheduling, documentation, communications, and payment processing.
Our practice uses third-party service providers, including PracticeQ/IntakeQ, to support certain practice-management and clinical functions. When these services involve protected health information, they are subject to applicable contractual and legal privacy and security requirements.
Email, text messaging, and other electronic communications may carry privacy and security risks. Your specific communication preferences and any applicable consent for electronic communication are addressed separately during the intake process.
Please do not use email, text messaging, or other electronic communication for emergencies.
Our Website and Online Forms
Our public Website and general online forms are not intended for submitting detailed or sensitive health information.
Information submitted through the public Website may be subject to our separate Website Privacy Policy.
Clinical information and protected health information should be submitted through the secure systems designated by Mood and Mind Counseling.
Our Website Privacy Policy describes the use of services such as Squarespace, Google Analytics, Google Maps, Meta, and Jotform in connection with the public Website. Those website technologies should not be used to submit protected health information unless specifically designated and configured for that purpose.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Mood and Mind Counseling.
You may also file a complaint with:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
You can file a complaint online through the HHS Office for Civil Rights or contact the Office for Civil Rights at:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Phone: 1-877-696-6775
You may also contact the appropriate Florida regulatory authority regarding professional or clinical concerns.
Mood and Mind Counseling will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Changes to This Notice
Mood and Mind Counseling reserves the right to change this Notice of Privacy Practices.
Any revised notice will apply to all protected health information we maintain and will be posted on our Website and made available upon request.
The current version will always include its “last update” date.
Contact Information
If you have questions about this Notice of Privacy Practices or your privacy rights, please contact:
Mood and Mind Counseling
Email: caracancio@moodandmindcounseling.com
Privacy Contact: Cara Cancio, LCSW
You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time.
Acknowledgment of Receipt
You will be asked to acknowledge receipt of this Notice of Privacy Practices as part of the intake process. Your signature acknowledges that you received the notice; it does not constitute authorization for uses or disclosures beyond those permitted by law.
If you decline to sign the acknowledgment, Mood and Mind Counseling will document the good-faith effort to obtain your acknowledgment as required by applicable law.