Effective Date: June 21, 2026
Narrative Network · Arlington, Massachusetts
Narrative Network is committed to protecting the privacy of your health information. This Notice explains how we may use and share your protected health information (PHI), your rights regarding that information, and our legal obligations. We are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and applicable Massachusetts law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with this Notice.
We are also required to follow the terms of our current Notice. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice. If we make material changes, we will post the revised Notice on our website and make it available upon request.
The following describes the ways we may use and disclose your health information without requiring your written authorization.
We may use your information to provide, coordinate, or manage your mental health care. For example, we may share relevant information with other treating providers — such as your primary care physician or a prescribing psychiatrist — when doing so is part of your care. We will discuss any such coordination with you.
We may use or share your health information to bill and receive payment from your insurance company or other third-party payers. This may include sharing information such as diagnoses, services provided, and dates of care.
We may use your health information for internal purposes such as quality improvement, clinical supervision, training of clinical staff, or business administration. In these contexts, information is handled with care and shared only as necessary.
We may disclose your health information when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, including mandatory reporting obligations under Massachusetts law.
If we believe you present a serious and imminent threat to yourself or others, we may disclose information to persons who can help prevent the harm, or to appropriate authorities, as permitted or required by law.
As mandated reporters under Massachusetts law, we are required to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child (under age 18) to the appropriate state agency.
We may be required to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an elder or a person with a disability to the appropriate authorities under Massachusetts law.
We may disclose health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, or inspections necessary for government oversight of the health care system.
We may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process. We will take reasonable steps to notify you before releasing records in response to such requests.
We may share limited health information with law enforcement under specific circumstances permitted by law, such as identifying or locating a suspect, or reporting a crime on our premises.
The following uses and disclosures of your health information require your written authorization:
You may revoke any authorization you have given us at any time, in writing. The revocation will not apply to actions we have already taken based on your authorization.
Massachusetts law provides heightened protections for certain categories of sensitive health information, including:
Where Massachusetts law provides greater privacy protections than HIPAA, we will follow Massachusetts law.
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information, with limited exceptions (such as psychotherapy process notes). Submit a written request to our office. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies.
If you believe your health information is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request that we amend it. We may deny your request under certain circumstances and will explain our reasons in writing.
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information during the past six years. This does not include disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
You may request that we restrict how we use or share your health information for treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree to all requests, but we will consider them seriously. If you pay for a service entirely out of pocket and ask us not to share that information with your insurance company, we are required by law to honor that request.
You may ask that we contact you only by specific means or at a specific location. For example, you may request that we contact you only by email and not by phone. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have previously agreed to receive it electronically.
You have the right to be notified if your unsecured protected health information has been breached in a way that compromises its privacy or security.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Narrative Network is required by law to:
If you have questions about this Notice or how we handle your health information, please contact us:
Narrative Network
Privacy Officer: Matt Mooney, PhD, LICSW
hello@narrativenetwork.org
(978) 219-9819
Arlington, Massachusetts