FAQ

You may request your medical or counseling records by completing an official Authorization to Release Records form. RMYA may only release Protected Health Information (PHI) upon receipt of a signed, written consent from the (adult) client, their legal guardian with a court-ordered subpoena signed by a judge (for minors), or another legally authorized individual, depending on the circumstances.

Requests may be submitted here, to the FCRC Office Manager, or directly to RMYA’s Privacy Officer.

Under federal and state law, the physical medical record belongs to RMYA. The information in the record belongs to you. Therefore, you have a right to request access or a copy, unless limited by law or if access would be harmful to a minor’s best interest as determined by a licensed professional.

RMYA may release records only to:

• The (adult) client.
• The legal guardian of a minor with a valid judge-signed subpoena or court order.
• A person with written authorization from the (adult) client.
• A court-appointed representative (e.g., CASA, attorney ad litem) when allowed by law.
• Law enforcement or courts only with a valid judge-signed subpoena or court order.

All requests are reviewed to ensure compliance with HIPAA, Texas law, and RMYA policy before any information is released.

RMYA uses your PHI only for approved purposes, including:

• Providing and coordinating care
• Documenting services in your case record
• Quality improvement and supervision
• Billing (if applicable)
• Required reporting to oversight entities

Only the minimum necessary information is used or shared, in line with HIPAA requirements.

You must complete an Authorization to Release Records form specifying:

• Which records to release.
• The receiving provider.
• Whether information may be sent electronically or by mail.

RMYA will release only the minimum necessary information to support treatment coordination, 

Social Security Administration (SSA) requests are treated like any other external release.
RMYA requires a signed authorization from the client/guardian before sending records to SSA. Only necessary records will be provided.

RMYA carefully reviews all such requests to ensure legal compliance before releasing any information.

You may request a copy for personal use at any time by submitting a signed authorization.
RMYA will provide access unless:

• Disclosure is prohibited by law, or
• For minors: release would be harmful or adverse to the youth’s best interest per clinician determination.

Records are retained for at least seven years for adults, and for minors, records are retained for seven years from the date of discharge, or until the resolution of any investigation involving the youth, whichever is longer.

RMYA may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee permitted under state and federal law.
This may include:

• Copying or printing costs
• Employee time for retrieval
• Postage for mailed records

RMYA does not charge for viewing your records onsite or for records sent directly to another treating provider.

If your services involve billing or insurance, you may request billing statements.
RMYA will release billing information only to:

• The client
• The legal guardian
• A person with written authorization
• Entities legally entitled to the information

Billing details are not automatically part of the clinical record but may accompany it when relevant.

Requests should be made directly through RMYA’s billing or administrative office at accounting@rmya.org or info@rmya.org.

For privacy and security, RMYA must ensure PHI is only sent to verified, secure fax numbers.
Unsecured personal or workplace fax machines may expose confidential information to unauthorized parties and are generally not approved for transmitting PHI.

This aligns with HIPAA safeguards requiring RMYA to prevent unnecessary or inappropriate access to PHI.

Only limited information may be shared verbally, and only when:

• The client/guardian is fully verified.
• There is a signed release (for external parties).
• The disclosure meets a valid treatment, payment, or operations purpose.

RMYA employees are prohibited from verbally sharing sensitive or detailed clinical information.

Mental health records and psychotherapy notes cannot be released verbally and require written authorization and legal authority.

No. The Privacy Rule, 45 CFR 164.501, distinguishes between mental health information in a mental health professional’s private notes and that contained in the medical record. It does not provide a right of access to psychotherapy notes, which the Privacy Rule defines as notes recorded by a health care provider who is a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of a conversation during a private counseling session or a group, joint, or family counseling session and that are separate from the rest of the patient’s medical record. 

Treatment summaries may be provided instead, when appropriate. 

This distinction exists to protect the therapeutic process and patient privacy.

If you have questions about your rights, how to request records, or how your information is protected, please contact RMYA’s Privacy Officer. You may also request a copy of RMYA’s Notice of Privacy Practices at any time.

You may also request a copy of RMYA’s Notice of Privacy Practices at any time at records@rmya.org.