Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Lighthouse Wellness & Treatment may collect several types of information from and about visitors and patients, including:

Personal Information You Provide

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address when you fill out a contact form, request information, or call our admissions team.
• Insurance Information: Insurance provider, policy number, group number, and policyholder details when you request insurance verification.
• Health Information: Medical history, substance use history, mental health information, and other health-related data provided during intake, assessment, or treatment at our Chico, California facility.
• Payment Information: Billing address, credit card or bank account details when you make payments for treatment services.
• Communication Records: Content of emails, phone calls, form submissions, and other communications with our staff.

Information Collected Automatically

• Device & Browser Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Usage Data: Pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, referring website, and navigation patterns.
• Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address.
• Cookies & Tracking Technologies: Information collected through cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies (see Section 5 below).

Information from Third Parties

• Referral information from healthcare providers, family members acting on your behalf, or other treatment facilities.
• Insurance eligibility and benefits information from your insurance company.

2. How We Use Your Information

Lighthouse Wellness & Treatment uses the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Treatment & Care: To provide, coordinate, and manage your addiction treatment and mental health care at our facility in Chico, California.
• Admissions & Intake: To process admissions requests, conduct assessments, and verify insurance coverage.
• Communication: To respond to your inquiries, provide updates about our programs, and send appointment reminders.
• Payment Processing: To process payments, verify insurance benefits, and manage billing for services rendered at our treatment center.
• Quality Improvement: To improve our treatment programs, website, and overall patient experience.
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable federal and state laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other regulations.
• Website Analytics: To analyze website traffic, understand user behavior, and improve our online resources.
• Safety & Security: To protect the health and safety of our patients, staff, and visitors at our facility.

We process your Protected Health Information (PHI) in accordance with HIPAA regulations. We will not use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization, except as permitted or required by law. For more details, see our HIPAA Notice in Section 7.

3. Information Sharing & Disclosure

Lighthouse Wellness & Treatment does not sell your personal information. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

For Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations

We may share your health information with other healthcare providers involved in your treatment, with your insurance company for payment purposes, and within our organization for quality improvement and operational activities, as permitted by HIPAA.

With Your Consent

We may share your information when you provide written authorization, such as sharing treatment records with a referring physician, family member, or aftercare provider.

Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating our website, conducting business, or providing services to you, provided they agree to keep this information confidential. These may include:

• Website hosting and maintenance providers
• Payment processing companies
• Insurance verification services
• Analytics providers
• IT security services

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, including:

• In response to a valid court order or subpoena
• To comply with mandatory reporting requirements (e.g., suspected child or elder abuse)
• To avert a serious threat to health or safety
• To law enforcement under specific legal circumstances as defined by HIPAA
• To federal and state regulatory agencies during audits or investigations

42 CFR Part 2 Compliance

As a substance use disorder treatment facility, Lighthouse Wellness & Treatment is also subject to the federal confidentiality rules under 42 CFR Part 2. These regulations provide additional protections for substance use disorder treatment records and generally require written patient consent before disclosure, even in response to a subpoena or court order, unless a specific exception applies.

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze website traffic.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help websites remember your preferences and understand how you interact with pages.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly. These cannot be disabled without impacting site functionality.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website by collecting anonymous usage data. We may use tools such as Google Analytics for this purpose.
• Functional Cookies: Allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your preferred language or region) and provide enhanced features.

Managing Cookies

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when a cookie is being placed. However, some features of our website may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

Do Not Track

Our website does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals. However, you can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings as described above.

Google Analytics

We may use Google Analytics to collect anonymous data about website usage. Google Analytics uses cookies to report on site interactions. This data helps us improve our website and content. Google Analytics does not collect any personally identifiable health information. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

5. Your Rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have specific rights regarding your personal information.

General Rights

• Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions (such as records we are required to maintain by law).
• Opt-Out of Communications: You may opt out of receiving promotional communications from us at any time by contacting us or following unsubscribe instructions in our emails.

California Residents — Your Rights Under the CCPA

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide you with additional privacy rights, including:

• Right to Know: You have the right to request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the business purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share your information.
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions under the CCPA.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: Lighthouse Wellness & Treatment does not sell personal information. If this practice ever changes, you will have the right to opt out.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: You have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising your CCPA rights. We will not deny you services, charge you different prices, or provide a different level of service because you exercised your privacy rights.
• Right to Correct: You may request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: You may request that we limit the use and disclosure of your sensitive personal information to purposes necessary for providing services.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer at [email protected] or call (530) 767-8372. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days, as required by the CCPA.

Health Information Rights (HIPAA)

If you are a patient at our treatment center, you have additional rights regarding your Protected Health Information under HIPAA. Please see Section 7 below for full details.

6. HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Lighthouse Wellness & Treatment is committed to protecting the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI) in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its implementing regulations.

What is Protected Health Information (PHI)?

PHI includes any individually identifiable health information related to your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition, the provision of healthcare to you, or payment for healthcare services. This includes information created or received by our treatment center during your care at our Chico, California facility.

How We May Use and Disclose Your PHI

We may use or disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following purposes:

• Treatment: To provide, coordinate, and manage your addiction treatment and recovery care, including sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in your treatment.
• Payment: To bill and receive payment for services, including submitting claims to your insurance company.
• Healthcare Operations: For quality assessment, staff training, compliance activities, and other internal operations necessary to run our facility.
• As Required by Law: When federal, state, or local law requires disclosure.
• Health & Safety: To prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person's health or safety or to public health or safety.

Your Rights Regarding PHI

As a patient of Lighthouse Wellness & Treatment, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: You may request to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI maintained by our facility.
• Right to Amend: You may request amendments to your PHI if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of instances where we have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
• Right to Request Restrictions: You may request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI, although we are not always required to agree to such restrictions.
• Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that we communicate with you about health matters through a particular method or at a certain location.
• Right to a Paper Copy: You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice upon request.
• Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Officer or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

7. Data Security

Lighthouse Wellness & Treatment takes the security of your personal and health information seriously. We implement a variety of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.

Security Measures We Employ

• Encryption: We use industry-standard encryption protocols (SSL/TLS) to protect data transmitted through our website.
• Access Controls: Access to personal and health information is restricted to authorized personnel who need the information to perform their job duties.
• Employee Training: Our staff receives regular training on HIPAA regulations, data protection, and information security best practices.
• Physical Security: Patient records and sensitive information at our Chico facility are stored in secure, access-controlled areas.
• System Monitoring: We regularly monitor our systems for vulnerabilities and unauthorized access attempts.
• Incident Response: We maintain procedures for responding to security incidents and data breaches, including notification procedures as required by law.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to maintaining the highest reasonable standards of data protection.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age in accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at [email protected] or call (530) 767-8372.

For treatment services involving minors, separate consent procedures apply in accordance with California state law and applicable federal regulations. Parents or legal guardians should contact our admissions team for information about our policies regarding minors.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Lighthouse Wellness & Treatment reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page.
• Post the revised Privacy Policy on our website at lighthousewellness.website/privacy.html.
• Notify patients of material changes to our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices as required by law.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Your continued use of our website or services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.