Tender Hand Healthcare Services

Your information. Your rights. Your dignity.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

The health information we keep about you tells your story. This Notice explains how that information may be used and shared, and the rights you hold over it — because protecting your record is part of protecting you.

HIPAA · PII / PHI

Effective date: May 19, 2026   ·   Last reviewed: May 19, 2026

What this Notice means

This Notice explains how Tender Hand Healthcare Services LLC (THHS) may use and share your protected health information, the responsibilities we have when handling that information, and the rights you have under federal and New Jersey law.

This Notice applies to individuals receiving services from THHS and, when legally applicable, their guardians, personal representatives, or other authorized decision-makers.

It applies to protected health information created, received, maintained, or transmitted by THHS in paper, spoken, photographic, and electronic form.

1. Purpose and who we are

Tender Hand Healthcare Services LLC may be referred to in this Notice as “Tender Hand,” “THHS,” “we,” “us,” or “our.”

THHS provides person-centered healthcare, community-based support, respite, and related services to individuals and families throughout New Jersey.

During the course of providing and coordinating services, THHS may create, receive, maintain, or share information about:

• Your health, support needs, abilities, preferences, and personal goals.
• Services you receive from THHS or another provider.
• Your Individualized Service Plan, assessments, progress notes, and care documentation.
• Your medications, medical history, allergies, diagnoses, and safety needs.
• Payment, eligibility, service authorization, and billing information.
• Incidents, complaints, investigations, or quality reviews involving your services.

This Notice describes the privacy practices followed by THHS, its workforce, and other persons who are legally authorized to act on its behalf.

2. What protected health information means

Protected health information, or PHI, is information that identifies you, or could reasonably be used to identify you, and relates to:

• Your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition.
• Healthcare, support, or other covered services provided to you.
• Payment for healthcare or covered services.

PHI may exist in many forms, including:

• Paper files and handwritten records.
• Electronic records, emails, secure portals, and digital documentation.
• Photographs, video, or audio connected to your care.
• Telephone, virtual, or in-person conversations.
• Billing, authorization, and Medicaid records.

Information may still be protected even when it does not include your full name. Other details, when combined, may identify you.

3. Our responsibilities to you

THHS is required to protect the privacy and security of your PHI and to follow the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect.

We train members of our workforce regarding their privacy and confidentiality responsibilities. We also require appropriate privacy protections from outside organizations that perform certain services for THHS and have access to PHI.

4. Treatment, payment, and healthcare operations

HIPAA generally permits THHS to use and disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations without obtaining a separate written authorization from you.

These uses and disclosures allow THHS and other authorized providers to coordinate services, maintain safe and effective support, and carry out essential operations.

Treatment and coordination of services

We may use or share your PHI to provide, coordinate, manage, or support your healthcare and community-based services.

This may include communicating with:

• Your physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, or other healthcare professionals.
• Your Support Coordinator or care-management team.
• Your legal guardian, personal representative, or another person legally authorized to participate in decisions.
• Hospitals, emergency responders, laboratories, pharmacies, or other service providers.
• Direct Support Professionals and other THHS workforce members assigned to support you.

Payment and service authorization

We may use or disclose your PHI to obtain payment, confirm eligibility, secure service authorization, submit claims, or respond to billing and payment questions.

This may include communication with:

• New Jersey Medicaid.
• The New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities.
• Fiscal intermediaries, managed-care organizations, or other authorized payers.
• Government agencies responsible for approving, funding, reviewing, or auditing services.

Healthcare operations

We may use or disclose your PHI for activities necessary to operate THHS and maintain the quality, safety, integrity, and effectiveness of our services.

Healthcare operations may include:

• Quality assessment and quality-improvement activities.
• Reviewing whether services are appropriate, effective, and consistent with your plan.
• Staff supervision, training, competency review, and performance evaluation.
• Credentialing, licensing, compliance, and accreditation activities.
• Incident management, risk management, and safety review.
• Complaint, grievance, and appeal review.
• Financial, billing, legal, and compliance activities.
• Audits, inspections, program monitoring, and authorized oversight.
• Business planning, administration, and service improvement.

5. Other uses and disclosures permitted or required by law

THHS may use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization in other circumstances permitted or required by law. We will limit the information shared when the minimum-necessary standard applies.

Public health and safety activities

We may disclose information to authorized public health agencies or other responsible authorities for activities such as:

• Preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
• Reporting communicable diseases or other conditions required by law.
• Reporting certain adverse events, product problems, or safety concerns.
• Helping prevent or reduce a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

Reporting abuse, neglect, or exploitation

We may disclose information to an authorized government or protective-services agency when we reasonably believe that a person may be a victim of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or domestic violence, or when reporting is otherwise required by law.

Health oversight

We may disclose PHI to government agencies legally authorized to conduct audits, inspections, investigations, credentialing reviews, quality monitoring, civil-rights reviews, or other oversight activities.

This may include the New Jersey Department of Human Services, the Division of Developmental Disabilities, Medicaid authorities, licensing agencies, and other authorized oversight bodies.

Judicial and administrative proceedings

We may disclose PHI in response to a valid court order, administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process when the applicable legal requirements have been met.

Law enforcement

We may disclose PHI to law-enforcement officials when permitted or required by law, including in response to certain legal processes, to report specific injuries or crimes, to locate a person, or to address a serious threat.

Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors

We may disclose PHI to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when authorized by law and necessary for that person to perform their duties.

Workers’ compensation and similar programs

We may disclose PHI as authorized by and necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws or similar programs established by law.

Research

We may use or disclose PHI for research only when the research has received the approvals or waivers required by law, or when you have signed a valid authorization.

Government functions and national security

When legally authorized, we may disclose PHI for certain specialized government functions, military or veterans’ activities, national-security activities, protective services, correctional-institution activities, or lawful custody purposes.

6. Family members and others involved in your care

When appropriate and permitted by law, THHS may share information relevant to your care or payment for your care with a family member, friend, guardian, personal representative, Support Coordinator, or another person involved in helping you.

When you are present and able to make decisions, we may:

• Ask for your agreement.
• Give you an opportunity to object.
• Use professional judgment to determine that you do not object.

If you are not present, are incapacitated, or an emergency makes it impractical to ask you, we may use professional judgment to share information that is directly relevant to the person’s involvement in your care and is in your best interest.

Personal representatives and guardians

A person legally authorized to act on your behalf may exercise your privacy rights and receive information to the extent permitted by law and consistent with that person’s legal authority.

THHS may request documentation showing the representative’s authority, such as guardianship papers, a healthcare power of attorney, or another legally recognized document.

7. When written authorization is required

THHS will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI when HIPAA or another applicable law requires authorization.

Written authorization is generally required for:

• Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, when applicable.
• Most uses and disclosures for marketing, when applicable.
• Disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI, when applicable.
• Other uses and disclosures not otherwise permitted or required by law.

Revoking an authorization

You may revoke an authorization at any time by giving THHS a written request. Your revocation will apply to future uses and disclosures. It will not undo actions already taken in reliance on the authorization.

THHS generally will not condition services, eligibility, or payment on your signing an authorization, except when the law specifically permits such a condition.

8. Your privacy rights

You have important rights regarding your PHI. Some rights have legal limits or exceptions. THHS will explain any applicable requirements when you make a request.

How to submit a request

Contact the THHS Privacy Officer using the information in Section 12. We may ask you to submit the request in writing and to provide information needed to verify your identity and understand the request.

9. Specially protected information

Some types of information may receive additional protection under federal or New Jersey law. When a more protective law applies, THHS will follow that law.

HIV-related information

Information concerning a person’s HIV status is handled according to applicable confidentiality requirements and the safeguards reflected in New Jersey Division Circular #45.

THHS’s approved operational policy provides that HIV-status information is not included in the general individual record and is made available only in accordance with the applicable circular and law.

Substance use disorder records

Records created or maintained by a federally assisted substance use disorder program may be protected by 42 CFR Part 2 in addition to HIPAA. When THHS receives or maintains Part 2 records, we will use and disclose them only as permitted by applicable law.

Psychotherapy notes and other sensitive records

Psychotherapy notes, genetic information, certain communicable-disease information, and other specially protected records may be subject to additional restrictions. THHS will obtain authorization or follow another legally permitted process when required.

10. Breach notification

THHS takes suspected privacy and security incidents seriously. We assess reported incidents to determine what happened, what information was involved, who may have received or accessed it, and what steps are necessary to reduce harm and prevent recurrence.

If a breach of unsecured PHI occurs, THHS will provide notice to affected individuals and to government authorities when required by law.

The notice may describe:

• What happened and when it occurred.
• The types of information involved.
• Steps you can take to protect yourself.
• What THHS is doing to investigate, reduce harm, and prevent another incident.
• How to contact THHS for more information.

11. Changes to this Notice

THHS may change this Notice and its privacy practices. A revised Notice may apply to PHI that THHS already maintains as well as information created or received after the change.

When a material change is made, THHS will revise the Notice promptly and make the current version available:

• On thhs.care.
• At the THHS office.
• Upon request in paper or accessible format.
• As otherwise required by law.

The effective date printed near the beginning of the Notice identifies the version currently in effect.

12. Questions, requests, and complaints

Contact the THHS Privacy Officer to ask a question, exercise a privacy right, request another copy of this Notice, or report a privacy concern.

THHS will not retaliate against you, deny services, or treat you differently because you exercise a privacy right or file a complaint in good faith.

Our commitment to access

Privacy information should be understandable.

You may request this Notice in an accessible format or ask for help understanding your privacy rights. Your rights as a participant go beyond privacy. Learn what you can expect from THHS and how to speak up.

Read our Accessibility Statement →

Tender Hand Healthcare Services LLC · Notice of Privacy Practices · Effective May 19, 2026 · Last reviewed May 19, 2026