Privacy & HIPAA Practices
Last updated · April 4, 2026
1. Introduction
PsychGate, operated by PsychElite Health(“we,” “us,” or “our”), is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform at psychgate.drbcares.org.
2. HIPAA Compliance
As a behavioral health platform, we are subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). We maintain appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your Protected Health Information (PHI).
- All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256)
- Role-based access controls restrict data access to authorized personnel only
- Comprehensive audit logging tracks all access to PHI
- Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) are maintained with all third-party services
3. Information We Collect
We collect the following types of information:
- Identifying Information: Name, date of birth, email, phone number, address
- Clinical Information: Presenting concerns, symptom responses (PHQ-9, GAD-7), medical history, substance use history
- Insurance Information: Insurance provider, member ID
- Documents: Insurance cards, referral letters uploaded during intake
- Usage Data: Session tokens, intake progress, browser type (no tracking cookies)
4. How We Use Your Information
- To process your clinical intake and generate risk assessments
- To match you with appropriate mental health providers
- To facilitate appointment scheduling
- To communicate with you about your care
- To improve our clinical triage algorithms and platform quality
- To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
5. AI-Assisted Clinical Processing
PsychGate uses artificial intelligence to assist in clinical data extraction, risk tier assessment, and provider matching. AI-generated summaries and recommendations are always subject to review by licensed clinicians. No fully automated clinical decisions are made without human oversight.
6. Information Sharing
We do not sell your personal or health information. We may share information with:
- Your Matched Providers: Clinical summaries and intake data necessary for your treatment
- Insurance Companies: As needed for billing and claims processing
- Emergency Services: If there is an imminent risk of harm to yourself or others
- Legal Authorities: When required by law, court order, or subpoena
7. Data Retention
Clinical records are retained in accordance with Texas state law and HIPAA requirements (minimum 7 years for adults). Incomplete intake sessions are automatically purged after the configured retention period.
8. Your Rights
- Access and obtain a copy of your health records
- Request corrections to your health information
- Request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures
- Receive an accounting of disclosures of your PHI
- File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated