Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information Related to Mental and Substance Use Disorders

The purpose of this program is to establish one National Center of Excellence to develop and disseminate training, technical assistance, and educational resources for healthcare practitioners, families, individuals, states, and communities on various privacy laws and regulations as they relate to information about mental and substance use disorders. These include: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and 42 CFR Part 2. The Center will also address the intersection of these laws and regulations with other privacy laws such as the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Although necessary for the protection of individuals, privacy regulations and laws are often complex and not easily interpreted. These regulations often create confusion for both practitioners and those seeking/receiving treatment. In many cases, these regulations are interpreted too stringently such that critical information from families, individuals or other healthcare practitioners is withheld leading to potential negative consequences. This project aims to address the complexity of these regulations through providing easily understood resources and training materials to simplify the interpretation and implementation of these regulations.