About Us

The Kershaw County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse operates under the name of The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center in Kershaw and Chesterfield counties and The Lee Center in Lee County. It offers programs that provide a full range of alcohol and other drug services to local citizens. A private non-profit organization, The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center is supported by contracts with individual organizations through EAP and other services, local, state, and federal contracts, as well as fees incurred by clients for services delivered. The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center operates solely under the direction of a self-perpetuating Board of Directors.

Since its inception over 35 years ago, The Kershaw County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse has come to meet a broad range of community needs. The commission was established by state law on March 5, 1973, as a county organization dedicated exclusively to the prevention and control of all forms of substance abuse. The agency began operating as The ALPHA Center in 1989. By 1993, its expanding area of service encompassed Chesterfield County, and in July 1996, included Lee County. Today it is known as The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center, and offers many innovative and effective treatments, intervention and prevention programs designed to reduce the impact of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs for citizens of Kershaw, Chesterfield and Lee Counties.

Notice of Privacy

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL-AND ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG-RELATED INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN GAIN ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY.

General information regarding your health care, including payment for health care, is protected by two federal laws: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), 42 U.S.C. 1320d et seq., 45 C.F.R., Parts 160 & 164, and the Confidentiality Law, 42 U.S.C. 290dd-2, 42 C.F.R., Part 2.

Under these laws, The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center may not say to a person outside the agency that you receive services through this agency, nor may this agency disclose any information identifying you as an alcohol or other drug abuser, or disclose any other protected information except as permitted by federal law.

This agency must obtain your written consent before it can disclose information about you for payment purposes. For example, this agency must obtain your written consent before it can disclose information to your health insurer in order to be paid for services. Generally, you must also sign a written consent before this agency can share information for treatment purposes or for healthcare operations. However, federal law permits this program to disclose information without your written permission:

  1. pursuant to an agreement with a business associate;
  2. for research, audit or evaluations;
  3. to report a crime committed on this agency’s premises or against personnel of the agency;
  4. to medical personnel in a medical emergency;
  5. to appropriate authorities to report suspected child abuse or neglect;
  6. to appropriate authorities to anonymously or by court order report suspected abuse or neglect of an elderly person or a vulnerable adult; and/or
  7. as allowed by a court order.

For example, this agency can disclose information without your consent to obtain legal or financial services, or to another medical facility to provide health care to you, as long as there is a business associate agreement in place.

Before this agency can use or disclose any information about your health in a manner that is not described above, it must first obtain your specific written consent allowing it to make the disclosure. Any such written consent may be revoked by you in writing.

Your Rights
Under HIPAA, you have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. This agency is not required to agree to any restrictions you request, but if it does agree, it is bound by that agreement and may not use or disclose any information that you have restricted, except as necessary in a medical emergency. You have the right ot request that representatives of this agency communicate with you by alternative means or at an alternative location. This agency will accommodate such requests that are reasonable and will not request an explanation from you. Under HIPAA, you also have the right to inspect and copy your own health information maintained by this agency, except to the extent that the information contains psychotherapy notes or information compiled for use in a civil, criminal or administrative proceeding or in other limited circumstances. Under HIPAA, you also have the right, with some exceptions, to amend healthcare information maintained in this agency’s records, and to request and receive an accounting of disclosures of your health-related information made by this agency during the six years prior to your request. You also have the right to receive a paper copy of this notice.

Agency Duties

This agency is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information. This agency is required by law to abide by the terms of this notice. This agency reserves the right to change the terms of this notice and to make new notice provisions effective for all protected health information that it maintains. You will receive a copy of this notice at intake. When changes are made to this document, current clients will be contacted with the revisions.

Complaints and Reporting Violations
If you believe that your privacy rights under HIPAA have been violated, you may complain to this agency and the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. In this event, your compliant must be in writing and submitted to the HIPAA Compliance Officer for this agency. You may also make a complaint to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Division of Health Licensing, at (803) 545-4370. You will not be retaliated against for filing such a compliant.

Violation of the Confidentiality Law by a program is a crime. Suspected violations of the Confidentiality Law may be reported to the United States Attorney in the district in which the violation occurs.

Contact
For further information, contact the HIPAA Compliance Officer for this agency at 803-432-6902.

Effective Date
This notice became effective April 9, 2003.

Ethical Considerations

The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center fully supports consumer rights. The agency staff makes every effort to assure every person is treated fairly without consideration of disability sex, religion, race or culture heritage. The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center fully complies with the standard of ethics as set forth by the National Association of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselors as well as the agency’s Code of Ethics. These standards are posted in prominent places in each site. If you have any questions about them, you may ask any of our staff members to assist you.

Grievance Procedures

Any person served who think he or she has been mistreated may use the following procedure for grievances:

  • Take the grievance to your case manager immediately
  • Your case manager, the supervisor, and you will meet within 14 days of the grievance
  • If the grievance cannot be resolved with the case manager, the supervisor and you, then the next step is to schedule a Treatment Team meeting to review the grievance. The Team will consist of you the client, the primary case manager, the supervisor, and your referral source. This meeting will occur within 10 days of the previous meeting
  • If at this point the grievance cannot be resolved, the above listed persons will meet with the Executive Director of The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center within five days of the treatment team meeting
  • Results of the findings will be addressed according to Policy and Procedure

Confidentiality

All services are considered confidential and are protected by Federal Law (42 CFR Part 2) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Due to confidentiality regulations, all individuals must sign a release of information regarding their protected health status. This information must be clearly explained to you upon admission for services.
If you do not believe it has been explained to you, please ask your case manager for more information.

Board of Directors

The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center is governed by a Board of Directors and an Advisory Board.

The Board of Directors is led by:

The board members are:

The Advisory Board is made up of:

The Board of Directors and the Advisory Board meet every quarter to discuss and vote on an array of topics to improve and better serve our clients.

The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center

709 Mill Street, Camden

ph: 803-432-6902

Copyright © 2016 All rights reserved.