Your info, handled like we'd want ours handled.

Who we are

Ellie Mental Health of NJ ("Ellie NJ," "we," "us") is a group of three licensed counseling practices operating in Cranford, New Providence, and Wall Township, New Jersey. We are independently owned and operated under license from Ellie Mental Health, LLC. This privacy policy covers our website (emhnj.com) and any digital tools we use to communicate with prospective and current clients.

The short version

• We collect the minimum information needed to schedule, treat, and bill for therapy.
• We will never sell your information.
• We will not share what you tell us in session with anyone you didn't authorize, unless we are required to by law.
• We use a small set of standard, HIPAA-compliant business tools to operate the practice. Each one is held to the same confidentiality standards we hold ourselves to.
• You can ask us what we have on file, fix it, or request a copy — anytime.

What we collect

1. Information you give us

• Intake info: Name, phone, email, date of birth, address, insurance details, presenting concerns, preferences for therapist, location, modality.
• Clinical info: Session notes, treatment plans, screening assessments, correspondence with your therapist — collectively, your protected health information ("PHI"). PHI is covered by our Notice of Privacy Practices.
• Communications: Anything you send via our contact form, email, secure portal, or by phone.
• Payment info: Card details (handled by our payment processor — we don't store full card numbers on our systems).

2. Information we collect automatically

• Website analytics: Standard server logs (IP address, browser, pages visited, referring site, timestamps) and, in some cases, aggregated analytics through tools like Google Analytics. We use this to understand which pages are useful and where visitors get stuck.
• Cookies: Small files stored by your browser to remember preferences and measure aggregate traffic. You can turn cookies off in your browser settings — the site will still work.

How we use it

To do exactly what you'd expect:

• Match you with a therapist and schedule sessions.
• Provide therapy and coordinate your care.
• Bill insurance and process payments.
• Respond to your questions and messages.
• Improve our website and operations.
• Meet legal, regulatory, and licensure obligations.

Who we share it with

We share the minimum information necessary with a short list of trusted partners — and only the partners we need to run the practice:

• Our electronic health record (EHR) and practice management system, which stores your records under a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement.
• Our billing and clearinghouse vendors, who submit claims to your insurance on our behalf.
• Your insurance carrier, if you're using benefits — they require the minimum necessary info to pay claims.
• Secure communication tools (video, messaging, e-signature) — all HIPAA-compliant.
• Legal and regulatory authorities, only when we are required by law (court orders, mandated reports of abuse, imminent risk of harm).

We will never sell your data. We will never share clinical information with employers, schools, or family members without your written authorization — except in the legally required circumstances above.

Email, text, and other communications

Standard email and SMS are not fully secure. We'll use them for scheduling, reminders, and brief logistical messages — but please don't send clinical details or anything you'd want kept fully private through those channels. For anything sensitive, we'll move you to our secure client portal. You can ask us at any time to stop using a particular communication channel.

How long we keep your information

We keep clinical records for as long as required by New Jersey law and our professional licensing boards — generally at least seven (7) years after your last session, or longer for minor clients. Non-clinical information (marketing inquiries, form submissions that didn't result in care) is retained only as long as needed and then deleted.

Your rights

• See your records. You can request a copy of your chart at any time.
• Correct your records. If something on file is wrong, tell us — we'll fix it (and document the correction).
• Restrict sharing. You can ask us not to share specific information for treatment, payment, or operations. We'll honor reasonable requests; some restrictions we can't legally accept.
• Get a list of disclosures. You can request an accounting of certain disclosures we've made of your PHI.
• Withdraw consent. If you previously authorized us to share information, you can revoke that authorization at any time (in writing).
• Complain. If you believe we mishandled your information, tell our privacy officer — see contact info below. You also have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will not retaliate.

Children's privacy

Our website isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them online. When we treat minors clinically, a parent or legal guardian provides consent and our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices governs the use of their PHI.

Security

We use industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information — encrypted EHR, locked offices, role-based access, training for our team. No system is 100% perfect, so we never claim it is. If we ever experience a breach of unsecured PHI, we'll notify affected individuals as required by HIPAA's Breach Notification Rule.

Other websites

Our site occasionally links to third-party sites (Google Maps, insurance carriers, crisis hotlines). Those sites have their own privacy policies — we're not responsible for what they collect or how they use it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this page from time to time. When we do, we'll change the "Last updated" date at the top. Material changes will be posted prominently or communicated directly to current clients.

How to reach our privacy officer

Questions, corrections, complaints, or any privacy concern:

Privacy Officer, Ellie Mental Health of NJ
340 North Ave East, Suite 1A
Cranford, NJ 07016
privacy@emhnj.com · 908-913-7704

For details on how we use and disclose your protected health information specifically, please read our Notice of Privacy Practices. For information about good-faith cost estimates, see our No Surprises Act disclosure.