Requesting Your Mental Health Records
We understand that you may need copies of your records for personal use, ongoing treatment, legal matters, school or workplace accommodations, insurance, or another important purpose. Our Documentation Team is available to guide you through the request process and help ensure your records are released securely and appropriately.
Because mental health records contain sensitive clinical information, each request requires several steps before the documents can be released. Completing all required forms and providing accurate information helps prevent unnecessary delays.
How to Request Your Records
1. Complete the Release of Records Form
Before we can begin processing your request, you must complete a Release of Records Form.
The form tells us:
- Which records you are requesting
- The dates of service you would like included
- Whether the records should be sent to you or another person or organization
- Where and how the records should be delivered
- That you authorize Dr. Goldberg & Associates to release the information
For privacy and security reasons, records can only be sent to the person or organization identified on the completed form. The form must include a handwritten signature or an approved electronic signature; a typed name alone may not be accepted.
Please complete the form carefully. Missing dates, signatures, recipient information, or other required details may delay your request.
2. Pay the Records Release Fee
There is a standard $50 records release fee.
Processing begins after we have received:
- Your completed Release of Records Form
- Your authorization to process the $50 fee
- Payment of the records release fee
The fee covers the administrative time required to locate, compile, review, prepare, and securely release the requested documents.
3. Your Provider Reviews the Records
Mental health records may contain highly sensitive information, clinical observations, treatment details, and information involving other people. Before records can be released, your current or former provider must review the requested documents.
Your provider reviews the records to determine whether they are appropriate to release as written or whether any information requires additional consideration.
4. The Clinical Director Reviews the Request
After the provider’s review, the records must also be reviewed or approved by the appropriate Clinical Director.
This additional clinical review helps ensure that:
- The correct records are being released
- The request matches the authorization you provided
- Confidential and legally protected information is handled appropriately
- Any necessary redactions are identified
- The records are prepared in a way that protects patient privacy
The provider and Clinical Director must complete their review before the Documentation Team can finalize the records for release.
5. Necessary Redactions Are Completed
A redaction means that certain information is removed or covered before the records are released. Oftentimes the redactions are made if the records are going to a third party and the information in the notes is sensitive.
Redactions may be necessary to protect:
- Information about another person
- Confidential third-party information
- Certain specially protected clinical material
- Information that may not be included within the authorized request
- Material that requires additional clinical or legal consideration
If you have any questions or concerns about what information was redacted, you can alway ask for clarification.
Once all reviews and any necessary redactions are complete, the records can be prepared for secure delivery to the authorized recipient.
Why Mental Health Records May Take Longer
Mental health records often require more review than other types of medical documents. They may include detailed descriptions of symptoms, diagnoses, relationships, traumatic experiences, safety concerns, treatment planning, and clinical impressions.
The Documentation Team cannot simply download and immediately send the full chart. Before release, the records may need to be:
- Located and compiled across multiple dates of service
- Reviewed by the treating provider
- Reviewed or approved by a Clinical Director
- Checked against the dates and information authorized on your form
- Reviewed for confidential third-party information
- Redacted when appropriate
- Prepared for secure transmission
The amount of time required may also depend on the length of treatment, the number of providers involved, the number of documents requested, provider availability, and whether the clinician who treated you is still employed by the practice.
When a former provider is no longer with the practice, a Clinical Director may need to complete the clinical review in that provider’s place, which can add additional time to the process.
We appreciate your patience while these steps are completed. The review process is intended to protect your confidentiality and ensure that your records are released carefully and securely.
What Information May Be Included in Your Records?
Depending on your request and the services you received, your medical record may include information such as:
- Diagnoses and presenting symptoms
- Treatment plans and progress summaries
- Medication prescribing and monitoring information
- Appointment and service information
- Treatment methods and frequency
- Clinical testing results
- Information about functioning, prognosis, and treatment recommendations
The records ultimately released will depend on the scope of your authorization, the documents available in your chart, and the required clinical and privacy review.
How to Help Avoid Delays
Before submitting your request, please make sure that:
- Every required section of the form is completed
- The requested dates of service are clearly listed
- The authorized recipient’s name and contact information are correct
- You specify whether the records should be sent to you or a third party
- The form contains an accepted signature
- You have authorized payment of the $50 fee
- You respond promptly if the Documentation Team requests clarification
Submitting an incomplete form or requesting that records be sent somewhere not listed on the authorization may place the request on hold while the proper request form is completed.
Contact the Documentation Team
The Records and Documentation Team communicates only by email. This allows the team to maintain an accurate written record of your request, protect confidential information, and coordinate the required reviews.
Email: [email protected]
Please include enough information for the team to locate your request, but avoid placing highly sensitive clinical details in the subject line.
The Documentation Team can assist with:
- Receiving your Release of Records Form
- Answering general questions about the process
- Confirming whether required materials have been received
- Providing general status updates
- Clarifying payment or delivery information
Please allow up to 24–48 business hours for an email response. This response timeframe refers to email communication and does not mean that the complete records request will be finished within that period.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to request my records?
There is a standard $50 records release fee. Processing begins after the completed Release of Records Form and payment authorization have been received.
Can I request my records over the phone?
You may ask general questions with our admin team, but the documentation team does not have a dedicated phone line and so all communication should be completed through email. However, the records request cannot be completed by phone. You must submit the required Release of Records Form, and the Documentation Team handles records communication through email at [email protected].
Can my records be sent directly to another provider?
Yes. Your completed authorization must clearly identify the provider or organization receiving the records and include accurate delivery information. Records cannot be sent to a recipient who is not listed on the form.
Why do my provider and a Clinical Director need to review the records?
Mental health records often contain highly sensitive information. The clinical review ensures that the documents are appropriate to release, that privacy is protected, and that any necessary redactions are completed before delivery.
Why might information be redacted?
Information may be redacted when it concerns another person, falls outside the scope of your authorization, receives special privacy protection, or requires removal based on clinical or legal considerations.
How long will my request take?
The processing time varies based on the size of the record, the dates requested, the number of providers involved, whether redactions are required, and provider and Clinical Director availability. Requests involving extensive treatment histories or former providers may require additional processing time.
Can you send records before the fee is paid?
No. The completed authorization and $50 records release fee must be received before the review and preparation process can begin.
Ready to Begin Your Request?
Complete the Release of Records Form and follow the provided instructions for authorizing the $50 records release fee.
For questions or updates, email our Documentation Team at:
Please remember that the Documentation Team communicates only through email.