Privacy
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
Bureau for Child Support Enforcement
350 Capitol Street, Room 147
Charleston, West Virginia 25301-3703
(304) 558-3780
Effective date of this notice: 06/18/2019
If you have questions about this notice, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-249-3778 or the Privacy Officer at the above address or phone.
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW YOUR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU MAY ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY.
PRIVACY AND YOU
Your personally identifiable information is private. The Bureau for Child Support Enforcement (BCSE) must keep your personally identifiable information private unless otherwise provided by law. You and your employers, various Federal, State, county, and municipal government agencies, financial institutions, and other entities provide the BCSE with information regarding your Social Security number, location, employment, earnings, benefits, unpaid medical claims and bills, and assets so that the BCSE can fulfill its statutory mandate of establishing and collecting child support.
CHANGES TO NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
All BCSE employees, staff, and other personnel whose work is under direct control of the BCSE must obey the rules in this notice. We have the right to change our privacy practices. If we do make changes, we will post the new Notice on our website: www.dhhr.wv.gov/bcse.
HOW WE MAY USE AND SHARE YOUR INFORMATION
The BCSE must obey laws on how we use and share your information, such as your name, Social Security number, address, personal facts, employment, and income records. Pursuant to the Privacy Act [5 U.S.C. 522a], the Bureau for Child Support Enforcement (BCSE) is required to inform you that the request for your Social Security number is a mandatory requirement pursuant to the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 466(a)(13)]. Any information shared must be for a reason related to services provided by the BCSE. Such services include:
• To establish paternity for minors for whom paternity has not been acknowledged or legally established
•To obtain and enforce support orders, including orders for medical support
• To collect and disburse support payments
• To locate parents who owe a duty to pay child support
• To cooperate with other states in establishing and enforcing support obligations
WHY WE MAY USE OR SHARE YOUR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION:
1. For billing/accounting: The BCSE may use your personally identifiable information to send you billing notices and accounting statements regarding your support obligation(s).
2. For notices: We may use your personally identifiable information to provide you with certain notices. This may include sending appointment reminders, hearing notices, or other information regarding support-related services to your address.
3. For legal reasons: We may give your personally identifiable information to a court, prosecutor, or law enforcement agency in connection with your support case(s). This may be about failure to pay support or other issues related to the BCSE’s services. Additionally, if a court orders us to disclose your information for other reasons, we will do so.
4. To report abuse: We may disclose your personally identifiable information when the information relates to a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. We will make this report only in accordance with laws that require or allow such reporting or with your permission.
5. For appeals: You may appeal BCSE decisions made about your support services. Your personally identifiable information may be used to decide these appeals.
6. For administration: We may share your information with Federal, State, and local agencies when you apply for BCSE services for purposes related to the administration of the BCSE.
REQUIRED BY LAW
We may use or disclose your information for other purposes to the extent required or mandated by Federal or State law (for example but not limited to, comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; to comply with a West Virginia privacy or security rule complaint investigation; or, review by the Department of Health and Human Services). We may give your information to certain State/Federal financial assistance programs to the extent required by law, in order for those assistance programs to determine your eligibility for the assistance they offer.
WHAT ARE MY PRIVACY RIGHTS?
You have the right to:
Ask us to restrict how we use or disclose your personally identifiable information. The request must be made in writing. However, we may not be able to comply with your request if we are required by law to disclose the information.
Ask us to communicate with you at a special address or by a special means.
Review your personally identifiable information and obtain a copy of it. A personal representative who has the legal right to act for you may review it and obtain a copy for you. To receive a copy of your records, request it in writing. We may be required by law to restrict your access to certain parts of your records.
Ask us to share your information with a specific entity. You will be asked to sign additional forms.
Ask for a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices. You will also find this Notice on our website: www.dhhr.wv.gov/bcse
HOW DO I ASK ABOUT MY PRIVACY RIGHTS?
Customer Service
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
Bureau for Child Support Enforcement
350 Capitol Street, Room 147
Charleston, West Virginia 25301-3703
Phone (304) 558-3780 or (800) 249-3778 or Fax (304) 558-4092
If you think your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact:
Privacy Officer
Bureau for Child Support Enforcement
350 Capitol Street, Room 147
Charleston, West Virginia 25301-3703
Phone (304) 558-3780 or Fax (304) 558-4092
Privacy Officer
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
One Davis Square, Suite 100
Charleston, West Virginia 25301
Phone (304) 558-8934 or Fax (304) 558-7075
Regional Manager
Office for Civil Rights
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
801 Market Street, Suite 9300
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3134
Phone (800) 368-1019, Fax (202) 619-3818, or TDD (800) 537-7697
Email: ocrmail@hhs.gov
The BCSE will not refuse to provide services or retaliate if you file a complaint.
Copies of this notice are available at local county offices of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and on our Web site: www.dhhr.wv.gov/bcse. If you would like a copy by email, contact the BCSE at the above location or download a PDF copy.