LOS ANGELES COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH
  Policy 557.01 Transmission Security
 
Policy Category:  Administrative
Distribution Level:  Directly Operated Programs and Contracted Agencies
Review and Approved by:  Chief Information Office
 
Approved by Edgar M. Soto, MBA, CSP, Administrative Deputy III, on  January 21, 2020
 
I.  POLICY STATEMENTS
 
The purpose of this policy is to establish Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) workforce responsibilities and procedures for appropriate utilization of security safeguards that must be implemented to guard against unauthorized access or modification of electronic protected health information (PHI) or other confidential data that is being transmitted over an electronic network or via portable media.

Contracted agencies shall develop an internal policy and associated procedures that are consistent with their organizational practices and meet the requirements set forth in this policy.
 
II.  DEFINITIONS
 
III.  POLICY
 
DMH Chief Informaiton Officer (CIO) must maintain integrity controls to ensure the validity of information transmitted electronically across public networks, external connections, other parts of the communications network, and portable devices. Pursuant to the result of the risk assessment process, DMH must deploy adequate safeguarding methods such as encryption whenever deemed appropriate to protect Protected Health Information and other confidential communications during transmission and it must be commensurate with the associated risk.
 
IV.  PROCEDURES
 
V.  AUTHORITIES