Ensuring Integrity and Care: Meet Tim Timmons, TFCC's Compliance Officer

At Tillamook Family Counseling Center, ensuring legal, ethical, and high-quality mental health care is a top priority. Tim Timmons is the TFCC’s Compliance and Privacy Officer whose 27 years of experience in healthcare compliance has been dedicated to protecting both staff and clients.

Tim’s compliance career began in 1998 when healthcare fraud became a federal focus. While at Salem Hospital, he recalls a pivotal meeting where leadership urged organizations to implement compliance programs. This inspired him to write Oregon’s first hospital compliance plan. Since then, he has helped nonprofit hospitals and behavioral health organizations establish policies that protect clients, staff, and funding integrity.

Compliance Through Education & Support

Tim’s approach to compliance is not about policing staff but about education and support. “What I do is not about looking for dirt, but defining policies and procedures that inform staff and ensure they know what they can and can’t do with respect to how federal money is spent,” he explains.

Tim collaborates with staff to ensure compliance without undue burden. Reviewing documentation for errors, he sees mistakes as opportunities for learning rather than discipline unless intentional. “We identify weaknesses, assess resource needs, and develop policies to guide staff.

Research shows that when workplace culture is struggling and employees are unhappy, mistakes are more likely to happen. Tim’s role helps mitigate these risks by creating a supportive environment where compliance is seen as a tool for success rather than a burden.

What is a Compliance Plan?

A compliance plan ensures TFCC adheres to federal and state regulations, ethical guidelines, and industry best practices. Key components include:

• Protects client health information
• Minimizes Medicare and Medicaid fraud
• Maintains the highest ethical standards
• Provides clear guidelines for staff conduct

"The community needs to have confidence in our integrity and commitment to doing what is legal, right, and ethical,” Tim explains.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Compliance is an evolving field, and updates are always on the horizon. Tim is currently focused on:

• Updating HIPAA security protocols
• Addressing emerging challenges in electronic health information protection
• Ensuring TFCC remains at the forefront of ethical mental health care

Tim works closely with Kristi Awe on data security, recognizing the increasing risks of cyber threats. “With all the news about hackers getting into credit card systems, there’s a heightened sensitivity to protecting client health information,” he notes. Staying ahead of these challenges ensures TFCC remains a trusted provider in the community.

HIPAA vs. 42 CFR Part 2: Understanding the Difference

A common misconception is that mental health records cannot be shared with other providers. Understanding privacy regulations ensures staff can confidently navigate compliance while providing quality care.

• HIPAA - Allows sharing mental health records with hospitals and providers for treatment without client authorization.
• 42 CFR Part 2 - Applies stricter rules to substance use treatment records, requiring client consent before sharing information.

Clarifying these distinctions prevents unnecessary barriers to care while maintaining legal privacy protections. Staff should always verify requirements before disclosing information to ensure compliance with both regulations.

What the Community Should Know

Our employees deserve to work for an organization they trust, and the community should feel the same way,” Tim emphasizes. “TFCC’s decisions are based on what is best for the client, not financial or political gain.”

Tim welcomes communication from both staff and community members. If you have questions or concerns about compliance or privacy, you can reach out directly to him.

With Tim Timmons leading the way, the organization upholds the highest standards of integrity, privacy, and service excellence. "We simply want to make sure that we do the right thing when it comes to complying with federal and state laws and our own ethical standards," Tim concludes.