SOUND OFF PRIVACY POLICY

EFFECTIVE DATE/LAST MODIFIED: April 26, 2023

Sound Off, Inc. (“Sound Off”, “us,” “we” or “our”) has created this Privacy Policy (this “Policy”) in compliance with applicable laws and in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy. This Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, transfer, store, retain or otherwise process your personal information when you access or use, in any manner, any content, services or related activities through our website (www.sound-off.com) and its sub-domains (the “Website” or “site”), or through our mobile software application (the “Application”) (collectively, the “Services”). In the course of receiving or otherwise engaging with our Services, you may interact with licensed mental health professionals (“Clinicians”) and other persons providing peer support (referred to as “Peer Supporters” or “Battle Buddies”). When we refer to “you” or “your,” we mean the person about whom we collect personal information or data.

Sound Off is a not-for-profit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) entity.

Please read this Policy carefully.

Our Policy includes:

 

  1. General Disclosures
  2. What Information We Collect From You And For What Purposes

If You Are Seeking Assistance Through Our Application, What Information Do We Collect From You?

If You Are A Clinician , What Information Do We Collect From You?

If You Are A Peer Supporter, What Information Do We Collect From You?

What Information Do We Collect Through The Website?

  1. Personal Information Relating To Children
  2. How Long We Retain Your Information
  3. Security
  4. Changes To This Privacy Policy
  5. Contact Us

 

  1. GENERAL DISCLOSURES

Our data centers, the Application and this Website are hosted in the United States. If you are visiting the Website or using the Application from outside of the United States, please note that by providing us your information it is being stored or processed in the United States. If you are outside the United States and do not wish to allow the collection and storage of your personal information by this Website or the Application within the United States, you should not use this Website and or the Application.

This Policy applies only to our Website, Application, and Services, and not to other individuals, companies or organizations. This means that this Policy does not apply, and we are not responsible for, the privacy practices and use of your personal information by Clinicians and Peer Supporters. However, we ask all Clinicians and Peer Supporters to treat your personal information, whether identifying or non-identifying, with respect and confidentiality, and to only use your information for the purposes for which you gave it to them. If you are Clinician a Peer Supporter, please note that any information that you yourself share with individuals with whom you engage with through our Services is not covered by this Policy and we are not responsible for the privacy practices and use of your personal information by such individuals.

  1. WHAT INFORMATION WE COLLECT AND FOR WHAT PURPOSES

What information we collect and the purposes for which it is collected will depend on the context of how you interact with us. For example, we collect some types of personal information from individuals who donate to us through our Website that we do not collect from the individuals who use our Services through our Application. Therefore, just because this Policy lists a particular data collection practice does not mean that we have necessarily collected that data from you. Instead, please review the applicable disclosures below to learn about how we may have collected personal information from you depending on how you have interacted with us.

If You Are Seeking Assistance Through Our Application, What Information Do We Collect From You?

Your privacy and the protection of your anonymity is our foremost concern. We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data seriously.

Sound Off itself will not acquire or store any identifying personal information and we will only collect, process and disclose non-identifying personal information as is necessary to provide you with the Services. This may include non-identifying personal information such as your gender, state of residence, and military service type, and the general nature of matters and topics upon which you consult with Clinicians and Peer Supporters in accordance with applicable law.

We have gone to great lengths to engineer our Application so that neither Sound Off nor our technical and service partners or other affiliates will acquire or hold personal information that can be used to directly identify you through the anticipated function of the Application and Services. However, in the event that you choose to provide any identifying personal information about yourself in connection with Services to a Clinician or Peer Supporter, this identifying personal information will not be shared with or collected by Sound Off.  In our relationship agreements with Clinicians and Peer Supporters, we require them to maintain any such identifying personal information on a confidential basis, except as you may otherwise authorize them or as may be required by applicable law or their professional ethics. Should you choose to disclose or inadvertently disclose identifying personal information in the end-to-end encrypted chat function of the Service, please use the “clear history” function of the text exchange.

We will use your non-identifying personal information to pair you with appropriate Clinicians  or with Peer Supporters. We will assign a unique random and anonymous user name to you when you register for the Services through the Application. We do not and will not seek to link your anonymous user name to your true identity. However, it will be important for you to maintain an accurate record of your user name in a location where you can dependably retrieve so that you can initiate communications with Sound Off or the Clinicians or Peer Supporters with whom you consult.

We ask that these Clinicians and Peer Supporters not solicit any identifying personal information from you, unless during the course of performing Services they become aware in their judgment of a crisis or emergency condition that warrants it. If you wish to preserve your anonymity, you should not submit or share any identifying personal  information with Clinicians or Peer Supporters. These Clinicians and Peer Supporters may access your information only through the Application and may only use it for purposes of providing support services to you.

If You Are A Clinician, What Information Do We Collect From You?

When you enroll to be a Clinician associated with our Services, we will collect your personal information in order to facilitate your participation in our Services and payment for your consultations. This may include your full name, date of birth/age, a brief biographical summary composed by you, a recent photograph, cell phone number, address, information to confirm identity, licensure and other certification information, medical practice areas and banking or direct deposit information. We will display your name, biographical summary, photograph, medical practice area and state of licensure on the Application for prospective Users.  We will otherwise only use your personal information or disclose it to third-parties as is necessary to achieve the purposes as stated above or as otherwise approved.

 

 

If You Are A Peer Supporter, What Information Do We Collect From You?

When you enroll to be a Peer Supporter associated with our Services, we will collect your personal information in order to facilitate your participation in our Services. This may include your full name, date of birth/age, a brief biographical summary composed by you, a recent photograph, cell phone number, address, service history, validation of status as a veteran, information to confirm identity, peer support training and other certification information.  We may perform a background check on you as well.  We will display your name, biographical summary and photograph on the Application for prospective Users.  We will otherwise only use your personal information or disclose it to third-parties as is necessary to achieve the purposes as stated above or as otherwise approved.

What Information Do We Collect Through The Website?

Generally, for most website visitors, we will only collect cookie, electronic and device information from you that is necessary for us to administer the Website. Further, if you sign-up to receive our newsletter, we will collect your full name and e-mail address for that purpose.

If you chose to make a donation through the website, we will collect your personal information necessary to facilitate the donation, such as your full name, e-mail address, phone number, credit card details and a username and password (if you choose to create an account). However, please note that our donation functionality is facilitated by a third party service provider and your personal information will be shared with them. While we restrict our service provider’s use of your personal information, you should review the service provider’s privacy policy linked at the bottom of the donation page.

If you sign up to receive our newsletter, we will collect your full name and e-mail for that purpose. We will only use this information for the purposes of providing you with the newsletter. You can opt-out of receiving the newsletter through the opt-out links contained in those communications at any time.

If you indicate on the website your interest in serving as a Clinician or Peer Supporter, we will collect your full name and e-mail for that purpose and we will only use such information for the purposes of following up with you to determine your interest in and eligibility for providing such services. If you and we then determine to enroll you as a Clinician or Peer Supporter, as the case may be, please see the two preceding sections, “If You Are A Clinician, What Information Do We Collect From You?” and “If You Are A Peer Supporter, What Information Do We Collect From You?”, for the further information to be collected and the uses to be made of such information.

 

 

  1. PERSONAL INFORMATION RELATING TO CHILDREN

The Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) regulates online collection of information from persons under the age of 13. It is our policy to refrain from knowingly collecting or maintaining personal information relating to any person under the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18, please do not supply any personal information through the Website or Application. If you are under the age of 18 and have already provided personal information through the Website or Application, please have your parent or guardian contact us immediately using the information provided under Contact Us so that we can remove such information from our files.

  1. HOW LONG WE RETAIN YOUR INFORMATION

We generally retain your information as long as reasonably necessary to provide you the Services or to comply with applicable law and in accordance with our document retention policy. We may retain copies of information about you and any transactions or Services you have used for a period of time that is consistent with applicable law, applicable statutes of limitations, or as we believe is reasonably necessary to comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request, to detect or prevent fraud, to resolve disputes, to address problems with our Services, to assist with investigations, to enforce other applicable agreements, or policies or to take any other actions consistent with applicable law.

  1. SECURITY

We take reasonable measures, including administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, to protect your information from loss, theft, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. We hold information about you at our own premises and with the assistance of service providers. Further public disclosure here of our security measures could aid those who might attempt to circumvent those security measures. If you have additional questions regarding security, please contact us directly using the information provided under Contact Us.

  1. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may amend this Policy at any time by posting revisions on our Website. If we make any material changes in the way we collect or process your personal information, we will notify you by prominently posting notice of the changes on our Website.

  1. CONTACT US

To submit questions or to inquire about or submit a request relating to data rights, you can contact us by:

  • Calling us toll-free number at 800-227-4460
  • E-mailing us directly at info@sound-off.com
  • Mailing us at 4040 Broadway, Suite 501, San Antonio, Texas 78209

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our Policy, or if you believe our Policy or applicable laws relating to the protection of your personal information have not been respected, you may file a complaint with Sound Off using the contact information listed above, and we will respond to let you know who will be handling your matter and when you can expect a further response. We may request additional details from you regarding your concerns and may need to engage or consult with other parties in order to investigate and address your issue. We may keep records of your request and any resolution.

 

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