Westbrook Health Services CRISIS HOTLINE POLICY SUMMARY & PRIVACY INFORMATION

Emergency Notice

If you are in immediate danger or need emergency assistance, call 911 or your local emergency authorities.

Westbrook Health Services SMS-Enabled Crisis Hotline

Westbrook Health Services aims to provide a supportive, accessible channel for clients to seek assistance and communicate with healthcare professionals during times of crisis.

By accessing or using this service, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Practices outlined below. If you have questions regarding these terms, you may contact Westbrook Health Services at 304-485-1721. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Westbrook Health Services SMS-Enabled Crisis Hotline.

Alternative crisis support options include:

Westbrook Crisis Hotline: 304-485-1725
Toll-Free Crisis Hotline: 800-579-5844
A list of additional crisis hotlines is available at: http://psychcentral.com/lib/common-hotline-phone-numbers/

Disclaimer Regarding SMS Communication

Please note that SMS messaging is an imperfectly secure communication environment. While Westbrook Health Services takes reasonable steps to protect your information, we cannot guarantee complete protection against unauthorized access, interception, or intrusion.

By using our SMS crisis support services and submitting information via text, you acknowledge and accept these risks and agree that Westbrook Health Services bears no liability for unauthorized access to SMS communications or associated data.

Client Rights and Responsibilities

Clients are encouraged to review the Westbrook Health Services Client Manual, including the Notice of Privacy Practices (https://www.westbrookhealth.org/privacy-practices)

Confidentiality, Anonymity, and Non-Discrimination

Confidentiality is a permanent covenant between behavioral health technicians, the Crisis Line, and the caller.
Callers to the Crisis Line may choose to remain anonymous. Choosing to be anonymous does not preclude callers from receiving services or being referred for treatment. Callers may decide to provide a fictitious name or only provide his/her first name. Non-identifying demographic information (like issue and self-identified gender) should still be collected to refer the caller to the appropriate resource or facility.
Westbrook Health Services is committed to equal opportunity, equal treatment, and non-discrimination in all aspects of employment, service provision and other business activities regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, lifestyle, HIV infection, physical or mental disability, developmental disability, or membership in any other class protected by local, state, or federal law.

Call Records Retention and Security

Text messages are managed through a secure cloud-based platform that automatically stores all incoming and outgoing messages. This ensures thorough documentation while maintaining strict confidentiality and security standards.
Phone calls are automatically recorded to support quality assurance and provide a reliable record in the event of grievances or incidents requiring review.

Text and Chat-Specific Protocols

The Crisis Line number (304-485-1725) is SMS-enabled, allowing clients to contact Westbrook Health Services via text message.
When a text message is received, behavioral health technicians are notified through the secure messaging platform.
Crisis Line staff will respond to information requests, provide contact information for resources, and answer questions.
Staff may assist clients with referrals if they are seeking treatment

Collection and Use of Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

“Personally Identifiable Information” (PII) refers to information that can uniquely identify an individual, such as a full name, home address, or email address. While using the crisis hotline, clients may be prompted—but are not required—to voluntarily provide PII if it is believed to enhance service delivery.

Westbrook Health Services does not sell, license, or share PII with third parties except as described below. Collected information may be used to:

Improve services
Contact clients as requested
Support internal reporting
Facilitate referrals or fulfill service requests

No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging opt-in data, consent, and originator information will not be shared with any third parties.

If you have questions or concerns regarding this Policy Summary or related practices, please contact the Privacy Officer at 304-485-1721. For additional information regarding the Notice of Privacy Practices for other services, please refer to the applicable link.