Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to the Sandra Hawkins-Heitt, PsyD, PA website and associated information properties. Please review this Privacy Policy before accessing the content which falls under it’s terms. Accessing any content on the Sandra Hawkins-Heitt, PsyD, PA website and associated information properties indicates agreement to this Privacy Policy.
When accessing our Website, Sandra Hawkins-Heitt, PsyD, PA will learn certain information about you during your visit. If you visit our site to read or download information on our pages or contact us using our online forms, comment system, or subscribe to our newsletter, we may collect and store information about you. This information is governed by the Sandra Hawkins-Heitt, PsyD, PA Privacy Policy.
Usage data collected is for statistical purposes only.
Sandra Hawkins-Heitt, PsyD, PA may use software programs to create summary statistics, which are used for such purposes as assessing the number of visitors to the different sections of our site, what information is of most and least interest, determining technical requirements, identifying system performance or problem areas, etc.
These software programs collect information such as; the name of the domain from which you access the Internet, the date and time you access our site, the Internet address of the website used to link to our site.
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, Sandra Hawkins-Heitt, PsyD, PA uses software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage.
Identity data collected is for communication purposes only.
If you identify yourself by sending us an message via our contact form or direct email containing personal information, the information collected will be solely utilized to respond to your message.
If you identify yourself and opt-in by subscribing to our email list via our double opt-in email list subscription form, the information collected will be solely utilized to send you emails and manage your email list account.
The Sandra Hawkins-Heitt, PsyD, PA Privacy Policy states that we will not obtain personally identifying information about you when you visit our site, unless you choose to provide such information to us, nor will such information be sold or otherwise transferred to unaffiliated third parties without the approval of the user at the time of collection.
Social Media Policy
This document outlines my office policies related to use of Social Media. Please read it to understand how I conduct myself on the Internet as a mental health professional and how you can expect me to respond to various interactions that may occur between us on the Internet. As new technology develops and the Internet changes, there may be times when I need to update this policy. If I do so, I will notify you in writing of any policy changes and make sure you have a copy of the updated policy.
Friending/Following
I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) or follow any clients on Twitter. I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship.
Interacting
Please do not use SMS (mobile phone text messaging) or messaging on Social Networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to contact me. These sites are not secure and I may not read these messages in a timely fashion. Do not use Wall postings, @replies, or other means of engaging with me in public online if we have an already established client/therapist relationship. Engaging with me this way could compromise your confidentiality. It may also create the possibility that these exchanges become a part of your legal medical record and will need to be documented and archived in your chart.
Use Of Search Engines
It is NOT a regular part of my practice to search for clients on Google or Facebook or other search engines. Extremely rare exceptions may be made during times of crisis. If I have a reason to suspect that you are in danger and you have not been in touch with me via our usual means (coming to appointments, phone, or email) there might be an instance in which using a search engine (to find you, find someone close to you, or to check on your recent status updates) becomes necessary as part of ensuring your welfare. These are unusual situations and if I ever resort to such means, I will fully document it and discuss it with you when we next meet.
Google Reader
I do not follow current or former clients on Google Reader and I do not use Google Reader to share articles. If there are things you want to share with me that you feel are relevant to your treatment whether they are news items or things you have created, I encourage you to bring these items of interest into our sessions.
Business Review Sites
You may find my psychology practice on sites such as Yelp, Healthgrades,Yahoo Local, Bing, or other places which list businesses. Some of these sites include forums in which users rate their providers and add reviews. Many of these sites comb search engines for business listings and automatically add listings regardless of whether the business has added itself to the site. If you should find my listing on any of these sites, please know that my listing is NOT a request for a testimonial, rating, or endorsement from you as my client. The American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code states under Principle 5.05 that it is unethical for psychologists to solicit testimonials: “Psychologists do not solicit testimonials from current therapy clients/patients or other persons who because of their particular circumstances are vulnerable to undue influence.” Of course, you have a right to express yourself on any site you wish. But due to confidentiality, I cannot respond to any review on any of these sites whether it is positive or negative. I urge you to take your own privacy as seriously as I take my commitment of confidentiality to you. You should also be aware that if you are using these sites to communicate indirectly with me about your feelings about our work, there is a good possibility that I may never see it. If we are working together, I hope that you will bring your feelings and reactions to our work directly into the therapy process. This can be an important part of therapy, even if you decide we are not a good fit. None of this is meant to keep you from sharing that you are in therapy with me wherever and with whomever you like. Confidentiality means that I cannot tell people that you are my client and my Ethics Code prohibits me from requesting testimonials. But you are more than welcome to tell anyone you wish that I’m your therapist or how you feel about the treatment I provided to you, in any forum of your choosing. If you do choose to write something on a business review site, I hope you will keep in mind that you may be sharing personally revealing information in a public forum. I urge you to create a pseudonym that is not linked to your regular email address or friend networks for your own privacy and protection.
Location-Based Services
If you use location-based services on your mobile phone, please be aware of the privacy issues related to using these services. I do not place my practice as a check-in location on various sites such as Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, etc. However, if you have GPS tracking enabled on your device, it is possible that others may surmise that you are a therapy client due to regular check-ins at my office on a weekly basis. Please be aware of this risk if you are intentionally “checking in,” from my office or if you have a passive LBS app enabled on your phone, as this may compromise your confidentiality.
I prefer using email only to arrange or modify appointments. Please do not email me content related to your therapy sessions, as email is not completely secure or confidential. If you choose to communicate with me by email, be aware that all emails are retained in the logs of your and my Internet service providers. While it is unlikely that someone will be looking at these logs, they are, in theory, available to be read by the system administrator(s) of the Internet service provider. You should also know that any emails I receive from you and any responses that I send to you become a part of your legal record.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to review my Social Media Policy. If you have questions or concerns about any of these policies and procedures or regarding our potential interactions on the Internet, do bring them to my attention so that we can discuss them.
Sandra Hawkins-Heitt, PsyD, PA is a proud supporter of the framework, ideas and technologies that continue to make this website possible including; Net Neutrality, Open Source, Fair Use and Creative Commons Licensing.
Please contact us with any questions.