Terms of Service

Crisis Teen Textline Terms & Conditions
USE OF THIS SERVICE IS BOUND BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Please read the following statement before using this service. By using VIA LINK’s Crisis Teen Textline, you agree to the terms described below. If you don’t agree to the terms, you may not use this service.

Modification of the Terms, Conditions and Privacy Statement
These statements may be modified from time to time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting. Each time you access this service you will be presented with the current terms, conditions and privacy statement for acceptance. When you use our services, we assume you have agreed to our most current policies and terms of service.

VIA LINK Crisis Teen Textline Guidelines:

• Use respectful language.
• Stay focused on the text and respond regularly. We suggest you try to limit multitasking to get the most out of your text session.
• If you need to step away from your phone, let us know that you need to end the text and come back when you have time again.

PROHIBITED USES; RIGHT TO TERMINATE ACCESS
You may use Crisis Teen Textline only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree to use Crisis Teen Textline only for lawful and legitimate purposes. You agree not to use Crisis Teen Textline:

• In any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local and international law or regulation;
• For the purpose of exploiting, harming or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way by exposing them to inappropriate content, asking for personal information or otherwise;
• To threaten, harass, or otherwise inappropriately abuse Crisis Teen Textline, its employees, partners, agents, subcontractors, Specialists, or others;
• To send, knowingly receive, upload, download, use or reuse any content which does not comply with these Terms;
• To “spam,” gather or attempt to gather personal information belonging to users or others for the purposes of spamming, marketing, selling to third parties, or otherwise abusing Crisis Teen Textline or its users;
• To impersonate or attempt to impersonate another person or entity; or
• To otherwise attempt to interfere with the proper working of Crisis Teen Textline.

Crisis Teen Textline reserves the right to terminate your access to the textline if you violate these Terms, including by engaging in the prohibited uses described above or for other reasons not outlined here. For example, we might determine that you’d be better served by a different kind of support or that you require service beyond those that we can reasonably provide to you. Crisis Teen Textline further reserves the right to terminate your access to it, for any other reason, at our sole discretion.

Nature of Crisis Teen Textline’s Service

Standard texting rates may apply when you use our service.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IN VIA LINK’s CRISIS TEEN TEXTLINE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE MENTAL HEALTH CARE OR TREATMENT AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP, A THERAPIST-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP OR ANY OTHER SORT OF CONFIDENTIAL RELATIONSHIP. THIS SERVICE IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL HEALTH CARE. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, CALL YOUR DOCTOR OR 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY.

VIA LINK and any of their employees, volunteers or agents are not responsible for any decisions, or results of the decisions that you make while, as a result of, or after participating in Crisis Teen Textline. This includes whether you choose to seek or not seek professional care, or to modify or terminate specific treatment that you are currently receiving based on the information provided by this service. You assume all risk for use of this service. VIA LINK and any of their employees, volunteers, or agents have no liability for actions taken by you or a third party, or not taken by you or a third party, and you agree to indemnify us and hold us harmless for damages arising out of information provided through this service. Without limiting the foregoing, in no event shall VIA LINK be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, or indirect damages. This service is provided on an “as is” basis and “as available” basis. VIA LINK expressly disclaims all warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied and make no warranty that VIA LINK’s Crisis Teen Textline will a) meet your requirements; b) be uninterrupted, timely, confidential, secure, or error-free; or c) meet your expectations.

PRIVACY AND SECURITY
We take your privacy and security very seriously, so we employ reasonable security measures to help protect your information. Despite these protections, SMS remains an imperfectly secure environment. By using Crisis Teen Textline, you agree to use and submit information at your own risk, and you agree that Crisis Teen Textline has no liability regarding anyone’s unauthorized access to data associated with it.

Privacy Policy

YOUR CONSENT AND CHANGES IN PRIVACY POLICY
By using Crisis Teen Textline, you agree to the practices outlined in this Privacy Policy. Crisis Text Line may change this Privacy Policy from time to time, so please consult it regularly for any such changes. Any changes will be effective immediately upon our posting them to our website at vialink.org. Your use of Crisis Teen Textline after any such changes have been posted shall constitute your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy and Terms.

Each time that you first send a text message to Crisis Teen Textline, you’ll receive a couple automated reply text message(s) with a link to our website so you can review the Terms and Privacy Policy before continuing to use the Crisis Teen Textline. Using the textline after receiving those text message(s) shall constitute your acceptance of the Terms and Privacy Policy.

COLLECTION AND USE OF NON-PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION
We also collect non-Personally Identifiable Information, which is data that cannot be directly used to identify or contact you. We may collect, use, transfer, and disclose non-Personally Identifiable Information for any purpose, including but not limited to improving volunteer services, disclosing to third parties to generate support for VIA LINK’s Crisis Teen Textline, or as required by funders.

Below are examples of the Information that we collect and how we may use it:

• We may collect information such as age, gender, zip code, and area code, to better understand our visitors and improve our service.
• We also may collect information regarding usage of Crisis Teen Textline such as the conversation volume, average length of conversation, and other data. This information is aggregated and helps us conduct internal research so we can improve the quality of our service.

Confidentiality of Crisis Teen Textline

VIA LINK Specialist s are bound by confidentiality and will not discuss or release your information to any third parties. However, there are several circumstances in which a chat Specialist may be mandated by law to break confidentiality:

• If the Specialist believes that you are an immediate danger to yourself or someone else and needs to contact emergency services to assist.
• In cases where reportable abuse is mentioned. VIA LINK Specialist s are mandated reporters for abuse inflicted upon any of the following populations:
  • Children under the age of 18
  • Elderly persons over the age of 60
  • Any person who is disabled
  • Any person who is institutionalized, such as within a nursing home, hospital, or prison.

You are never required to provide the Specialist with any more information than you want to. VIA LINK Specialists will not make reports of any criminal activity for any reason other than those stated above.

Protecting Yourself
Always be careful and responsible regarding your Personally Identifiable Information. We are not responsible for, and cannot control, what others not affiliated with Crisis Teen Textline do with information you provide to them.

One suggestion: you might want to delete Crisis Teen Textline conversations from your phone. You might even want to clear us from your history and make sure we are not saved in your contact list. It is understandable if you want to take these steps and others to ensure that your relationship to Crisis Text Line remains your business.

Text Guidelines

• Use respectful language.
• Stay focused on the text and respond regularly. We suggest you try to limit multitasking to get the most out of your text session.
• If you need to step away from your phone, let us know that you need to end the text and come back when you have time again.

PROHIBITED USES; RIGHT TO TERMINATE ACCESS

You may use Txt211 only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree to use Txt211 only for lawful and legitimate purposes. You agree not to use Txt211:

• In any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local and international law or regulation;
• For the purpose of exploiting, harming or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way by exposing them to inappropriate content, asking for personal information or otherwise;
• To threaten, harass, or otherwise inappropriately abuse Txt211, its employees, partners, agents, subcontractors, Specialists, or others;
• To send, knowingly receive, upload, download, use or reuse any content which does not comply with these Terms;
• To “spam,” gather or attempt to gather personal information belonging to users or others for the purposes of spamming, marketing, selling to third parties, or otherwise abusing Txt211 or its users;
• To impersonate or attempt to impersonate another person or entity; or To otherwise attempt to interfere with the proper working of Txt211.

Txt211 reserves the right to terminate your access if you violate these Terms, including by engaging in the prohibited uses described above or for other reasons not outlined here. For example, we might determine that you’d be better served by a different kind of support or that you require service beyond those that we can reasonably provide to you. Txt211 may terminate or suspend your access to all or part of Txt211 services, without notice, for any conduct that Txt211, at our sole discretion.

Terms of Service

Standard msg&data rates may apply. Text STOP to opt-­‐out. HELP for help. For end user privacy and terms and conditions of texting with 898211, go to: http://www.preventionpaystext.com/policies/

Txt211 is not a substitute for 9-1-1 (emergency services), 4-1-1 (telephone directory assistance) or other specialized hotlines or automated recordings. Txt211 supports individuals with hearing/speech impairments or they may also call 7-1-1. Translation services are available to those contacting Txt211 Alerts.

Use of Information and Services: The information and services provided by Txt211 are for informational purposes only.

Modification of Terms and Conditions: Txt211 reserves the right, at any time, to modify, alter or update these Terms and Conditions and you agree to be bound by such modifications, alterations or updates.

Confidentiality of VIA LINK Specialists

VIA LINK Specialist are bound by confidentiality and will not discuss or release your information to any third parties. However, there are several circumstances in which a chat Specialist may be mandated by law to break confidentiality:

• If the Specialist believes that you are an immediate danger to yourself or someone else and needs to contact emergency services to assist.
• In cases where reportable abuse is mentioned. VIA LINK Specialist s are mandated reporters for abuse inflicted upon any of the following populations:
  • Children under the age of 18
  • Elderly persons over the age of 60
  • Any person who is disabled
  • Any person who is institutionalized, such as within a nursing home, hospital, or prison.

You are never required to provide the Specialist with any more information than you want to. VIA LINK Specialists will not make reports of any criminal activity for any reason other than those stated above.