Privacy Policy

Introduction

NJA Helpline - Mental Health Service & Behavioral Treatment Specialists ("we," "our," or "us") operates a licensed addiction treatment center located at 20 Plain St, Braintree, MA 02184. We are committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding any personal or health information you share with our facility.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you visit our website at njahelpline.website, contact our treatment center, or receive care at our facility in Braintree, Massachusetts. By using our website or engaging with our treatment center, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with our treatment center through our website, by phone, or in person at our Braintree facility, we may collect the following information:

Contact Information: Name, phone number, email address, and mailing address
Admissions Inquiries: Information you provide when requesting an assessment, verifying insurance, or asking about our treatment programs
Insurance Information: Insurance provider, policy number, and group number for benefits verification
Health Information: Medical history, substance use history, mental health conditions, and treatment records created during your care at our facility
Emergency Contact Information: Names and phone numbers of family members or designated contacts
Demographic Information: Age, gender, and other information relevant to your treatment plan

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information:

Device Information: Browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and device type
Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring website, and navigation paths
IP Address: Your internet protocol address, which may indicate your general geographic location
Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Information collected through cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies (see Cookies & Tracking section below)

Information From Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third parties, including:

Referring physicians, hospitals, or other treatment providers
Insurance companies during the benefits verification process
Family members or loved ones who contact us on your behalf with your consent

How We Use Your Information

NJA Helpline uses the information we collect for the following purposes:

Treatment & Clinical Operations

Providing medical detox, residential treatment, outpatient programs, and dual diagnosis care at our Braintree facility
Creating and maintaining your individualized treatment plan
Coordinating care among our on-site clinical team of physicians, therapists, and counselors
Processing insurance claims and verifying coverage for your treatment
Communicating with you about appointments, treatment progress, and aftercare planning

Website & Administrative Operations

Responding to your inquiries about our treatment center and programs
Improving our website functionality and user experience
Sending you information about our facility, events, or educational resources (with your consent)
Complying with legal and regulatory obligations
Maintaining the safety and security of our facility, staff, and patients

HIPAA Compliance: All Protected Health Information (PHI) collected during your treatment at our facility is handled in strict compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable Massachusetts state privacy laws. Our clinical team receives regular HIPAA training, and we maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your health information.

Information Sharing & Disclosure

NJA Helpline does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

With Your Consent

We may share your health information with other healthcare providers, family members, or third parties when you have provided written authorization in accordance with HIPAA requirements.

For Treatment, Payment, and Operations

Treatment: Sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in your care, including referring physicians and aftercare providers
Payment: Submitting claims and necessary information to your insurance company for payment of treatment services rendered at our facility
Operations: Using information for quality improvement, staff training, and regulatory compliance at our treatment center

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, including:

Compliance with a court order, subpoena, or other legal process
Reporting to public health authorities as required by Massachusetts or federal law
Preventing a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety, or the health or safety of others
Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence as mandated by law
Compliance with oversight activities by regulatory agencies

Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist with our operations, such as website hosting, analytics, and electronic health record systems. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us understand how visitors use our site and improve your browsing experience.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies: Required for basic website functionality, such as navigation and accessing secure areas. These cannot be disabled.
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting anonymous usage data. We may use services such as Google Analytics for this purpose.
Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings to improve your experience on return visits.

Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. However, disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

Do Not Track

Our website respects "Do Not Track" browser signals. When we detect a Do Not Track signal, we limit the use of non-essential tracking technologies.

Third-Party Analytics

We may use third-party analytics tools to analyze website traffic and usage patterns. These tools collect information anonymously and report website trends without identifying individual visitors. The data collected helps us improve our website to better serve individuals seeking addiction treatment information.

Your Rights

You have important rights regarding the information we hold about you. As a patient or visitor of our treatment center in Braintree, Massachusetts, you may exercise the following rights:

Access Your Information

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information and health records we maintain about you. We will provide this information within 30 days of receiving your written request.

Correct Your Information

If you believe any information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request that we correct it. We will review your request and make corrections where appropriate.

Request Deletion

You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Please note that we are required by law to retain certain medical records for a minimum period, and some deletion requests may not be fulfilled if retention is legally mandated.

Restrict Processing

You may request that we limit how we use your personal information in certain circumstances, including opting out of non-essential communications.

Receive an Accounting of Disclosures

Under HIPAA, you have the right to receive a list of certain disclosures we have made of your Protected Health Information during the six years prior to your request.

File a Complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Officer or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

How to Exercise Your Rights: To make any of the requests described above, please contact our Privacy Officer by email at [email protected], by calling (339) 233-3336, or by writing to NJA Helpline, 20 Plain St, Braintree, MA 02184. We may require identity verification before processing your request.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Protected Health Information (PHI)

As a licensed addiction treatment center, NJA Helpline creates, receives, and maintains Protected Health Information about patients who receive care at our facility. PHI includes any individually identifiable information related to your past, present, or future physical or mental health conditions, the treatment you receive at our center, and the payment for that treatment.

Your Patient Rights Under HIPAA

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, you have the following rights regarding your health information:

Right to Inspect and Copy: You may request to view and obtain a copy of your medical records maintained at our facility
Right to Amend: You may request corrections to your health records if you believe they contain errors
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a record of disclosures we have made of your PHI
Right to Request Restrictions: You may ask us to limit how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or operations
Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that we communicate with you about health matters through specific methods or at specific locations
Right to a Paper Copy: You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time
Right to Be Notified of a Breach: You have the right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI

42 CFR Part 2 — Substance Use Disorder Records

Records relating to substance use disorder treatment at NJA Helpline receive additional federal protection under 42 CFR Part 2 (Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records). Under these regulations:

Your substance use disorder treatment records cannot be disclosed without your specific written consent, except in limited circumstances permitted by law
Information about your participation in our treatment programs is protected and may not be used against you in criminal proceedings without a court order
Any violations of 42 CFR Part 2 may be reported to the appropriate authorities and are subject to criminal penalties
Re-disclosure of your records by any recipient is prohibited without your additional written consent

How We Protect Your Information

Our treatment center employs comprehensive safeguards to protect your PHI, including:

Administrative Safeguards: Staff training, privacy policies, and designated privacy officers
Physical Safeguards: Secure records storage at our Braintree facility, locked file cabinets, and restricted access areas
Technical Safeguards: Encrypted electronic health records, secure data transmission, access controls, and audit logs

Data Security

We take the security of your information seriously. NJA Helpline implements industry-standard security measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of your information. These measures include:

SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted through our website
Encrypted storage for electronic health records and personal data
Regular security assessments and vulnerability monitoring
Role-based access controls limiting information access to authorized staff only
Secure physical storage of paper records at our treatment center
Regular staff training on privacy and security best practices

While we strive to protect your information using commercially reasonable measures, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. If you have concerns about the security of your data, please contact our Privacy Officer.

Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through our website. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete that information. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information through our website, please contact us at [email protected].

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, regulatory requirements, or applicable laws. When we make material changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy regularly when visiting our website.

Any changes to how we handle your Protected Health Information will be communicated in accordance with HIPAA requirements. Updated versions of our Notice of Privacy Practices will be available at our treatment center and on our website.

Contact Us About Privacy

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have concerns about how your information is handled, please contact our Privacy Officer:

NJA Helpline Privacy Officer

[email protected]

(339) 233-3336

NJA Helpline
20 Plain St
Braintree, MA 02184

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you believe your privacy rights have been violated:

Website: www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints
Phone: 1-800-368-1019