Effective Date: August 4, 2026
Last Updated: August 4, 2026
Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Services, PA, doing business as IBHS Counseling (collectively, “IBHS Counseling,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect information when you visit https://ibhscounseling.com, submit a website form, communicate with us, or opt in to receive text messages.
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through our public website and related online services. It does not replace our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, which explains how we may use and disclose protected health information and describes your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) and other applicable health-information laws. If information is protected health information, our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices and applicable law will govern. If this Privacy Policy conflicts with our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices regarding protected health information, the Notice of Privacy Practices will control.
Depending on how you use our website or communicate with us, we may collect the following categories of information.
We may collect information you voluntarily provide, including:
Please do not submit sensitive medical, mental-health, financial, or identifying information through a general website contact form unless the form clearly states that it is designed and secured to receive that information.
When you visit our website, our website and service providers may automatically collect limited technical information, such as:
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies that help the site function, remember preferences, maintain security, understand website traffic, and improve performance. Some embedded content or third-party features may also place cookies or collect information according to the third party’s own privacy policy.
You can configure your browser to block or delete cookies. Blocking certain cookies may affect how parts of the website function.
We may use information collected through the website to:
We will not use mobile telephone numbers or SMS opt-in consent for unrelated marketing or promotional purposes.
IBHS Counseling uses text messaging for appointment-related communications with individuals who have provided consent. Messages may include appointment reminders, confirmations, scheduling or rescheduling notices, cancellations, and office-closure notifications. SMS is not used to communicate sensitive clinical details or for emergency or crisis communications.
Individuals may opt in by entering a mobile telephone number on an IBHS Counseling website form and affirmatively selecting a separate SMS consent checkbox. The checkbox is optional and is not preselected. Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of receiving treatment or purchasing services.
By opting in, you confirm that you are the subscriber or customary user of the number provided and authorize IBHS Counseling to send appointment-related text messages to that number.
Message frequency varies based on your scheduled appointments and related activity. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for assistance. You may also contact us at (910) 438-0947.
If you reply STOP, we will send a confirmation stating that you have successfully opted out and that no further text messages will be sent. After that confirmation, you will receive no additional SMS messages from the program unless you later provide new consent or reply START where supported.
No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Mobile telephone numbers, SMS opt-in data, and text-messaging consent will not be sold, rented, traded, or transferred to third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional use.
All information-sharing categories described elsewhere in this Privacy Policy exclude text-messaging originator opt-in data and consent. SMS opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
We may disclose mobile information only to vendors that act on our behalf and require the information to provide the technical infrastructure or delivery services for the IBHS Counseling SMS program, such as telecommunications carriers and messaging-platform providers. Such vendors are not permitted to use mobile information or SMS consent for their own marketing or promotional purposes. We may also disclose information when required by law. These limited operational or legally required disclosures do not transfer your consent to receive messages from IBHS Counseling to another organization.
SMS consent and opt-in or opt-out records may be maintained in a secure patient file, patient-management system, communications platform, or other business record accessible only to authorized personnel and service providers with a legitimate operational need.
We do not sell or rent personal information. We may disclose non-SMS personal information in the following limited circumstances:
We may provide information to companies that perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, website maintenance, form processing, data storage, cybersecurity, spam prevention, communications, analytics, and professional support. These providers are authorized to use information only as needed to perform services for us or comply with law.
If information is protected health information, we may use or disclose it only as permitted by HIPAA, other applicable law, our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, or a valid authorization from the individual.
We may disclose information when we believe disclosure is required or permitted by law, regulation, court order, subpoena, legal process, licensing requirement, audit, or government request. We may also disclose information when reasonably necessary to investigate misconduct, prevent harm, protect legal rights, or maintain the safety and security of our patients, visitors, workforce, systems, or organization.
Information may be reviewed or transferred as part of a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar business transaction, subject to applicable healthcare privacy laws and appropriate confidentiality protections.
The disclosures described in this Section 4 do not authorize mobile telephone numbers or SMS opt-in data and consent to be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
Information you provide in connection with receiving healthcare services may be protected health information under HIPAA or other laws. Our use and disclosure of protected health information are governed by our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, not solely by this website Privacy Policy.
Our Notice of Privacy Practices explains, among other things, how medical information may be used and disclosed, your rights regarding that information, and how to submit a privacy complaint. You may request a copy by contacting our office.
Standard email, ordinary SMS, and general public website forms may not be secure methods for transmitting sensitive health information. Do not use these methods for emergencies, crisis communications, or detailed clinical information. If you need to send sensitive information, contact our office and ask for an approved method.
Our website may contain links to or embedded content from third-party websites, such as maps, videos, scheduling tools, or other resources. When you interact with third-party content, the third party may collect information and use cookies under its own privacy policy.
We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy, security, content, or availability of third-party websites. A link does not necessarily mean that we endorse the third party.
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. Access is limited to personnel and service providers who need the information for authorized purposes.
No website, database, email system, text-messaging system, or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should use care when deciding what information to send electronically.
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, provide requested services, document consent or opt-out requests, maintain security, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and comply with healthcare, tax, insurance, professional, legal, and regulatory obligations.
Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected. Protected health information and patient records are retained according to applicable law and our records-retention policies.
Depending on the information involved and applicable law, you may be able to:
We may need to verify your identity before processing a request. We may deny or limit a request when required or permitted by law, including when information must be retained for healthcare, legal, security, or business purposes.
To submit a privacy request, contact us using the information in Section 13.
Our public website is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information online directly from a child under 13 without authorization from a parent or legal guardian when required by law.
Healthcare information concerning minors is handled in accordance with HIPAA, North Carolina law, other applicable laws, and our clinical privacy practices. If you believe a child has submitted personal information through the website without appropriate authorization, please contact us.
The website, email, contact forms, and SMS program are not monitored as emergency-response services.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental-health crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Do not use a website form, email, voicemail, or text message to communicate urgent or emergency information.
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, services, technologies, or legal obligations. The revised policy will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date.
Material changes affecting SMS consent will not permit us to share mobile information or SMS opt-in data and consent with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices, or your information, contact:
Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Services, PA
IBHS Counseling
2577 Ravenhill Drive
Fayetteville, NC 28303-5451
Telephone: (910) 438-0947
Email: info@ibhscounseling.com
Website: https://ibhscounseling.com
For questions specifically concerning protected health information or to exercise HIPAA privacy rights, please contact the practice and request assistance from its designated Privacy Official.