Privacy Policy
Confidentiality of Chat
2-1-1 Texas Information and Referral Network (TIRN), call specialists take your confidentiality seriously. We do not discuss or release your information to any third parties unless you give us permission, or in circumstances in which we may be mandated by law to break confidentiality, such as the following:
• 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. 2-1-1 TIRN specialists 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. 2-1-1 TIRN Specialists will not make reports of any criminal activity for any reason other than those stated above.
Are all 2-1-1 TIRN Chat communications secure and confidential?
The confidentiality and security of chats is protected through the 2-1-1 TIRN chat software provider, who uses the same encryption and data protection standards required by major financial institutions to transact business with each other. All of your communications are securely encrypted from your computer to ours.
2-1-1 TIRN Chat can be used from a computer or a phone, and the service is mobile-compatible.
Conversations on the chatline are completely confidential and no record of the conversation will be stored, unless users manually save content or opt to have the transcript sent to their email.
YOUR CONSENT AND CHANGES IN PRIVACY POLICY
By using Chat, you agree to the practices outlined in this Privacy Policy. 2-1-1 TIRN Chat 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 211Texas.org. Your use of Chat after any such changes have been posted shall constitute your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy and Terms.
COLLECTION AND USE OF INFORMATION
We collect certain data that, will be handled based on applicable federal, state, and local regulations. We may collect, use, transfer, and disclose this information for any purpose, including but not limited to improving volunteer services, disclosing to third parties to generate support for 2-1-1 TIRN Chat, 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, and zip code to better understand our visitors and improve our service.
• We also may collect information regarding usage of Chat 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.
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.