Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy
We, the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), are committed to protecting the privacy of the users of the AMHCA website. The information we collect is used to provide services to our clients and this statement of privacy explains data collection and use in those situations.

What Data is Collected?
As a visitor to this site, you are able to engage in many activities without providing personal information. AMHCA does not require users to complete a registration form in order to browse our website. You are only required to provide certain personal information to AMHCA if you are ordering a product or service from AMHCA, registering on our site, subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a form or are attempting to apply or renew membership with AMHCA.

In order to gain access to members-only resources and personalization features on our website, members and other users are asked to register and provide information. To gain access to some of the members-only or subscription-based areas of AMHCA’s website, users are asked to provide their name, address, email address, phone number, sometimes their graduation date and may choose to provide AMHCA with their credit card accounts to make payments. This information is submitted voluntarily. Similar information from members is submitted on applications, conference registrations, and public orders/subscriptions. You have the right to access and correct your personal information and privacy preferences at any time. With respect to profile information, this may be accomplished by linking to your account and clicking on “Edit My Profile” where you can view and make changes to your personal information. In connection with other activities, you will be asked to provide certain information about yourself by filling out and submitting a form. You have the right to access and correct your personal information and privacy preferences at any time. In order to gain access to members-only resources and personalization features on amhca.org, members and other users are asked to register and provide information. This information is submitted voluntarily. Similar information from members is submitted on applications, conference registrations, and publication orders/subscriptions.

How do we protect visitor information?
Our website is scanned on a regular basis for security holes and known vulnerabilities in order to make your visit to our site as safe as possible.

Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems, and are required to keep the information confidential. In addition, all sensitive/credit information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.

We implement a variety of security measures when a user places an order enters, submits, or accesses their information to maintain the safety of your personal information.

All transactions are processed through a gateway provider and are not stored or processed on our servers.

Do we use cookies?
Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the site's or service provider's systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. For instance, we use cookies to help us remember and process the items in your shopping cart. They are also used to help us understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. We also use cookies to help us compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future.

We use cookies to:
• Help remember and process the items in the shopping cart.
• Understand and save user's preferences for future visits.
• Compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interactions in order to offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We may also use trusted third-party services that track this information on our behalf.

You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser (like Internet Explorer) settings. Each browser is a little different, so look at your browser's Help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.

If you disable cookies off, some features will be disabled. It won't affect the user's experience that make your site experience more efficient and some of our services will not function properly.

We use session cookies and persistent cookies. We use session cookies to make it easier to navigate our site. A session cookie expires when you close your browser. A persistent cookie remains on your hard drive for an extended period of time. We set a persistent cookie to store your password, so that, if you choose, you don’t have to enter it more than once. You can remove persistent cookies by following directions provided in your internet browser’s help file.

How do we use data collected?
Services
Generally, AMHCA uses data it collects to improve web content, respond to visitors’ interests, needs and preferences, to develop new products and services and to provide individuals and their companies with information about complimentary AMHCA products services, promotions or special offers.

Third Parties

AMHCA makes member information (name, address or email) available to an online membership directory that third parties can utilize to offer products and services. Users may request AMHCA to refrain from disclosing the data it collects to third parties on the membership application form, conference registration form or any other form on which they are providing information. Alternatively, users may contact AMHCA to inform us of their preferences.

We engage in this practice because, we want to allow other organizations to promote their services and events that may be relevant and helpful to our members.

Third-party links
Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third-party products or services on our website. These third-party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.

We have implemented the following:
• Google Display Network Impression Reporting
• Demographics and Interests Reporting

We along with third-party vendors, such as Google use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookies).

California Online Privacy Protection Act
CalOPPA is the first state law in the nation to require commercial websites and online services to post a privacy policy. The law's reach stretches well beyond California to require a person or company in the United States (and conceivably the world) that operates websites collecting personally identifiable information from California consumers to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its website stating exactly the information being collected and those individuals with whom it is being shared, and to comply with this policy. - See more at: http://consumercal.org/california-online-privacy-protection-act-caloppa/#sthash.0FdRbT51.dpuf

According to CalOPPA we agree to the following:
Users can visit our site anonymously.
Once this privacy policy is created, we will add a link to it on our home page or as a minimum on the first significant page after entering our website.
Our Privacy Policy link includes the word 'Privacy' and can be easily be found on the page specified above.

Users will be notified of any privacy policy changes:

• Via Email

Users are able to change their personal information:
• By emailing us
• By calling us
• By logging in to their account

How does our site handle do not track signals?
We honor do not track signals and do not track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track (DNT) browser mechanism is in place.

Does our site allow third-party behavioral tracking?
It's also important to note that we allow third-party behavioral tracking

COPPA (Children Online Privacy Protection Act)
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children's privacy and safety online.
We do not specifically market to children under 13.

Fair Information Practices
The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information.

In order to be in line with Fair Information Practices we will take the following responsive action, should a data breach occur:
We will notify the users via email
• Within 7 business days
We will notify the users via letter
• Within 7 business days
We will notify the users via in-site notification
• Within 7 business days

We also agree to the Individual Redress Principle, which requires that individuals have a right to pursue legally enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or government agencies to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.

CAN SPAM Act

The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.

We collect your email address in order to:
• Send information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions.
• Process orders and to send information and updates pertaining to orders.
• We may also send you additional information related to your product and/or service.
• Market to our mailing list or continue to send emails to our clients after the original transaction has occurred.

To be in accordance with CANSPAM we agree to the following:
• NOT use false or misleading subjects or email addresses.
• Identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way.
• Include the physical address of our business or site headquarters.
• Monitor third-party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used.
• Honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly.
• Allow users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of each email.

If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can email us at
• Follow the instructions at the bottom of each email and we will promptly remove you from ALL correspondence.

AMHCA reserves the right to change this privacy statement at any time. Please review this statement frequently for any changes to our privacy policy.

We reserve the right to disclose your personally identifiable information as required by law when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or otherwise to comply with a judicial proceeding, court order or other legal process.

Contacting Us

If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us using the information below.
www.amhca.org
107 S. West Street, Suite 779
Alexandria, VA 22314
United States
info@amhca.org
703-548-6002

Last Edited on 2016-05-18