Community Bridge of SWFL

Community Bridge of SWFL ("we," "us," or "our") is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting veterans, seniors, and community members in Lee County and Southwest Florida with essential resources, including VA healthcare navigation and the Veteran Home Bridge Program. We are committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding any personal information or protected health information (PHI) we collect.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and your rights. Because we handle health-related information for veterans and may act as a business associate under HIPAA in certain contexts, we comply with applicable laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) where relevant.

We have signed a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Google for our use of Google Workspace services (such as Google Sites, Drive, and Forms) to ensure HIPAA-compliant handling of PHI when applicable.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information only as needed to provide our services, with your knowledge and consent.

• Personal Information: Name, contact details (phone, email, address), date of birth, veteran status, and other identifiers you provide during outreach, inquiries, or referrals.

• Health-Related Information (PHI): Medical history, health needs, barriers, VA benefits eligibility, hospitalization details, care plans, and related information collected during assessments or navigation support. This is protected health information under HIPAA when it identifies you and relates to your health or healthcare.

• Other Data: Consent forms, preferences for resource sharing, feedback, and voluntary submissions (e.g., through website forms or events).

We collect this information directly from you, with your explicit written or electronic consent obtained at the start of assessments or interactions.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information solely to fulfill our nonprofit mission:

• To conduct assessments, create tailored care plans, and provide VA healthcare navigation, temporary home care bridging, and resource connections.

• To coordinate services, make referrals (only with your consent), and track program impact (anonymized where possible).

• To communicate with you about services, updates, or follow-ups.

• For internal operations, compliance, reporting (aggregated/anonymized), and improving our programs.

• To comply with legal obligations, including HIPAA requirements.

We limit use and disclosure to the minimum necessary to accomplish these purposes.

3. Consent for Sharing Information

Before any assessment or service begins, you sign a consent form that clearly explains:

• What information we collect.

• How we may use it.

• That we will only share your contact information or relevant details with community resources, VA providers, hospitals, or partners if you specifically authorize it (e.g., for referrals to Lee Health, VetCenter, or other local organizations).

• Your right to revoke consent at any time (except where required by law).

We do not share your information without this consent, except as required by law (e.g., mandatory reporting) or to protect health/safety in emergencies.

4. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We share information only as follows:

• With your consent: To community partners, VA providers, or resources you approve for referrals or coordination.

• Business associates: With trusted vendors (e.g., Google Workspace under our signed BAA) who are contractually bound to protect PHI and use it only for permitted purposes.

• Legal requirements: If required by law, court order, or to report abuse/neglect as mandated.

• Aggregated/anonymized data: For program impact reporting, grant applications, or donor updates (never identifiable without consent).

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information or PHI.

5. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website (hosted on Google Sites) uses only essential cookies for basic functionality (e.g., session management). We do not use tracking cookies, analytics cookies (like Google Analytics), advertising cookies, or third-party trackers for marketing purposes.

No personal data is collected via cookies without your interaction (e.g., form submissions). You can manage browser cookie settings, but disabling them may affect site functionality.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your information, including:

• Secure Google Workspace configurations per our BAA.

• Access limited to authorized staff on a need-to-know basis.

• Encryption where applicable.

• Regular reviews for compliance.

While no system is 100% secure, we strive to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.

7. Your Rights

You have rights regarding your information, including:

• To access, review, or receive a copy of your records.

• To request corrections.

• To revoke consent for sharing (contact us immediately).

• To request restrictions on use/disclosure (subject to our ability to provide services).

• To file a complaint with us or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

For HIPAA-related rights, we follow the Notice of Privacy Practices standards where applicable.

8. Retention

We retain information only as long as necessary for our services, legal requirements, or program accountability (typically 6+ years per HIPAA/business record standards), after which it is securely destroyed or de-identified.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy. Changes will be posted here with the updated date. Continued use of our services constitutes acceptance.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, want to exercise rights, or file a concern:

Community Bridge of SWFL

Email: support@mycommunitybridge.org

We are here to help—your trust matters to us. Thank you for allowing us to serve Southwest Florida veterans and communities.

Last Updated: March 2026