Privacy Policy

Effective Date: March 20, 2026

TMC Helpline – Total Mental Care & Addiction Treatment Service ("TMC Helpline," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of every person who visits our website or receives treatment at our facility in Oceanside, California. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information and Protected Health Information (PHI).

By using our website at tmctreatment.com or engaging with our treatment center, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you have any questions, please contact our privacy officer at [email protected].

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information

When you contact TMC Helpline, submit a form on our website, or begin the admissions process at our treatment center, we may collect the following personal information:

Full name, date of birth, and contact information (phone number, email address, mailing address)
Insurance information and policy details
Emergency contact information
Information about your substance use history and treatment needs
Referral source information

Health Information

As a licensed addiction treatment center, TMC Helpline collects Protected Health Information (PHI) necessary for your care. This may include:

Medical history and current health conditions
Substance use history and treatment records
Mental health assessments and diagnoses
Treatment plans, progress notes, and discharge summaries
Medication records and lab results

Website Usage Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

IP address and approximate geographic location
Browser type and operating system
Pages visited and time spent on each page
Referring website or search terms used
Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)

2. How We Use Your Information

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

Treatment and Care

To provide addiction treatment, medical care, and therapeutic services at our Oceanside facility
To create and manage individualized treatment plans
To coordinate care with other healthcare providers when authorized
To process insurance claims and verify benefits
To communicate with you about your treatment and aftercare planning

Operations and Communications

To respond to your inquiries and provide information about our programs
To process admissions and manage your account
To send appointment reminders and important facility updates
To improve our treatment programs and patient experience
To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

Website Improvement

To analyze website traffic patterns and improve our online resources
To ensure our website functions properly and securely
To understand how visitors find and use our treatment information

3. HIPAA Compliance

TMC Helpline is fully committed to compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and all applicable federal and state privacy laws. As a healthcare provider, we maintain strict safeguards to protect your Protected Health Information (PHI).

Our HIPAA Commitments

We maintain physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect PHI at our treatment center
All staff members at our Oceanside facility receive annual HIPAA training
We limit access to PHI to authorized personnel who need it for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations
We use encrypted electronic systems to store and transmit health information
We conduct regular security assessments and update our policies as needed

42 CFR Part 2 Protections

As a substance use disorder treatment facility, TMC Helpline also complies with 42 CFR Part 2, which provides additional federal protections for substance use disorder patient records. Under this regulation:

Your substance use disorder treatment records receive extra confidentiality protections beyond standard HIPAA requirements
We cannot disclose that you are a patient at our facility without your written consent, except in limited circumstances defined by law
Your records cannot be used against you in legal proceedings without your consent

4. How We Share Your Information

TMC Helpline does not sell your personal information or health records. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

With Your Written Consent

We will share your health information with other healthcare providers, family members, or third parties only when you have provided written authorization. You may revoke your consent at any time by contacting our privacy officer.

For Treatment, Payment, and Operations

As permitted by HIPAA, we may share your PHI with:

Other healthcare providers involved in your care (with appropriate authorization)
Your insurance company for claims processing and benefit verification
Our business associates who perform services on our behalf and are bound by confidentiality agreements

As Required by Law

We may disclose your information when required by federal, state, or local law, including:

Court orders or subpoenas that meet specific legal requirements
Mandatory reporting of suspected child or elder abuse
Public health emergencies and disease reporting requirements
Imminent threat to health or safety (limited disclosure to prevent harm)

Website Analytics Partners

We may share anonymized, non-identifiable website usage data with analytics providers to help us understand and improve our online resources. This data cannot be used to identify you personally.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to provide a better user experience and understand how visitors use our site.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential cookies: Required for the website to function properly. These cannot be disabled.
Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website so we can improve our content and resources. These cookies collect anonymous data.
Functional cookies: Remember your preferences and settings to provide a more personalized experience.

Managing Cookies

You can control cookie settings through your web browser. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. However, disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. Please note that our website does not use cookies to collect health information or treatment records.

Do Not Track

Our website respects "Do Not Track" signals from your browser. When we detect a Do Not Track signal, we limit our collection of browsing data on our site.

6. Your Rights

As a patient or website visitor, you have important rights regarding your personal information and health records at TMC Helpline.

Your Health Information Rights (HIPAA)

Right to access: You may request copies of your medical records and treatment information maintained at our facility
Right to amend: You may request corrections to your health information if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete
Right to an accounting of disclosures: You may request a list of instances where we have shared your health information
Right to restrict: You may request restrictions on how we use or share your health information, though we may not be able to accommodate all requests
Right to confidential communications: You may request that we communicate with you through specific channels or at specific addresses
Right to a paper copy: You may request a paper copy of this privacy policy at any time

Your Website Data Rights

Right to know: You may request details about the personal information we have collected through our website
Right to delete: You may request that we delete personal information collected through our website, subject to certain legal exceptions
Right to opt out: You may opt out of non-essential cookies and analytics tracking through your browser settings

California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). These rights include the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. TMC Helpline does not sell personal information.

Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our privacy officer at [email protected] or write to us at: TMC Helpline, 311 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA 92054. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

7. Notice of Privacy Practices (HIPAA)

This section serves as our Notice of Privacy Practices as required by HIPAA.

TMC Helpline – Total Mental Care & Addiction Treatment Service is required by law to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI) and to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. We are required to follow the terms of this notice while it is in effect.

Uses and Disclosures of PHI

We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your written authorization:

Treatment: To provide, coordinate, and manage your healthcare and related services at our facility
Payment: To obtain payment for your treatment from your health insurance company or other sources
Healthcare operations: To support the business activities of our treatment center, including quality improvement, staff training, and compliance audits

All other uses and disclosures of your PHI require your written authorization. You may revoke any authorization you provide to us at any time by submitting a written request to our privacy officer.

Breach Notification

In the unlikely event of a breach of your unsecured PHI, TMC Helpline will notify you as required by law. Notifications will be sent without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after discovery of the breach.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with TMC Helpline's privacy officer or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.

8. Contact Us About Privacy

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or want to file a complaint, please contact our privacy officer:

TMC Helpline Privacy Officer

TMC Helpline – Total Mental Care & Addiction Treatment Service
311 Mission Ave
Oceanside, California 92054

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (209) 713-8272

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

You may also file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your health information privacy rights have been violated. Information about how to file a complaint is available at hhs.gov/ocr/privacy.

Changes to This Policy

TMC Helpline reserves the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website or services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on March 20, 2026.