Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in a few different ways, depending on how you interact with us.

Information you provide directly:

• Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address when you fill out our contact form, patient initial consult form, or referral form
• Details about the service you are interested in (e.g., Medication Management, Psychotherapy, ADHD Testing, EMDR, etc.)
• Any messages, notes, or questions you submit through our website or WhatsApp inquiry option
• Information you provide when scheduling an appointment or accessing our patient portal, which is hosted on a third-party platform (TherapyPortal)

Information collected automatically:

• IP address, browser type, device type, and general location (city/region level)
• Pages visited, time spent on the site, and referring website
• Cookie and tag data collected through Google Tag Manager and related analytics tools

Information related to health care:

Because ABS is a behavioral health and psychiatric practice, any health-related information you share with us — including through our forms, portal, or during a consultation — may qualify as Protected Health Information (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This website itself is primarily for general inquiries and appointment requests; detailed clinical and treatment information is handled separately through our secure patient portal and in-office/telehealth systems, which follow HIPAA safeguards. Our separate Notice of Privacy Practices, provided at the start of care, governs how PHI is used and disclosed under HIPAA.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected for purposes such as:

• Responding to inquiries and scheduling consultations or appointments
• Verifying insurance eligibility (including Medicaid and Medicare, where applicable)
• Coordinating care, sending appointment reminders, and following up with patients
• Improving our website's content, layout, and user experience
• Understanding how visitors use our site through aggregated analytics
• Complying with applicable healthcare, legal, and regulatory requirements
• Responding to job applications submitted through our Careers page

We do not use the personal information collected through this website for unrelated marketing purposes without your consent, and we do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies, including Google Tag Manager, to understand website traffic and improve functionality. These tools may collect non-identifying, aggregated data about how visitors browse our site. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time; doing so may limit some website features but will not affect your ability to contact us directly by phone or email.

We also use reCAPTCHA on our forms to prevent spam and automated submissions. Your use of reCAPTCHA is subject to Google's own Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

4. Third-Party Services We Use

To operate this website and deliver our services, we rely on a small number of trusted third-party platforms:

• TherapyPortal – for patient scheduling, telehealth sessions, and secure portal access
• Google Tag Manager / Analytics – for website performance and visitor insights
• Google reCAPTCHA – for form security
• WhatsApp – for optional direct messaging inquiries, subject to WhatsApp's own privacy terms

Each of these providers maintains its own privacy practices, and we encourage you to review their policies separately. We only share the minimum information necessary with these providers to deliver the intended functionality.

5. How We Protect Your Information

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to safeguard the information we collect, including secured form submissions and restricted access to patient data. Clinical and health-related information shared through our patient portal is handled under HIPAA-compliant safeguards. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of information sent to us electronically.

We recommend that you avoid sending sensitive medical details through the general website contact form; instead, use our secure patient portal or speak with our team directly by phone for anything involving personal health details.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your relationship with us (website visitor vs. patient), you may have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Ask us to correct inaccurate information
• Request deletion of information you have submitted, where applicable
• Opt out of non-essential communications
• For patients, exercise rights under HIPAA regarding your medical records, as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices provided at your first visit

To make any of these requests, please contact us using the details in Section 9 below.

7. Children's Privacy

While ABS provides care for patients of various age groups, including minors under a parent or guardian's care, our website is not intended for children to use independently to submit personal information. Any information regarding a minor submitted through our forms should be provided by a parent or legal guardian.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or services offered. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. We encourage visitors to review this page periodically.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please reach out to us:

Atlantic Behavioral Specialists LLC

• Emporia Office: 420 South Main Street, Suite C, Emporia, VA 23847
• Fairfax Office: 3930 Pender Drive, Suite B, Fairfax, VA 22030
• Email: admin@goabs.net
• Phone: 571-582-1183