Privacy Policy

New Hope Midcoast values your privacy and takes it seriously. All personal information is kept strictly confidential. We are glad to update, correct or delete personal information upon request.

When you use the contact form on our website, you will be required to provide your name and email address ; providing your mailing address and phone number are optional. If you choose to provide your address, you will be added to New Hope’s mailing list unless you request to opt out. We do not share our mailing list.

We understand that you may not want to provide us with personal information, and that is your choice and right. However, when clients are willing to share some personal information, we are better able to offer quality service.

Client Confidentiality

New Hope Midcoast collects personal information when you contact one of our offices for services. We use this information to ensure the quality and continuity of the services you receive, and to send you information about our services if you request that we do so.

We will not provide your personal information to any agency or individual without your permission.

Notice of Privacy Practices

New Hope Midcoast (NHM) is bound by strict confidentiality provisions under the Violence Against Women Act. New Hope Midcoast (NHM) is bound by strict confidentiality provisions under the Violence Against Women Act.

NHM collects limited personal information about the people we serve in a computer system called Empower DB.  This is a secure, end-to-end encrypted web-based database accessible only by NHM staff.  

WHY DO WE COLLECT THIS INFORMATION? 

  • So we know how many people we serve and the types of people we serve at our Agency and in the state. 
  • So we all understand what people need and can plan and evaluate services to meet those needs. 
  • To satisfy the requirements of various state and federal offices. 

WHO CAN SEE INFORMATION THAT IS IN OUR SYSTEM? 

  • People who work for this Agency will use it to help provide services to you or your family. 
  • You may view your information upon request.  
  • The law says we have to report physical or sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults. If we have cause to suspect that there is abuse or neglect in your household, we must report it to Child or Adult Protection or directly to the District Attorney’s Office. 
  • Others as required by law, including officials with a valid subpoena, warrant, or court order. 
  • Organizations that run, administer, and work, on the Empower DB system DO NOT HAVE ACCESS.  The information is protected by end-to-end encryption which keeps information secret from and prevents third parties from accessing it.      
  • We will not disclose your information for any other use unless you permit it in writing. 

HOW IS YOUR PRIVACY PROTECTED? 

  • All staff and volunteers of NHM must sign an agreement to protect your privacy and comply with state and federal laws and policies before seeing any information. 
  • The computer program used for this purpose has industry-standard security safeguards and protocols and is updated regularly to meet these security requirements. It uses end-to-end encryption to protect your information.  
  • Information about who we serve is only reported in aggregate and in a de-identified fashion.   

 WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS? 

  • If you do not want your name or other potentially identifying information entered in our system, tell the advocate.   
  • NHM will still help you if you refuse to share personal information or to authorize NMH to share your information with other providers/agencies with a signed release. However, federal and state regulations may require limited data collection for funding purposes. If you choose not to share some personal information, there are some outside resources that may not be available to you, for instance, certain types of housing assistance.     
  • You have the right to request a copy of NHM’s information about you. 
  • You have the right to correct mistakes in NHM’s information about you. 
  • You have the right to request that NHM’s records about you be deleted.   
  • If you think this Agency violated your privacy rights, you have the right to complain or appeal.  

Exeptions

  • We are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect.
  • We will provide information to law enforcement in any case where we believe an individual's life may be in danger.
  • We will protect ourselves against harassment.

Many of our state, federal, and private funding sources require that we submit statistical reports about the services we have provided. These reports consist of numbers of clients served, and the hours of service provided; they do not include any personal information about our clients.