THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW YOUR PERSONAL AND SERVICE INFORMATION IS PROTECTED, HOW IT MAY BE USED, AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS IT. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

At Bad River Harm Reduction, we meet people exactly where they are, with love and without judgment. We understand that privacy, safety, and trust are essential to expanding our circle of support. This policy explains how we guard your personal information while providing life-saving supplies, education, and culturally grounded support.

I. Understanding Your Participant Information

Each time you visit Bad River Harm Reduction, request technical assistance, or receive supplies and education, a confidential record is created to help us serve you. This information typically includes the types of supplies requested, services provided, and any voluntary notes regarding recovery support or community referrals.

Your information helps us:

• Coordinate your support, supplies, and care safely.
• Communicate effectively within our team to serve you best.
• Satisfy necessary reporting requirements for grants and community funding (which is almost always done using anonymous, aggregated numbers that cannot identify you).
• Evaluate and improve our programs to better help our community.

II. Your Privacy Rights

Even though the physical records belong to Bad River Harm Reduction, the information within them belongs to you. You have the right to:

• Look at your records: You can review the information we keep about your services under the secure guidance of our program director.
• Get a copy: You can request a paper or electronic copy of your records. We will provide this quickly, usually within 30 days.
• Ask for restrictions: You can ask us not to share certain pieces of your information with specific individuals, family members, or outside entities. We will honor your request unless it is strictly required to protect your life in a medical emergency.
• Request a correction: If you believe information in your file is incorrect or incomplete, you can ask us to update it.
• Choose how we contact you: You can tell us the safest way to reach you (for example, only via text message, a specific phone number, or email).
• Ask for a list of disclosures: You have the right to ask for a list of times we have shared your information over the past six years, including who received it and why.
• Change your mind: If you previously gave us written permission to share your information, you can take back that permission at any time.
• Choose a representative: If you have a legal guardian or medical power of attorney, that person can make decisions about your information on your behalf.
• Get a copy of this policy: You can request a printed copy of this privacy policy whenever you need one.
• Share your concerns: If you feel your privacy rights have been disrespected, you can let us know directly or contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. We welcome your feedback, and there will never be any judgment or retaliation for coming forward.

III. Our Commitment and Responsibilities

Bad River Harm Reduction is dedicated to:

• Guarding the privacy and confidentiality of your personal and service information.
• Letting you know clearly how your information is handled.
• Accommodating your preferences for how we communicate with you.
• Abiding by the promises made in this notice.

We reserve the right to update our privacy practices to better serve our community. If we make any major changes, we will post the revised policy clearly in our facility and update it on our website. We will not share your information without your explicit permission except as described below.

IV. How We Use and Share Information to Support You

We may use or share your information in the following routine ways:

• Providing Services: Our team shares information internally to coordinate your supplies, education, technical assistance, or peer support.
• Funding and Operations: We use program data to manage our daily operations and fulfill grant requirements. When reporting to funders, we remove names and personal details to protect your identity.
• Trusted Partners (Business Associates): Sometimes we work with outside partners to perform specific tasks (like secure data storage or laboratory screenings). They are legally bound to protect your information just as strictly as we do.
• Your Authorized Network: If you explicitly give us written permission, we can share updates with a family member, loved one, or emergency contact.
• Language Support: If an interpreter is needed to help us communicate with you, we may share basic necessary information with them to ensure accurate support.

V. Other Limited Circumstances for Sharing Information

In rare and specific situations, we may be permitted or required by law to share information:

• Public Health and Safety: We may share de-identified data with public health authorities to help track and prevent the spread of diseases or injury in the wider community.
• To Prevent Harm: If there is a serious and immediate threat to your life or the safety of another person, we may share essential information with emergency responders to keep people safe.
• Legal Requirements: We will only share information with law enforcement or in court proceedings if required by a valid legal order or subpoena, while continuing to advocate for the strict confidentiality protections afforded to harm reduction participants.
• Workers’ Compensation or Government Oversight: If required by law for specific administrative audits, funding reviews, or workers' compensation programs.

VI. Whistleblower Protections

Bad River Harm Reduction supports transparency. An employee or contractor who, in good faith, reports a serious internal standard violation to a proper oversight authority or legal counsel is protected under this policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about your privacy, want to exercise your rights, or have feedback on how we can better protect your information, please reach out to us:

Gwayakobimaadiziwin / Bad River Harm Reduction 72718 Maple St

Odanah, WI 54861

Phone: 715-685-7844

Email: harmreductionTA@badriver-nsn.gov