R&R Counseling Collective uses Spruce Health as one of our primary communication platforms for communicating with current and prospective clients.

Spruce is a healthcare communication platform that allows our clinicians and administrative staff to communicate with clients through services such as telephone calls, voicemail, text messaging, and secure in-app messaging. Spruce is designed for healthcare organizations and supports HIPAA-compliant communication when its secure features are used appropriately.

Depending on the nature of the communication and your preferences, R&R Counseling Collective may use Spruce for:

• Scheduling and appointment-related communication

• Appointment reminders and confirmations

• Responding to general questions about services

• Communicating with your therapist or other members of our team

• Providing administrative or billing-related information

• Sending secure messages or documents when appropriate

• Telephone calls and voicemail

• Communicating changes to appointments, office closures, or other practice-related information

Text Messaging and Secure Messaging

Spruce allows communication through both standard SMS text messaging and secure messaging through the Spruce application.

Standard SMS text messages are delivered through your normal cellular text messaging service and may not provide the same level of privacy and security as secure, app-based messaging. Because of this, we generally encourage clients to avoid sending highly sensitive clinical information through standard text messaging.

For communications that contain sensitive health or clinical information, your clinician or R&R Counseling Collective may ask you to communicate through Spruce's secure messaging system instead.

Clients who choose to communicate with us through standard text messaging acknowledge that electronic communications may carry privacy risks outside of R&R Counseling Collective's control, including access to messages by other individuals who have access to your phone, cellular account, notifications, or backups.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Information communicated through Spruce may become part of your clinical or administrative record when appropriate.

R&R Counseling Collective takes reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of client communications and uses Spruce as part of our efforts to provide secure and convenient communication with our clients.

Spruce maintains its own privacy practices governing its technology and services. We encourage clients to review Spruce Health's Privacy Policy for additional information about how Spruce collects, uses, stores, and protects information.

[Read the Spruce Health Privacy Policy]

Our use of Spruce does not replace or alter the privacy protections described in R&R Counseling Collective's Notice of Privacy Practices.

Response Times and Clinical Communication

Spruce provides a convenient way to communicate with our practice; however, messaging should generally be used for brief communication and administrative needs rather than ongoing psychotherapy outside of scheduled sessions.

Messages may not be reviewed immediately. Individual clinicians may also establish their own expectations regarding messaging frequency, response times, and the types of clinical matters that are appropriate to discuss electronically.

Please do not assume that a message has been received or reviewed until you receive a response when the matter is time-sensitive.

Emergencies and Urgent Concerns

Spruce is not an emergency or crisis service and is not continuously monitored.

Do not use Spruce text messages, secure messages, voicemail, or other electronic communication to obtain emergency assistance.

If you are experiencing an immediate medical or mental health emergency, believe you may harm yourself or another person, or require immediate assistance, call 911, go to the nearest emergency department, or call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Current clients should also follow any emergency or crisis procedures described in their informed consent documentation.

Your Communication Preferences

We recognize that clients have different preferences regarding electronic communication. You may discuss communication preferences, including the use of standard text messaging versus secure messaging, with your clinician or our administrative team.

Please notify us if your telephone number changes, you no longer wish to receive text messages, or you have concerns regarding the privacy of communications sent through Spruce.

For more on Spruce Health’s privacy policy, please visit their website: https://sprucehealth.com/privacy