Privacy Policy

Virginia Behavioral Health Commission (BHC) Internet Privacy Policy Statement and Disclaimer

Last updated: August 15, 2025

Privacy Information

Thank you for visiting our website. The purpose of this Privacy Statement is to explain the types of information we obtain about visitors to our website, how the information is obtained, and how the information is used.

It is the policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia that personal information about citizens will be collected only to the extent necessary to provide the service or benefit desired; that only appropriate information will be collected; that the citizen shall understand the reason the information is collected and be able to examine their personal record which is maintained by the Virginia Behavioral Health Commission (BHC).

This document explains how our agency, the BHC, gathers information on its web site and with whom and under what conditions the agency shares this information. The following is intended to explain our current Internet privacy practices but shall not be construed as a contractual promise. We reserve the right to amend its Internet Privacy Policy Statement at any time without notice.

In General

You do not have to provide any personal information to visit the website. This means that you can visit our website without telling us who you are or revealing any information about yourself. We collect personally identifiable contact information, such as name, electronic mail address, and U.S. mail address, only if voluntarily, specifically, and knowingly provided by you.

Virginia law requires that state bodies not collect personal information about citizens unless it is required to provide services for the citizen. When personal information is collected, it must be protected from unauthorized access, use or disclosure, and we are required to provide a prescribed procedure by which you may learn the purpose for which information has been recorded and how the agency will use and disseminate it.

Information We Collect

We endeavor to collect only the minimum amount of information needed to provide services. If you do nothing during your visit to our website but browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

  • the Internet domain and IP address/Geolocation from which you accessed our site;
  • the type of browser and operating system you used;
  • the date and time you visited this site;
  • the pages visited; and
  • if you linked from another website, the address of that website.

See also this policy's Cookies section below.

The information collected is used to improve the content of our Web services and to help us understand how people are using our pages. We analyze our website logs to continually improve the value of the materials available on our site. The information in our Web logs is not personally viewable and no attempt is made to link it with the individuals that browse our website.

If, during your visit to our website, you send us an e-mail message, we will collect the e-mail address and contents of the message, including audio, video and graphic information formats you send us. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our website or to forward your message to another agency for appropriate action.

We do collect personal information directly from individuals who volunteer to subscribe to our services, complete forms or participate in surveys. Collecting personal information is necessary in order for us to deliver the services requested. We only collect, retain and use personal information where we believe it is essential to administer our business and to provide products, services and other opportunities requested by our customers.

Online Services

Though personal information may be required either by law or in order for us to provide a requested service, in doing so we are subject to the requirements for administering information systems as established in the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, Chapter 38 of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia. A different agency or entity, whose practices are not under our control, may regulate pages that appear after you click on a link. If you choose to provide your personal information (name, email) and log on to one of our current online services, (i.e. google forms, ListServ), personal information that you submit is captured to enable you to conduct business with us. BHC only collects, retains and uses personal information when it believes it is essential, and allowed by law, to conduct business and provide products and services.

Personal information that you provide to the agency is safeguarded according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The information that you provide on the online surveys or forms is used to improve the online services that the agency offers and to determine your level of satisfaction with the BHC site and services. This information is not stored with any other records we may have of your transactions with the agency.

Information Access

Any personal information that is collected and retained by us is maintained in compliance with the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, Chapter 38 of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia. The agency does not share, sell or trade e-mail addresses, information collected on surveys or any other information about its online customers to any entity except as provided for or required by Chapter 38 of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, or other law. Under FOIA, any records in our possession at the time of a Freedom of Information Request might be subject to being inspected by or disclosed to members of the public. If necessary, we may disclose user information if it has reason to believe that disclosing such information is necessary to identify, contact, or bring legal action against an individual who attempts, even unintentionally, unauthorized access to our agency information or to disrupt our web site.

Use of "Cookies"

In certain applications, user information is stored as "cookies," which are then sent back and stored on your hard drive. Cookies allow the agency to save the information that you input while progressing through an online transaction. If your browser is not configured to accept cookies, you will still be able to access the information on the web site, but you may not be able to complete many of the online transactions. No user information is gathered through cookies except for that needed to run the specific application.

Security

We maintain security standards and procedures regarding unauthorized access to customer information to prevent unauthorized removal or alteration of data. When you browse public areas of the web site, none of your personal information is captured or stored by the agency. We protect website records in accordance with our obligations as defined by applicable Virginia statues, including, but not limited to, the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, and by any applicable U.S. federal laws.

Information Accuracy

We have established procedures to ensure that information is as accurate and current as is practical to enable us to conduct business with you. Although the agency strives to do things right the first time, it also responds to requests to correct inaccurate information in a timely manner. Employee access to personally identifiable information is restricted to only those employees who need access in order to perform their assigned duties.

Contact Us

When visiting the site, we encourage you to contact us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, or would like a return call. We will request your name, the subject of your question or comment, and your e-mail address or telephone number. This information is used solely to respond to your inquiry. If you would like the agency to mail you materials, we will request your mailing address so that it may provide the appropriate materials. Personal information that you provide to us is safeguarded according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Behavioral Health Commission
Agnes Dymora
804-967-3976
adymora@bhc.virginia.gov

Disclaimer

Our website may provide links to web sites that are not controlled, maintained, or regulated by us or any organization affiliated with us, and as such we are NOT responsible for the content of those web sites. Use of information obtained from those web sites is voluntary, and reliance on that information should only be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy. Reference at those web sites to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, or otherwise DOES NOT constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or preference by us. The agency tries to screen all sites included on its web site but cannot control the content they possess. Any inappropriate information or links they have on their site that pertains to us, or our related activities, should be reported to us.

Unauthorized attempts to modify any information stored on this system, to defeat or circumvent security features or to utilize this system for other than its intended purposes are prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution.