Effective Date: August 4, 2026
| We use SMS data to communicate with you and support requested services. Mobile opt-in information will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes. |
This policy explains how Thrive Community Health Network, the public-facing name of Tri-County Health Network, collects, uses, protects, and shares information associated with SMS and MMS text messaging. Throughout this policy, “Thrive,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Thrive Community Health Network.
Scope of This Policy
This policy applies to text messages exchanged between authorized Thrive staff and clients, program participants, parents or guardians, community members, partners, and others who communicate with our organization. Thrive uses SMS primarily for direct, conversational, one-to-one communication. This policy supplements, and does not replace, our General Privacy Policy or any privacy notice, consent form, or legal requirement that applies to a particular service.
Information We May Collect
When you communicate with Thrive by text, we may collect:
- Your mobile phone number, name, and contact information
- The content of messages you send or receive
- Images, documents, links, or other information you choose to send
- The date and time of messages and related delivery information
- SMS opt-in, opt-out, and communication-preference records
- The Thrive program, service, staff member, or phone number associated with the conversation
- Information needed to respond to your request, coordinate services, or maintain appropriate records
Depending on your conversation and the services involved, messages may include personal, health-related, financial, household, insurance, immigration, or other sensitive information. Please use care when deciding what to send through standard text messaging.
How We Use SMS Information
We may use information collected through text messaging to:
- Respond to your questions and requests
- Communicate about services you requested or receive
- Schedule, confirm, remind you of, or reschedule appointments
- Provide application, enrollment, referral, eligibility, or service updates
- Request information or documents needed to assist you
- Coordinate care, benefits, resources, referrals, or other support
- Communicate about clinics, programs, classes, meetings, or events
- Provide deadlines, instructions, links, follow-up questions, and next steps
- Document services, consent, and communications when appropriate
- Maintain and improve the security, reliability, and effectiveness of our services
- Meet legal, contractual, program, reporting, audit, or regulatory obligations
- Protect the safety, rights, and security of Thrive, the people we serve, and others
We use SMS information only for legitimate organizational, operational, and service-related purposes consistent with the context in which the information was provided.
How We Share SMS Information
Thrive does not sell or rent your mobile phone number, text message information, or personal information. We may share information with service providers that help deliver, secure, maintain, or support text messaging, including Microsoft, telecommunications carriers, and authorized technology vendors. These providers may use the information only as needed to provide services to Thrive, maintain the messaging system, protect security, or comply with legal requirements.
We may also disclose information when you direct or authorize us to do so; when disclosure is reasonably necessary to provide or coordinate a requested service; when permitted or required by law, contract, or program requirements; or when necessary to address a serious safety or security concern. We seek to limit any disclosure to the information reasonably necessary for its purpose.
Mobile information will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties for marketing purposes.
How We Protect Information
Thrive uses administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or misuse. Access is limited to authorized staff and service providers who need the information for their work. Thrive maintains policies and procedures addressing privacy, acceptable technology use, cybersecurity, access controls, incident response, and secure handling of organizational data.
No electronic communication system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Standard SMS and MMS messages may not be encrypted during transmission. A Thrive staff member may ask you to use a more secure method for sensitive documents or information.
Retention of Text Messages
Thrive may retain text messages and related records for as long as reasonably necessary to provide and document services, maintain business and program records, meet grant, contract, legal, audit, or regulatory obligations, resolve questions or complaints, and protect organizational and client interests. Retention periods may vary based on the program, type of information, and applicable requirements. Information that is no longer needed is handled according to Thrive’s record-retention and data-security practices.
Your Choices and Rights
Receiving text messages is optional and is not a condition of receiving Thrive services. You may request another available communication method.
To stop receiving messages from an SMS-enabled Thrive phone number, reply STOP. You may receive one final confirmation message. Because the service supports one-to-one conversations, an opt-out request generally applies to the specific phone number and conversation from which the messages were sent. Reply START to resume, or contact us to update broader communication preferences.
Reply HELP for assistance. You may also contact us to ask how your information is used, correct your contact information, change communication preferences, raise a privacy concern, or ask about privacy rights that may apply to you. Certain records may need to be retained even after you stop receiving text messages.
Children and Parents or Guardians
Some Thrive services involve children or youth. When appropriate, Thrive may communicate with a parent, guardian, or other authorized individual. The information collected and used will depend on the service, the individual’s age, applicable consent requirements, and the context of the communication.
Contacting the Message Sender
For questions about a particular message, reply directly to the Thrive phone number that sent it or contact the Thrive staff member identified in the conversation. For general assistance, privacy concerns, or communication-preference requests, use the contact information below. You may also reply HELP to an SMS-enabled Thrive number.
| Thrive Community Health Network Legal entity: Tri-County Health Network 238 East Colorado Avenue, Suite 8, Telluride, CO 81435 Phone: 970-708-7096 Email: info@tchnetwork.org Website: tchnetwork.org |
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy to reflect changes in our services, technology, legal obligations, or privacy practices. The revised policy becomes effective when posted publicly. The effective date at the beginning of this document identifies the most recent version.