Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 2026
WestStar Telehealth Network ("WestStar," "we," "us," or "our") operates the website wstelehealth.org. This policy explains what information we collect through this website, how we use it, and the choices you have.
What this policy covers, and what it does not
This policy applies to visitors to our website. It explains how we handle information you give us through a contact form, a referral form, or by signing up for text messages.
It is not our patient privacy notice. If you become a patient of WestStar, you receive separate notices at admission that govern your health information — a Notice of Privacy Practices under HIPAA, and a Patient Notice under the federal confidentiality rules for substance use disorder treatment records at 42 CFR Part 2. Those notices, not this one, govern your treatment records.
Please do not send health information through this website.
Our contact and referral forms are not a secure channel. Please do not include diagnoses, medications, treatment history, or anything else you would want protected. Send us a name and a way to reach you, and we will continue the conversation somewhere secure.
If you are a treatment facility referring a patient, please call us at (833) 743-0047 rather than entering clinical details into the form.
Information we collect
We collect information you give us directly:
Contact and referral forms — your name, email address, telephone number, the organization you represent if you are a referral partner, and whatever you choose to write in the message field.
Text message sign-up — your name and mobile telephone number.
Telephone and email — whatever you tell us when you contact us directly.
Our website host also collects standard technical information automatically, such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you visit, and how long you spend on them. We use this only to understand how the site is used.
How we use your information
To respond to your inquiry.
To process a referral and contact the person being referred.
To send you the text messages you have asked to receive.
To keep a record of who contacted us and when.
What we do not do
We do not sell your information. Not to anyone, for any purpose.
We do not trade or rent your information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing.
We do not use your information to advertise to you across other websites.
We share information only with service providers who help us operate — for example our website host and our electronic health record vendor — and only to the extent they need it to do that work. We also disclose information where the law requires it.
Health information: HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2
WestStar is a health care provider and treats protected health information accordingly, under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Because we treat substance use disorders, our patient records are also protected by 42 CFR Part 2, a federal rule that is stricter than ordinary medical privacy law. Among other things, it restricts our ability to disclose that someone is our patient at all, and it prohibits the use of our records in most legal proceedings against a patient without that patient's written consent or a court order.
Patients receive the full detail in the notices provided at admission.
Cookies
Our website may use cookies to make the site work and to understand how it is used. You can set your browser to refuse cookies, though some parts of the site may not work properly if you do.
Service providers
Our website is hosted by Squarespace, and their handling of data collected through the site is governed by their own privacy policy. Where a service provider handles protected health information on our behalf, we require a written agreement obliging them to protect it.
Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical measures to protect the information we hold. No method of transmitting information over the internet is completely secure, which is why we ask you not to send health information through this website.
Adults only
WestStar treats adults aged 18 and over. This website is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.
Where we provide services
WestStar's clinicians are licensed in California and we provide treatment to patients located in California. This website is accessible from anywhere, but our services are not.
Links to other websites
Our site may link to websites we do not operate. We are not responsible for their content or their privacy practices, and we encourage you to read their policies.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The effective date at the top shows when it was last revised, and the current version is always available on this page.
Contact us
WestStar Telehealth Network
Email: intake@wstelehealth.org
Telephone: (833) 743-0047
Website: wstelehealth.org
SMS Consent and Communications
WestStar may send text messages to patients, caregivers and referral partners who have given consent to receive them.
What we send: appointment reminders, intake instructions, and scheduling notifications.
What our reminders contain: a date and a time. Our appointment reminders never include a diagnosis, a service type, or anything identifying you as a patient of a substance use programme.
What we collect for this purpose: your name and mobile telephone number, used solely to send the messages you have asked for.
SMS consent and telephone numbers collected for text messaging are never shared with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing purposes.
Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP at any time to opt out. Reply HELP for assistance, or visit wstelehealth.org.
SMS Terms
By opting in through a web form or any other means, you agree to receive text messages from WestStar Telehealth Network. These include messages for customer care and account notifications, such as appointment reminders, intake instructions and scheduling notifications.
Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply.
To stop receiving messages, reply STOP. For help, reply HELP or visit wstelehealth.org.
Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
Our privacy practices are described in this Privacy Policy at wstelehealth.org/privacy-policy.