SMS Consent & Text Message Terms

1. Overview of SMS Services

Mendly provides SMS text message services to patients enrolled in the platform. These messages are designed to support the therapeutic relationship between patients and their healthcare providers by facilitating communication and encouraging engagement with wellness activities.

SMS services include:

• Daily Reminders: Notifications to complete your daily wellness check-in questionnaire
• Birthday Messages: Personalized birthday wishes from your therapist

2. Consent Collection Process

2.1 How Consent is Obtained

Consent for SMS notifications is collected through a two-step opt-in process:

1. Enrollment: Your therapist enables SMS notifications in the Mendly platform and enters your phone number.
2. Consent Request: You receive a text message asking you to reply YES to confirm your consent to receive SMS messages.
3. Confirmation: After you reply YES, you receive a confirmation text message acknowledging your enrollment.

2.2 What You're Agreeing To

By replying YES to the consent request, you agree to:

• Receive automated text messages at the phone number you provide
• Receive messages related to your wellness tracking and therapeutic relationship
• Standard message and data rates from your mobile carrier may apply
• Message frequency varies based on your settings (typically 1 message per day if daily reminders are enabled)

2.3 Consent is Voluntary

SMS notifications are completely optional. You can use Mendly without enabling SMS notifications. Your decision to opt in or opt out will not affect the quality of care you receive from your therapist or your access to the Mendly platform.

3. Types of Messages

3.1 Daily Reminder Messages

If enabled, you will receive a daily reminder to complete your wellness check-in. Example:

• Frequency: Once per day (at your preferred time)
• Purpose: Encourage consistent engagement with your wellness tracking
• Can be disabled: Yes, you or your therapist can turn this off

3.2 Birthday Messages

If your birthday is on file and this feature is enabled, you may receive a birthday message. Example:

• Frequency: Once per year (on your birthday)
• Purpose: Show care and strengthen the therapeutic relationship
• Can be disabled: Yes

4. Message Frequency

The number of messages you receive depends on your settings:

Estimated total: Most users receive approximately 30-31 messages per month if daily reminders are enabled, or 1 message per year if only birthday messages are enabled.

5. How to Opt Out

You can stop receiving SMS messages at any time using any of the following methods:

5.1 Reply STOP

Text STOP to any message you receive from Mendly. You will receive a confirmation:

5.2 Ask Your Therapist

Contact your therapist and ask them to disable SMS notifications for your account. They can do this through the Mendly platform.

5.3 Contact Mendly Support

Email welcome@mendly.me with your request to opt out of SMS notifications. Include your name and phone number.

5.4 Re-subscribing

If you previously opted out and want to start receiving messages again, text START to our number or ask your therapist to re-enable SMS notifications.

6. Getting Help

If you need assistance with SMS notifications, you can:

• Text HELP to any Mendly message for assistance
• Email welcome@mendly.me
• Contact your therapist directly

When you text HELP, you'll receive:

7. Costs and Carrier Information

Message and data rates may apply. Mendly does not charge for SMS messages, but your mobile carrier may charge you for receiving text messages based on your phone plan.

• Check with your mobile carrier for details about your text messaging plan
• If you have unlimited texting, you will not incur additional charges
• Mendly is not responsible for any charges from your mobile carrier

Supported carriers: SMS services are available on all major US carriers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and most regional carriers.

8. Privacy and Data Protection

8.1 Phone Number Storage

Your phone number is:

• Stored securely in our database
• Only accessible to your therapist and Mendly administrators
• Never sold or shared with third parties for marketing purposes
• Used solely for Mendly-related communications

8.2 Message Content

Important: SMS messages are not encrypted end-to-end. While we take precautions to protect your privacy:

• We do NOT include sensitive health information in SMS messages
• Messages are general reminders and encouragement only
• Detailed health discussions should occur in-person or through secure channels

8.3 Message Logs

We maintain logs of sent messages for quality assurance and troubleshooting purposes. These logs include the message content, timestamp, and delivery status, but are kept confidential and deleted after 90 days.

9. SMS Service Provider

Mendly uses Twilio as our SMS service provider. Twilio is a trusted, industry-leading communications platform that:

• Processes and delivers text messages on our behalf
• Maintains high security and reliability standards
• Is compliant with telecommunications regulations
• Does not use your data for their own marketing purposes

For more information, see Twilio's Privacy Policy.

10. Terms and Conditions

By opting in to SMS notifications, you agree to the following:

• You are the owner or authorized user of the mobile phone number provided
• You consent to receive automated text messages from Mendly
• You understand that message and data rates may apply
• You can opt out at any time by texting STOP
• SMS notifications are not a substitute for emergency services - call 911 for emergencies
• You will notify your therapist if your phone number changes
• You understand that SMS is not a secure communication method for sensitive information

11. Limitations and Disclaimers

• Not for emergencies: SMS notifications are not monitored 24/7. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency, please call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
• Delivery not guaranteed: While we strive for reliable delivery, SMS messages may be delayed or fail due to carrier issues, network problems, or other factors outside our control.
• Not medical advice: SMS messages from Mendly do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
• Service availability: SMS services may be temporarily unavailable for maintenance or due to technical issues.

12. Changes to SMS Terms

We may update these SMS terms from time to time. If we make significant changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• We may notify you via SMS or email about material changes
• Continued use of SMS services after changes constitutes acceptance

13. Contact Information

If you have questions about SMS services or this consent policy, contact us:

Email: welcome@mendly.me
Service: Mendly
Location: Pennsylvania, USA