Focus On | Teens: focus on what matters instead of drinking

Privacy & Social Media Policy

Privacy Policy

Section A. Introduction 

Thank you for visiting the Focus On Website offered by the Washington Healthy Youth Coalition (WHYC) and reviewing our Privacy Notice. This statement addresses collection, use and security of and access to information that may be obtained through use of our site. This notice covers the following topics: 

  • Information Collected and How it is Used 
  • Personal Information and Choice 
  • Public Access to Information 
  • Nondisclosure of Certain [Personal/Private] Information 
  • Review and Correction of Personally Identifiable Information 
  • Security 
  • Disclaimer 
  • Contact Information 

Section B. Information Collected and How it is Used 

Information collected if you only browse this site. 

If you do nothing during your visit to our Website but browse, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store the following information about your visit: 

  • The Internet Protocol Address and domain name used. The Internet Protocol address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the Internet Protocol Address to direct Internet traffic to you. This address can be translated to determine the domain name of your service provider (e.g. xcompany.com or yourschool.edu); 
  • The type of browser and operating system you used; 
  • The date and time you visited this site; 
  • The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and 
  • The Website you visited prior to coming to this Website. 

The information we automatically collect or store is logged and used by WHYC only to improve the content of our web services and to help us understand how people are using our services. We analyze this information to determine how our Website is being used, so that we may continually improve the site’s usefulness to the public. 

What we collect if you volunteer information. 

If during your visit to our Website you sign up for email updates from us, take a survey, send an email, or perform some other transaction on-line, the following additional information will be collected: 

  • The email address, and contents of email, for those who communicate with us via email. 
  • Information volunteered in response to a request for contact information or a survey. 
  • Information volunteered through an on-line form for any other purpose. 

The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us.
We use your email to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you may identify, to further improve our Website, or to forward the email to another agency for appropriate action. 

Section C. Personal Information and Choice 

You may choose whether to provide personal information on-line. 

Personal information is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual’s name, address, and phone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information. 

We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us by signing up for email updates, sending us email, participating in a survey, or completing an on-line form. You may choose not to contact us by email, participate in a survey or to provide any personal information using an online form. Your choice to not participate in these activities will not impair your ability to browse the Commission’s site and read or download any information provided on the site. 

If personal information is requested on the Website or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law. 

If you believe that your information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted it, you may contact WHYC as shown in the Contact Information Section of this statement. 

This Website site is a general audience site and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children. Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children on-line or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult, and may be subject to public access. 

Section D. Public Access to Information 

In the State Of Washington, laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public’s right to access public records that serve various needs including the privacy of individuals. Exceptions are provided by both state and federal laws. 

All of the information collected at this site becomes public records that may be subject to inspection and copying by members of the public, unless an exemption in law exists. RCW 42.56.070 states that: 

Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of the Public Records Act or other statute which exempts or prohibits disclosure of specific information or records. 

To the extent required to prevent an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy interests protected by RCW 42.56.210 and 42.56.320, an agency shall delete identifying details in a manner consistent with RCW 42.56.210 and RCW 42.56.320 when it makes available or publishes any public record; however, in each case, the justification for the deletion shall be explained fully in writing. 

In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Notice and the Public Records Act or other law governing the agency’s disclosure of records, the Public Records Act or other applicable law will control. 

Section E. Nondisclosure of Certain [Personal/Private] Information 

WHYC may ask you to provide certain personal information in order to communicate with you at a future date. You may choose not to provide this information, but if you choose not to provide it we will be unable to communicate with you via email and you will have to communicate with us in person or by USPS mail. 

Section F. Review and Correction of Personally Identifiable Information 

You can review any personally identifiable information we collect about you by using the information in the Contact Information section at the end of this Notice. You may recommend changes to your personally identifiable information you believe to be inaccurate by submitting an email or a letter via USPS mail. We will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections. (RCW 43.105.310) 

Section G. Security 

WHYC, as developer and manager of this site, has taken several steps to safeguard the integrity of its data and prevent unauthorized access to information maintained by us. For site security purposes and to ensure that this Website remains available to all users, WHYC employs software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage to this Website These measures are designed and intended to prevent corruption of data, block unknown or unauthorized access to our systems and information, and to provide reasonable protection of private information in our possession. 

This information should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided via the Focus On Website. 

Section H. Disclaimer 

The Focus On Website has many links to other Websites. These include links to Websites operated by other government agencies and nonprofit organizations. When you link to another site, you are no longer on the Focus On Website and this Privacy Notice will not apply. When you link to another Website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site. 

Reference in this Website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the State of Washington, the WHYC, or its board members, officers, employees or agents. 

Neither the State of Washington, nor any agency, officer, or employee of the State of Washington warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at its own risk. 

WHYC reserves the right to revise and update this Privacy Notice at any time without notice by posting such revised Privacy Notice at the Focus On home page. 

Section I. Washington Health Care Authority and Washington Healthy Youth Coalition Contact

To offer comments about the Focus On Website or about the information presented in this Privacy Notice contact [email protected].

Social Media Comment Policy

HCA welcomes your comments. When you comment on our page, your message is visible to the public and subject to public record disclosure laws. HCA does not endorse or agree with every comment posted. Please note that all comments will be reviewed, and we reserve the right to hide comments that violate the following standards:

  • No violent, obscene or libelous comments.
  • No hate speech.
  • No comments that threaten or defame any person or organization.
  • No solicitations, advertisements or endorsements of any political, financial, commercial, or non-governmental agency or lobbying effort.
  • No comments that promote a personal or commercial website or social media resource.
  • No comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity.
  • No off-topic comments.
  • No repetitive comments copied and pasted by multiple users.
  • No unsolicited photos.
  • No comments containing medical or health advice/resources.