Effective Date: July 30, 2026
Joan M. Franklin, Ph.D. respects the privacy of website visitors, prospective patients, current patients, parents, guardians, and other individuals who communicate with the Practice.
This Website Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, disclosed, retained, and protected through this website.
References to “Dr. Franklin,” “the Practice,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refer to Joan M. Franklin, Ph.D. and the authorized staff supporting the Practice.
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through the Practice’s public website, including:
This policy does not replace the Practice’s Notice of Privacy Practices.
Protected health information maintained by the Practice is governed by applicable federal and state privacy laws and the Practice’s current Notice of Privacy Practices. If this Privacy Policy conflicts with the Notice of Privacy Practices concerning protected health information, the Notice of Privacy Practices will control.
The information collected depends on how you use the website.
You may provide information when you:
This information may include:
Please do not submit sensitive health information through the general contact form. Sensitive information should be submitted only through a method specifically approved or provided by the Practice.
Parents, guardians, personal representatives, and other authorized individuals may provide information about a child, patient, family member, or person whose care or payment they assist with.
By submitting another individual’s information, you represent that you are authorized to provide it.
The Practice may request documentation confirming your authority.
When you visit the website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, such as:
This information may be used to operate, secure, maintain, and improve the website.
The website may use cookies and similar technologies to:
Some cookies may be placed by service providers supporting website hosting, security, forms, analytics, maps, accessibility, or other embedded website functions.
You may control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect website functionality.
The Practice does not knowingly use protected health information for behavioral advertising.
The Practice may use information to:
The Practice will not use health information for unrelated marketing without authorization when authorization is required by law.
Information you submit through designated patient forms or other approved communication methods may constitute protected health information.
Protected health information may include information relating to:
The Practice uses and discloses protected health information as permitted or required by applicable law and as described in its Notice of Privacy Practices.
This Website Privacy Policy is not intended to provide a complete description of your rights concerning clinical records or protected health information.
You may contact the Practice to request a copy of the current Notice of Privacy Practices.
Email, text messages, fax transmissions, standard website forms, and other electronic communications may involve privacy and security risks.
Although the Practice uses reasonable safeguards, ordinary electronic communications may be intercepted, misdirected, accessed through a compromised device, or viewed by someone with access to your email or telephone.
For this reason:
The Practice may disclose information in the following circumstances.
Information may be shared with companies or professionals that support:
These providers are permitted to use information only as necessary to perform services for the Practice or as otherwise permitted by law.
Where required, the Practice uses appropriate confidentiality, data-protection, and business associate arrangements.
Protected health information may be used or disclosed for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and other purposes permitted by applicable law and described in the Practice’s Notice of Privacy Practices.
Information may be disclosed to a parent, guardian, personal representative, emergency contact, payer, family member, healthcare provider, attorney, insurer, or other person when:
Information may be used or disclosed when reasonably necessary to:
Information may be transferred as part of a lawful sale, merger, restructuring, succession, or transfer of the Practice, subject to applicable privacy and professional requirements.
Information may be disclosed for another purpose when you provide valid authorization or consent.
The Practice does not sell or rent personal information.
The Practice does not knowingly sell protected health information, information concerning a person’s mental health, or personal information belonging to a child.
The Practice does not use patient information for targeted advertising.
Information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to:
Clinical records and protected health information may be retained according to healthcare, professional licensing, contractual, and legal requirements that differ from the retention period for general website information.
Information may be securely deleted, destroyed, or deidentified when it is no longer required.
The Practice uses reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction.
These safeguards may include:
No website, email system, transmission method, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
You are responsible for protecting your own devices, email accounts, passwords, and communications.
If the Practice discovers a breach or security incident involving information that requires notification under applicable law, the Practice will provide legally required notices to affected individuals, government authorities, or other parties.
Depending on the type of information and applicable law, you may have the right to request:
Different rules apply to protected health information, psychotherapy notes, business records, and general website data.
Some information may not be deleted or provided when the Practice is legally or professionally required to retain it, when disclosure would affect another person’s rights, or when another legal exception applies.
Texas residents may also have privacy rights under Texas law to the extent that the relevant law applies. Certain HIPAA-covered entities and HIPAA-regulated information may be exempt from portions of Texas consumer privacy law.
Requests may be submitted using the contact information at the end of this policy. The Practice may need to verify your identity and authority before processing a request.
You may submit a privacy question or complaint to the Practice without fear of retaliation.
For concerns involving protected health information, contact:
Privacy Officer: Brooke White
Joan M. Franklin, Ph.D.
2249 Ridge Road
Rockwall, Texas 75087
Phone: 469-402-3604
Email: info@joanmfranklinphd.com
Information about additional complaint rights is available in the Practice’s Notice of Privacy Practices.
The Practice provides psychological services to children and adolescents, but the public website is not intended for unsupervised use by children under 13.
Children under 13 should not submit personal information directly through the website.
A parent, guardian, or other legally authorized adult should complete appointment requests or patient forms for a child, unless the Practice provides different instructions.
If the Practice learns that personal information was submitted directly by a child without appropriate authorization, it may take reasonable steps to verify consent, restrict use, or delete the information, subject to applicable clinical and legal record-retention requirements.
The website may link to or display content provided by third parties, including maps, downloadable documents, form systems, security tools, telehealth resources, or insurance information.
Third parties may independently collect information according to their own privacy policies.
The Practice is not responsible for the privacy or security practices of websites or services it does not control.
Some browsers provide “Do Not Track” or similar privacy signals. Because there is no single universally accepted method for responding to every such signal, the website may not respond to all browser-based signals.
You may manage cookies and tracking preferences through your browser or device settings.
The Practice may revise this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in website functions, privacy practices, technology, or legal requirements.
The updated policy will be posted on the website with a revised effective date.
Material changes may be communicated through an additional website notice when appropriate.
Questions, requests, or complaints concerning this Website Privacy Policy may be directed to:
Joan M. Franklin, Ph.D.
Attention: Privacy Officer
2249 Ridge Road
Rockwall, Texas 75087
Phone: 469-402-3604
Email: info@joanmfranklinphd.com
