Sober Living Companion — App Privacy & HIPAA Notice

This Notice explains how the Sober Living Companion mobile and web application ("the App") collects, uses, protects, and shares information. The App is developed and operated by Empower Next Project, a tax-exempt nonprofit (EIN 39-3580172), and is available through soberlivingcompanion.com. It supplements our general Privacy Policy.

The App is designed to be HIPAA-compliant, with end-to-end encryption, strict role-based access controls, and a consent-first approach to location. Because recovery information can also be protected by 42 CFR Part 2 (federal confidentiality rules for substance-use disorder records), we treat resident information as highly sensitive and limit who can see it.

1. Who uses the App

Residents of sober-living homes, in early recovery. The App is always free for residents.
Operators / facilitators (house managers) who administer a home through a single join code.

2. Information the App collects

Category	Examples	Why
Account & profile	Name, contact information, house join code	To create your account and connect you to your home
Recovery data	Sobriety date and daily counter, meeting attendance records	To support recovery goals and operator accountability
Location data	GPS location only at the moment you tap to check in to a meeting	To verify meeting check-ins (consent-first)
Payment & rent	Rent amount set by your operator (including $0 for sponsored residents), payment status, payments made via CashApp or Zelle	To manage rent and sponsorships
Safety	SOS alerts you trigger	To notify your facilitator in a crisis
Photos/scheduling	Photos and schedule entries you choose to add	Personal scheduling features you opt into

Location is consent-first

The App does not track your location in the background or continuously. Location is captured only when you voluntarily tap "meeting check-in," and is used to verify that single check-in.

Payments

Rent payments are made through third-party services (CashApp or Zelle). Those payments are processed by those providers under their own terms and privacy policies. Donations to Empower Next Project are processed by Stripe.

3. How information is used

To deliver App features: sobriety tracking, GPS-verified meeting check-ins, the meeting directory with one-tap Zoom links and add-to-calendar, rent management, and SOS alerts.
To allow operators to manage residents, set per-resident rent, and view a real-time payment dashboard (paid / partially paid / unpaid).
To support the nonprofit mission, including identifying residents who may qualify for rent sponsorship.
To secure the App and comply with legal obligations.

4. Who can see resident information

Role-based access: operators can see information for residents in their own home only. Residents see their own data.
We do not sell personal or health information, and we do not use it for advertising.
Information is shared with service providers (e.g., hosting, payment apps) only as needed to run the App, and is disclosed otherwise only with your consent or as required by law.
Because substance-use records may be protected under 42 CFR Part 2, we limit redisclosure and seek consent where the rules require it.

5. Security

Data is encrypted end-to-end with strict access controls. We apply administrative, technical, and physical safeguards consistent with HIPAA's Security Rule. While no system is perfectly secure, we continuously work to protect your information.

6. Your rights & choices

Consent: location is only collected when you tap check-in; you can decline.
Access & correction: you may request a copy of, or correction to, your information.
Deletion: you may request deletion of your data, and we delete user data on request, subject to legal and recordkeeping requirements.
Account closure: contact us or your operator to leave a home and close your account.

Requests can be sent to info@empowernextproject.org.

7. Data retention

We keep information only as long as needed to provide the App and meet legal, tax, and recordkeeping obligations, after which it is deleted or de-identified.

8. Children

The App is intended for adults (residents and operators of sober-living homes) and is not directed to children under 13.

9. Changes

We may update this Notice and will post the revised version here with a new "Last updated" date. Material changes affecting how health information is handled will be communicated through the App where appropriate.

10. Contact

Empower Next Project — Sober Living Companion
Email: info@empowernextproject.org
Phone: 248.912.8523
Web: soberlivingcompanion.com
EIN: 39-3580172

This Notice is a starting template covering the App's described features. Because the App handles health-related and recovery information, have it reviewed by counsel experienced in HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 — and execute Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with sober-living operators and vendors as appropriate — before relying on it.