HelpHorizons.com, Inc. (hereafter, "HelpHorizons.com"), makes every reasonable effort to maintain a safe and useful Web site for the benefit of the general public. This includes random monitoring of the site’s message boards and chat rooms (for the purpose of detecting abuses), and screening of all articles submitted by mental health professionals to the site. All mental health professionals who wish to utilize the site in the capacity of a counselor must provide proof of licensure (or certification) and professional liability insurance to HelpHorizons.com before being granted registered access to the site. (Click here to access information about malpractice insurance options offered through the professional associations.)
HelpHorizons.com asks you, the Mental Health Professional, to carefully read and signal your agreement with the terms and conditions detailed below. HelpHorizons.com could not adequately protect its users, nor could it even exist without taking such precautions.
The arrangements you make with consumers for fees and billing are strictly your responsibility. HelpHorizons.com provides you with a template for a personal disclaimer and fee agreement, but it is up to you to edit it in whatever way you see fit. HelpHorizons.com does not accept any responsibility for your use of our Personal Disclaimer and Fee Agreement Template, or your failure to edit it.
HelpHorizons.com expects you to practice within the framework of the written statements and disclaimers that have been built into this site. You are responsible for knowing and abiding by these statements and disclaimers. Questions about this can be addressed to info@helphorizons.com. Failure to abide by the terms and conditions of this Registration Agreement could result in the termination of your account. In severe cases, accounts can and will be suspended immediately, if that is deemed necessary to protect consumers. Please understand that the health and safety of the consumer is of paramount importance to HelpHorizons.com, and that these disclaimers are intended chiefly to protect the consumer, as well as HelpHorizons.com, Inc.
*Currently, HelpHorizons.com is not aware of any jurisdiction in the United States and its territories that has passed laws specific to the provision of therapy and/or counseling services over the Internet.
HelpHorizons.com also makes it possible for you to host chats, based on a topic that you propose, on the consumer side of the Web site. HelpHorizons.com reserves the right to accept or reject your chat topic proposal, based on questions about the proposed topic, or time considerations. Unethical or inappropriate behavior by a chat host during a scheduled chat will result in a warning, or even termination of that host’s account with HelpHorizons.com.
HelpHorizons.com has the right to discontinue your "rental" of the Virtual Office and to ban you from the Web site in general, for non-payment of fees, for breach of these terms and conditions, or for misconduct. In most cases, one or more warnings will be issued before that occurs.
Statements or postings that violate the above terms will be deleted from postings upon discovery. Except in severe or dangerous situations, people who violate these terms will receive a warning from the forum supervisor or another agent of HelpHorizons.com stating that they have committed a violation and that further violations may result in the termination of their account. After one or more warnings, depending on the nature of the violation, HelpHorizons.com, at its sole discretion, may terminate a person’s account.
If you use the chat rooms or message boards found on HelpHorizons.com, you are solely responsible for your own communications and the consequences of posting those communications. HelpHorizons.com does not assume any responsibility for the consequences of such communications. In cases where you feel threatened or believe that someone else is in danger, you should contact your local law enforcement agency immediately.
HelpHorizons.com reserves the right to record the dialogue in public chat rooms. HelpHorizons.com does not screen communications in advance and is not responsible for screening or monitoring material posted by consumers, professionals, or any other person or entity. If notified by a user of communication(s) which are alleged not to conform to the terms of this Section, HelpHorizons.com may investigate the allegation and determine in its sole discretion to remove or request removal of the communication(s).
HelpHorizons.com reserves the right, but is not obligated, to monitor, edit, or disclose any type of posting on the message boards or chat rooms for adherence to these terms and conditions, if required in the course of normal operation and maintenance of this Web site, or if required to do so by law, or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to: (i) comply with the law or comply with legal process served; (ii) protect and defend the rights of HelpHorizons.com. or others; or (iii) act in an emergency to protect the personal safety of our guests or the public. HelpHorizons.com HAS NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY TO SUBSCRIBERS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR PERFORMANCE OR NONPERFORMANCE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED SCREENING ACTIVITIES.
After this introductory period, HelpHorizons.com will automatically bill your credit card a monthly membership charge based upon the level of membership you signed up for (Silver: $9.95 or Gold: $19.95), as well as any additional charges resulting from the purchase of premium services (e.g., enhanced advertising on the site). All charges will be billed at the start of every month. After your introductory period has ended, you will also be charged transaction fees based upon your level of membership. Silver members will be charged $8.00 per online session and $4.00 per e-mail. Gold members will be charged $5.00 per online session and $3.00 per e-mail. E-mail fees are waived if you do not charge your client for an e-mail.
You will also be billed $1.00 for each claim processed through HelpHorizons.com, to bill an insurance company or other entity.
You will also be billed $3.00 for each credit card transaction successfully processed through HelpHorizons.com for all of your face-to-face clients. (You are not charged this additional credit card processing fee for your online clients or transactions.)
If you so choose, HelpHorizons.com will collect all credit card payments owed to you by online or face-to-face clients in your HelpHorizons.com account. At the end of each calendar month, your account's balance minus membership and transaction fees (after your free marketing period expires) will be paid to you via check sent through first-class postal mail.
In order to cancel your account, you must contact HelpHorizons customer service via email.
This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury caused by the failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation of transmission, computer virus, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortious behavior, negligence, or under any other cause of action.
You specifically acknowledge that HelpHorizons.com is not liable for the defamatory, offensive or illegal conduct of other users or third parties and that the risk of injury from the foregoing rests entirely with you.
Neither HelpHorizons.com nor any of its agents, affiliates or content providers shall be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages arising out of use of this Web site or inability to gain access to or use the service or out of any breach of any warranty. You hereby acknowledge that the provisions of this section shall apply to all content on HelpHorizons.com.
It is understood and agreed that if any part, term, or provision of this agreement is held by a court to be illegal or in conflict with any law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the validity of the remaining terms of this agreement shall not be altered, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the Agreement did not contain the part, term, or provision held invalid.