Privacy Policy

The Support Cafe values your dignity, privacy, and autonomy. Here's how we approach privacy in our space and communications:

  1. Minimal Data Collection
    We only collect information you choose to give us — for example, when you sign up for text updates or voluntarily complete our membership form. We never sell or share your information.

  2. Voluntary Participation
    You can attend groups, use our space, or enjoy a cup of coffee without signing in, identifying yourself, or registering in any way. Any forms or surveys are optional unless tied to participation in specific programs.

  3. Funders and Demographics
    Some of our funders ask for demographic information to better understand who is being served. When we ask for this, we will clearly explain how the data is used. Information is stored securely and is never sold.

  4. Privacy and Digital Tools
    If you sign up for texts or other digital services, your contact information will only be used for that purpose. We use SimpleTexting and similar tools, which may have their own privacy policies. We'll always tell you what platform is in use.

  5. Probation, Judicial, or Police Interaction
    We do not report attendance or participation to police, probation, or courts unless presented with a legal warrant. If you ask us to confirm participation with a signed release, we will. In some cases, this may be to your advantage — and we’ll do our best to help, if it helps you.

Terms of Use

By participating in The Support Cafe, either in person or online, you agree to the following:

  1. Respect and Safety
    All individuals are expected to act with kindness, patience, and basic respect. Harassment, threats, or repeated violations of group norms may result in removal.

  2. No Medical or Legal Advice
    The Support Cafe is not a clinic, treatment center, or law office. Nothing we say, write, or provide should be taken as medical, legal, or professional advice. We share resources and stories — not prescriptions or diagnoses. Always talk to a licensed provider when needed.

  3. Licensed Therapy Services
    We are proud to partner with a licensed clinical therapist, August Cox, who offers therapy on-site. She operates as an independent contractor and provides services under her own licensure and legal/ethical standards. You do not need insurance or a referral. However, therapy services may include optional intake paperwork to protect both parties.

  4. Use of Resources
    Our printed guides, digital content, and shared materials are for personal use. You may share them with others but cannot sell, publish, or claim them as your own.

Confidentiality & Community Trust

At The Support Cafe, we take confidentiality seriously — because without trust, we can’t build anything worth keeping.

Who’s Here
We do not track or publish who visits the Cafe. Your presence is your own business. However, because this is a public, drop-in space, we cannot guarantee that others won’t see or mention you outside our doors. If privacy is important to you, we encourage mindfulness about when and how you visit — and we’ll do everything we can to support your comfort.

What’s Said
What’s said here, stays here. That means:

  • Group conversations, personal stories, shared experiences, and information about other guests must be held in confidence.

  • You may not repeat or share details — online or offline — that could identify someone else or compromise their dignity.

  • This includes texts, posts, photos, recordings, screenshots, and all digital communication.

We don’t expect perfection, but we do expect protection.

No stigmatizing, stereotyping, negative, derogatory, or mean language will be tolerated. One warning — that’s it. We are here for each other. Making other people feel or seem ‘less than’ is absolutely, unconditionally unacceptable behavior.

Anyone who violates another person’s confidentiality — especially with intent to harm or gossip — may be asked to leave or be banned from the Cafe. This is not punishment. It’s protection. We are building a space where people feel safe to be real. That only works if we keep each other safe.

If you’re unsure what’s okay to share, just ask: “Is this mine to tell?”

Let’s honor one another. Let’s protect the people around us.

If we can’t trust each other, we can’t be together.