As many of you are aware, the GDPR requires companies to update their privacy policy, making clear how they use your data. This also applies to individuals like myself who maintain a blog. Therefore, I have published my Privacy practices here. For your convenience, they are also below.
Should you wish to unsubscribe to my posts, simply click “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of this email, or email my admin with your WordPress username and/or the email you subscribed (along with the URL for this site, as she maintains a few) and you will be removed.
If I make material changes to my privacy policy, I’ll send out another post like this one. Smaller changes will be reflected on my Privacy page (with the date the last changes were made).
Thank you for subscribing to my site. I hope you’ll continue to do so!
–David Covington
Updated 5/23/2018
I value your privacy. Therefore, I want you to breathe easy knowing that I will never use, rent, sell, or give away your email or WordPress username for any purpose than to deliver you the content from my site.
That said, there is some information I collect in order to provide you content and a pleasant web experience, and it’s only information you provide freely:
Subscription to My Blog
When you subscribe, I collect your email address and/or WordPress username (if you’re a WordPress user). When I post a blog, you receive it. Want to unsubscribe? Click the link at the bottom of any post you receive via email. If that doesn’t work, email my admin with your WordPress username or your email address and it will be taken care of (please specify this blog, as my admin maintains a few).
Comments
To allow for discussion, you have the opportunity to post comments on this website. The information collected includes your name, email address, IP address, and your comments. If you ever wish to have your comments removed, send my admin a quick note and they will be removed (again, please specify this blog).
To protect my site from spam, your information is compared with a list of known spam senders by Akismet, an Automattic company. The information Akismet collects includes the commenter’s IP address, user agent, referrer, and Site URL (along with other information directly provided by the commenter such as their name, username, email address…oh, and the comment itself, of course). I don’t do anything with this data.
Website Activity Tracking
My site is hosted by WordPress, which does collect minimal data to make your epxerience on our site enjoyable, including:
- Technical Data from a Visitor’s Computer and Etcetera: I collect the information that web browsers, mobile devices, and servers typically make available about visitors to a Site, such as the IP address, browser type, unique device identifiers, language preference, referring site, the date and time of access, operating system, and mobile network information.
- Visitor Interactions: I collect information about a visitor’s interactions with a Site, including the “likes” and “ratings” left by visitors to a Site using WordPress.com or Jetpack.
- Location Information: I may determine the approximate location of a visitor’s device from the IP address. I collect and use this information to, for example, tally for how many people visit this site from certain geographic regions. If you’d like, you can read more about the Site Stats feature for WordPress.com sites and Jetpack sites.
In addition, Google and other search engines track website visitors. This is something that happens whenever you use the internet. If you do not want to be tracked, please consider using a private browser window. The information that these search engines store is not traceable to one individual and so is very generic in nature. I do not store or use this information.
Use of Cookies
I use cookies on this Site to ensure the integrity of the registration process and to personalize the site. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a Web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.
One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. For example, the cookie notice on this site will place a cookie on your computer when you accept it. Then it won’t ask you if you approve of cookies again for 180 days. This simplifies the process of delivering relevant content, eases site navigation, and so on. When you return to the Web site, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the site’s features that you customized.
You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Many Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of this or other Web sites you visit.
Changes to this Statement
I may occasionally update this privacy statement. When I do, I will also revise the “last updated” date at the top of the privacy statement. For material changes to this privacy statement, I will notify you by placing a prominent notice on the home page of my Web site. I encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to stay informed about how I am helping to protect the personal information I collect. Your continued use of the service constitutes your agreement to this privacy statement and any updates.
A Note to International Users
This Site is hosted on WordPress servers that are located all over the world; however, all user data is stored in the United States. If you are accessing the Site from outside the United States, by providing your information to the Site, you are consenting to the transfer of your information to the United States for processing and maintenance in accordance with this Privacy Notice. You are also consenting to the application of United States law in all matters concerning the Site.
Site Owner
This site is owned by David W. Covington, a resident of the United States.
We’re very excited to partner with Dr. Jan Mokkenstorm and 113 Suicide Prevention on this 4th Zero Suicide International summit in Rotterdam (see invitation below). While we originally talked about Amsterdam as the location, our premier sponsor Deloitte has persuaded us to move just south to the city the BBC has called the 
It’s been 30 years since the American Association of Suicidology last met in our nation’s capital. The average cost of a new house was $91,600, a gallon of gas cost 91 cents, Don’t Worry Be Happy was moving up the music charts and there was not yet a national strategy for suicide prevention. In fact, it would be another decade before Surgeon General David Satcher would name suicide as a serious public health problem. We had not yet begun the first Gulf War; which would lead to a focus of our military on our troops and veterans. It was a different time. 
Yesterday was the inaugural meeting of the federal Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC). While the acronym is a mouthful, the meeting is an important step to better health and quality of life to members of our community with the most significant needs; individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Health and Human Services (HHS) has prioritized mental health alongside two other top priorities: opioid abuse and childhood obesity. 
The most important question is always why. So, why do we do what we do in behavioral healthcare? Put simply, we seek to equip individuals with serious mental illness to live happy, healthy, productive, and connected lives.
With co-author – Dr. Michael Hogan
You really liked Phoenix.