Psycare International is an international association committed to the standardisation of welfare, harm reduction services and care worldwide by ensuring ethics, quality, and protection. To support this mission, Psycare International collects certain data to better serve our members, supporters, and the broader community. We take seriously our duty to keep your data secure. This policy sets out how we collect, store, and use your data—and how we ensure that it remains secure.
This policy applies to:
• Psycare International – an international association with members (“Psycare International”)
In this Privacy Policy, we may also refer to the “Psycare Intl” or “PI” This includes, but is not limited to, local branches, representatives, individual and institutional members, volunteers, and staff. These bodies may be data controllers in their own right or data processors acting on behalf of Psycare International.
1. How Your Data Is Collected
1.1 Who Collects Your Data
Psycare International is the controller of your data and is responsible for the collection and processing of your data. It is registered as a Data Controller with the relevant supervisory authority.
You can contact Psycare International at the following email address: info@psycareinternational.org
1.2 What Data Is Collected
• Personal Details: In most circumstances, we will only ask for your name, contact details, preferred language, and country.
• Membership Information: If you join Psycare International as an individual member, we might ask for payment details and potentially other information related to your interests or professional activities in welfare, harm reduction services and care. If you join as an organisational member, we will ask you to describe your organisation and its main activities.
• Additional Information: From time to time, we may request details about your expertise, areas of interest (e.g., ethics, quality improvement, standardisation efforts), willingness to volunteer, or membership in professional associations. We do this so we can tailor our resources, events, and communications to your needs and areas of interest.
• Financial Details: If you join as a member or donate, your financial details (such as credit card information) will be stored only by secure third parties (e.g., Stripe, banking service providers). We may retain records of dates, amounts, and schedules of payments on our Stripe account.
• Technical Information: When you visit our website, we collect information such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address to monitor and improve our web services and maintain security. Our server is based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
1.3 Where We Obtain Your Data From
• Directly From You: Through online or offline forms, or verbally (for instance, at conferences or events).
• Cookies: Cookies are small files downloaded to your device when you visit our website, allowing us to recognise repeat visits and improve user experience.
• Publicly Available Sources: We may supplement your data with other publicly available information, but only where you have given your consent, where required by law, or where it is necessary to meet our legal obligations or legitimate interests.
2. How Your Data Is Kept Secure
2.1 What Psycare International Does to Keep Your Data Secure
We employ physical, electronic, and managerial measures to safeguard your data. These measures include:
• Firewalls and password protection.
• Where appropriate, encryption of your data.
• Secure transactions through third parties like Stripe, which uses advanced encryption technology.
• Agreements with all third-party service providers to ensure they take appropriate security measures for your data.
• Training staff and volunteers in data protection best practices and ensuring they sign relevant data protection and non-disclosure agreements.
3. Who Has Access to Your Data
We will never sell your data. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to share your information—either within the Psycare International, with organisations or individuals who share our values and aims regarding ethics, quality, and protection in mental health, or with our service providers and data processors. Data is only ever shared where we have a lawful basis to do so.
We may share data with:
• The Psycare International
• Professional advisers
• Suppliers
• Service providers (including Stripe)
• Financial organisations (e.g., credit card payment providers)
• Regulatory bodies
Whenever we share your data within the Psycare International, we ensure that the recipient will use it only for the purposes for which it was provided and will take all necessary measures to keep it secure. Within Psycare International, only those who are authorised to process your data can access it—and solely to the extent required by their tasks.
3.2 International Transfers
To fulfill the purposes outlined below, we may need to transfer your data outside the European Economic Area (EEA). We require that any suppliers we work with:
• Employ standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission, or
• Participate in the relevant Privacy Shield scheme or similar frameworks,
ensuring adequate protection for your rights regarding the transfer of personal data.
4. How Your Data Is Processed
Our mission is rooted in standardisation, ethics, quality, and protection in welfare, harm reduction services and care. We collect and process data to develop our activities, shape our strategy, and connect members and stakeholders who share these values. Specifically, we may use your data in the following ways:
• Providing Updates and Information: To inform you about our research, events, and projects that advance the standardisation of welfare, harm reduction services and care and uphold ethical practices.
• Campaigns and Actions: To let you know how you can support and/or fund our initiatives, or how to get involved in wider campaigns aligned with our mission.
• Volunteer & Career Opportunities: To notify you about opportunities to volunteer with us, collaborate, or apply for vacancies.
• Compliance & Administration:
• Complying with our legal obligations.
• Processing donations and membership fees.
• Responding to enquiries and complaints.
5. The Bases on Which We Process Your Data
We rely on four key legal bases to process your data:
1. Consent
2. Contract
3. Legal Obligation
4. Legitimate Interest
• Consent: When you provide information about your background, professional affiliations, views, or interests, and agree that we can store and use it for specific purposes (e.g., sending you newsletters).
• Contract: If you join Psycare International as a member, your agreement to our values and membership terms is considered a contract. We may process your name, contact details, payment information, and geographic data to administer your membership and ensure you receive the appropriate benefits.
• Legal Obligation: Where necessary to comply with applicable laws or regulations (e.g., financial record-keeping).
• Legitimate Interest: In some cases, we may share your data with like-minded organisations or individuals without explicitly seeking your consent, but only where we have a compelling interest to do so—such as furthering our standardisation or ethical initiatives—and only when this does not conflict with your rights and interests.
6. How Psycare International Will Communicate With You
• Direct Marketing: We will only email or text you with information about our campaigns and initiatives if we have your permission (consent) to do so.
• Post and Telephone: We may occasionally send you information by post or call you if we believe we have a legitimate interest in doing so (e.g., reminders of membership renewals).
• Online/Social Media: You may see our messages on social media if you have interacted with us previously.
• Responding to Queries: We will use the method of communication you used to contact us, or the one you have indicated you prefer. For administrative or urgent matters, we may try to reach you by email, text, or call—generally in that order, depending on the contact information we have available.
7. How You Can Affect the Way Psycare International Communicates With You
We always want to respect your preferences. You can:
• Unsubscribe from our communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in an email or by emailing us at tech@psycareinternational.org
• Ask Us to Erase your data, restrict how we process it, or make other data-related requests by contacting tech@psycareinternational.org
8. How to Find Out More or Make a Complaint
If you would like more information about how your data is processed or wish to make a complaint, please contact our Compliance Officer at tech@psycareinternational.org with the subject line: “Data Protection Enquiry.”
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local or national Data Protection Authority. If you are in the UK, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). If you are elsewhere, please refer to your local supervisory authority for data protection.
Last Updated: 08/04/2025
Thank you for trusting Psycare International with your personal information. Our commitment to standardisation, ethics, quality, and protection extends to the way we handle your data. We are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance as we work together to raise the quality and integrity of welfare, harm reduction services and care around the world.