1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Brother's Keeper ("Service," "Platform," "we," "us," or "our"), you ("User," "you," or "your") agree to be legally bound by these Terms of Service and all terms incorporated by reference. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must immediately discontinue use of this Service. Your continued use constitutes acceptance of any modifications to these Terms.

2. Service Description and Limitations

Brother's Keeper provides peer-to-peer emotional support services connecting current and former first responders (law enforcement, corrections, fire, EMS, dispatch) with trained peer support specialists who are also current or former first responders.

3. Eligibility

• Responders: Must be current or former first responders
• Peer Specialists: Must be invited by an administrator and approved based on qualifications
• Age: All users must be 18 years or older

4. No Guarantee of Outcomes

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT:

• We make no representations, warranties, or guarantees regarding the effectiveness of peer support or any specific outcomes
• Results from peer support vary significantly between individuals
• Peer support may not be appropriate or beneficial for all individuals or situations
• We do not guarantee that peer specialists will be available at any particular time
• Technical issues, service interruptions, or system failures may occur at any time
• Individual peer specialists may have varying levels of training, experience, and effectiveness

5. Emergency Situations - Duty to Seek Appropriate Help

6. User Responsibilities

Users agree to:

• Provide accurate information during registration
• Maintain confidentiality of login credentials
• Use the service respectfully and appropriately
• Not share session content outside the platform
• Not use the service for illegal activities
• Seek professional help for medical or mental health emergencies

SMS Notifications for Administrators

Administrators who provide phone numbers consent to receive urgent SMS alerts regarding:

• Emergency safety protocols activated by peer specialists
• Critical situations requiring immediate intervention
• Duty to Act protocol initiations

Message Frequency: Varies based on safety incidents. You may receive multiple urgent alerts during active crisis situations.

Opt-Out: Administrators may opt out of SMS alerts at any time by replying STOP to any message, removing their phone number in Account Settings, or contacting us at brotherskeeper2026@outlook.com. After opting out, one final confirmation message will be sent and no further SMS alerts will be delivered. Platform dashboard alerts will continue regardless of SMS opt-out status.

Support: For technical issues with SMS delivery, contact the admin dashboard. Reply HELP to any alert message for support information, or reply STOP to unsubscribe (this will require you to update your notification preferences in the admin dashboard).

Message and data rates may apply. Carrier message and data rates apply. Service provided via Twilio.

Data & Sharing: Mobile numbers and SMS opt-in data are never sold or shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text consent (your opt-in) is not shared with any third party.

Message frequency varies. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. See our SMS Alerts page for full details.

7. Peer Specialist Responsibilities and Limitations

Peer specialists agree to and acknowledge that they:

• Are acting as volunteers or independent contractors, not employees
• Must maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times
• Must operate strictly within the scope of peer support and never provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or professional treatment
• Must immediately escalate and report any safety concerns, emergencies, or situations beyond peer support scope to administrators
• Must complete all required training and maintain current credentials where applicable
• May only provide support while officially on duty and approved by administrators
• Must never make promises of specific outcomes or guarantees of improvement
• Must never suggest that users stop or modify prescribed medications or professional treatment
• Bear personal responsibility for their actions and communications while using the Service
• May be subject to background checks, credential verification, and ongoing monitoring

8. Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting Exceptions

While we implement privacy protections, please note: automatic message cleanup is currently paused (messages may remain stored), conversations are not end-to-end encrypted, and your name and contact details are not shown to peer specialists but sessions are linked to your account. You acknowledge that:

• Confidentiality is NOT absolute and has significant exceptions
• Peer specialists and administrators may be required by law to report:

By using this Service, you consent to these mandatory reporting exceptions and understand that peer specialists and administrators may breach confidentiality when legally required or when necessary to prevent serious harm.

9. Prohibited Conduct

Users may not:

• Harass, threaten, or abuse others
• Share personally identifiable information without consent
• Impersonate others
• Attempt to identify anonymous users
• Distribute malware or harmful content
• Use the service for commercial purposes

10. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms. Users may delete their accounts at any time.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement
• Any warranty that the Service will meet your requirements or expectations
• Any warranty that the Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• Any warranty regarding the quality, accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any peer support provided
• Any warranty regarding peer specialist qualifications, training, competence, or availability
• Any warranty that use of the Service will result in any particular outcome, improvement, or benefit
• Any warranty that the Service or its servers are free of viruses or other harmful components

YOU ASSUME ALL RISK FOR USE OF THIS SERVICE. YOUR SOLE REMEDY FOR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE SERVICE IS TO STOP USING IT.

12. Limitation of Liability

• ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES including but not limited to loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses
• ANY DIRECT DAMAGES arising from or related to your use or inability to use the Service
• ANY HARM, INJURY, DEATH, OR OTHER DAMAGES resulting from or related to peer support sessions, advice, recommendations, or communications received through the Service
• ANY EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, OR MENTAL HEALTH DETERIORATION occurring during or after use of the Service
• ANY ACTIONS OR INACTIONS of peer specialists, administrators, or other users
• ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS to or alteration of your data or communications
• ANY SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS, TECHNICAL FAILURES, OR DELAYS in receiving support
• ANY BREACHES OF CONFIDENTIALITY whether intentional or accidental
• ANY CONTENT OR CONDUCT of any third party on the Service

THESE LIMITATIONS APPLY EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES AND REGARDLESS OF THE LEGAL THEORY (CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE) UPON WHICH ANY CLAIM IS BASED.

IF YOUR JURISDICTION DOES NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, OUR LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

YOU SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR USER CONTENT OR THE DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE, OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF ANY USER, AND THAT THE RISK OF HARM OR DAMAGE FROM THE FOREGOING RESTS ENTIRELY WITH YOU.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Brother's Keeper, its operators, administrators, employees, agents, peer specialists, affiliates, and licensors from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

• Your use or misuse of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Your conduct in connection with the Service
• Any content you submit or transmit through the Service

14. Crisis Resources

If you are in crisis, please contact:

• Emergency: 911
• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• First Responder Support Helpline: 1-800-COPLINE (267-5463)

15. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

16. Assumption of Risk

BY USING THIS SERVICE, YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND ASSUME ALL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PEER SUPPORT INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• The risk that peer support may not be beneficial or may even be harmful
• The risk that you may not connect with an appropriate or qualified peer specialist
• The risk of delays in receiving support during urgent situations
• The risk that confidentiality could be breached intentionally or accidentally
• The risk of technical failures, service interruptions, or system errors
• The risk that peer specialists may provide inappropriate, harmful, or negligent support
• The risk of emotional distress resulting from peer support sessions

YOU VOLUNTARILY ASSUME THESE RISKS WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING.

17. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the state where the Service is operated, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, rather than in court, except that you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify.

YOU WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND ANY RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION.

18. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms shall otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable.

19. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other legal notices published by us on the Service, constitute the entire agreement between you and Brother's Keeper concerning the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

20. Acknowledgment of Understanding

BY CLICKING "I ACCEPT" OR BY USING THIS SERVICE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT:

• You have read and understand these Terms in their entirety
• You understand this is peer support, NOT professional mental health treatment
• You understand this is NOT an emergency service
• You assume all risks associated with using this Service
• You agree to all liability limitations and disclaimers contained herein
• You have been advised to seek professional help for mental health concerns
• You will immediately seek emergency help in crisis situations rather than relying on this Service

21. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact us through the admin dashboard or email senioradmin@brothers-keeper.app.