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This code establishes enforceable standards for how we market addiction treatment and mental health services. It applies to all campaigns, creative assets, admissions scripts, chatbot conversations, and automated sequences produced or managed by Humbear Media and our treatment center partners.
We publish this code transparently because the behavioral health marketing industry has a trust problem — and the only way to solve it is to draw clear lines between ethical patient acquisition and the exploitative practices that harm vulnerable people.
Every piece of content, ad, script, and automated message treats the individual seeking help as a whole person — not a lead, not a revenue unit, not a diagnosis. We use person-first language in all patient-facing communications without exception.
We create appropriate urgency around seeking treatment because timing matters in recovery. But we never manufacture false emergencies, use countdown timers on treatment pages, or imply that a single missed call means permanent harm. Urgency must be clinical, not manipulative.
We provide accurate information about treatment options, costs, insurance acceptance, and expected outcomes. We never make guarantees about recovery, misrepresent success rates, or hide costs behind deceptive intake processes.
Every system touching patient data meets or exceeds HIPAA requirements. We maintain Business Associate Agreements with all technology vendors, use encrypted storage and transmission, and never sell, share, or broker patient data.
Family members searching for help on behalf of a loved one are in crisis. Our messaging respects their emotional state with clear, compassionate information — not high-pressure sales tactics.
Do: "You deserve support on your recovery journey." / "Treatment can help you build the life you want." / "Person in recovery" / "Person with a substance use disorder"
Do Not: "Call now before it is too late." / "We guarantee lasting sobriety." / "Addict" / "Junkie" / "Clean vs. dirty"
Do: Cite evidence-based treatment modalities with published research support. Share de-identified outcomes with clear methodology notes. State insurance acceptance accurately.
Do Not: Guarantee recovery outcomes or cite fabricated success rates. Overstate insurance coverage or hide out-of-pocket costs.
We optimize for fast response times (under 5 minutes) because speed-to-lead saves lives. But fast response never means high-pressure closing.
If our partner center is not the right fit for a caller clinical needs, we say so and provide appropriate referrals. Revenue goals never override clinical appropriateness.
AI chatbots and voice AI used in intake clearly identify themselves as automated systems. They are programmed to escalate to human counselors when detecting crisis indicators, suicidal ideation, or complex clinical situations.
Business Associate Agreements with all vendors. Encrypted data at rest and in transit. Access controls with role-based permissions. Audit logging on all PHI access. Regular security assessments. HIPAA-compliant tracking pixels and conversion events. Data minimization — we collect only the data necessary for effective marketing and admissions.
Every campaign, ad, landing page, and script goes through a creative QA process that checks against these standards before launch. AI intake scripts are audited monthly. Client partners receive a copy of this code and agree to uphold its standards as a condition of engagement. Violations are documented, corrected, and if repeated, result in termination of the engagement.
This code is reviewed and updated annually to reflect changes in regulations (HIPAA, FTC, state advertising laws), AI capabilities, and industry best practices.
