Security & Data Protection

Why this page exists

Becoming a volunteer ombudsman means sharing sensitive personal information — your date of birth, your address, your references, and the results of a Level II background screening. You deserve a plain explanation of how that information is handled, who can see it, and how long we keep it. This page is that explanation. Our Privacy Notice covers what we collect and why in full detail.

What we collect, and why

We ask only for what the program needs to evaluate, screen, train, and certify a volunteer: your contact details, residency and transportation information, background and experience, references, required disclosures, and your training progress. We do not sell, rent, or share your information with third parties for marketing.

Who can see your information

Access is role-based, and nothing in this portal is publicly readable:

• District Ombudsman Managers see only the applicants routed to their own district.
• Training staff and volunteer mentors see the training and field-visit information needed to support you — not your full application.
• Program administrators have program-wide access for oversight and reporting.
• You can sign in at any time to see your own status and the steps that remain.

How accounts are protected

Staff, District Ombudsman Managers, mentors, and applicants sign in using a single-use link emailed to an address already on file. The link expires shortly after it is sent and cannot be reused. There are no shared passwords to guess, leak, or pass around, and sign-in sessions expire on their own.

How your data is protected

• All traffic between your browser and the portal is encrypted.
• Application PDFs, signed packets, and screening documents are kept in private storage that is not reachable from the public internet. Authorized staff open them through short-lived, signed links.
• Notification emails sent to staff deliberately omit applicant details — staff must sign in to see the information.
• Every meaningful action on an application — who marked a step complete, when an email went out, when a document was removed — is recorded in an audit trail.

How long we keep documents

• Background screening attachments are deleted once an application reaches a final outcome — certified, declined, or withdrawn.
• Your completed volunteer packet and application PDF are permanently deleted from this portal at the moment you are certified. The official copies are retained in GetCare, the program's system of record.
• Other program records are retained as required by Florida record-retention requirements and federal Older Americans Act regulations.

What you can ask us to do

At any point you may ask for a copy of the information we hold about you, ask us to correct anything inaccurate, or withdraw your application. Contact your District Ombudsman Manager or the State Council office and we will help.

Reporting a security concern

If you believe you have found a security problem in this portal — information visible to the wrong person, a link that works when it shouldn't, anything that looks wrong — please tell us at LTCOPStateCouncil@ElderAffairs.org. Include what you saw and how to reproduce it. We ask that you give us a reasonable opportunity to investigate and correct the issue before disclosing it publicly, so applicant information stays protected while we work.

Public records

LTCOP is a Florida state program, so our records may be subject to disclosure under Florida's public records law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes). Confidentiality therefore has statutory limits. If you believe you qualify for a public-records exemption, indicate that on the application form so your records are handled accordingly.