FRONTLINE CONNECT
Participant Consent and Agreement
Frontline Connect Pilot and Platform Use
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Document Type Participant Consent and Agreement |
Version 1.1 |
Effective Date August 27, 2026 |
1. Purpose
This Participant Consent and Agreement describes the expectations, limitations, and mutual responsibilities associated with participation in Frontline Connect. The platform is intended to strengthen connection, support reflection, identify opportunities for early support, and facilitate access to peer, community, clinical, or crisis resources when appropriate. The platform’s scope and limitations are governed by the Emergency and Safety Disclaimer, which is incorporated into this Agreement by reference.
2. Voluntary Participation
Participation is voluntary. A participant may stop using the platform at any time. Choosing not to participate, declining a question, or withdrawing from a study (if applicable) will not affect access to emergency services, clinical care, veterans benefits, or other organizational programs.
3. How Check-Ins Are Reviewed
Every check-in is processed by artificial intelligence to generate a response and evaluate potential safety concerns. When elevated concern is detected, authorized Frontline Connect support personnel may receive the participant’s name, relevant check-in content, risk tier, and response deadline. A peer supporter, clinician, or designated responder may review the information and contact the participant.
Participants should understand that Frontline Connect is not a private journal and that elevated-risk content may be reviewed by a person for safety purposes. The full explanation of this process — including what it can and cannot guarantee — is set out in the Emergency and Safety Disclaimer.
Separately, designated Frontline Connect application administrators have full access to chat logs and can monitor conversations, including in real time, for safety, security, and operational purposes. This administrative access applies to all check-ins, not only those flagged as elevated risk. See the Emergency and Safety Disclaimer for the full scope of this access.
4. Participant Responsibilities
- Provide accurate registration and contact information.
- Use the platform in good faith and avoid impersonating another person.
- Contact 911 or 988 when immediate help is needed rather than waiting for the platform.
- Understand and accept the scope and limitations of the platform described in the Emergency and Safety Disclaimer, including that AI review and human follow-up are safety supports and not guarantees.
- Protect the confidentiality of access codes and account credentials.
- Report technical problems, suspected unauthorized access, or harmful content.
5. Platform Responsibilities
- Use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards.
- Limit access to participant chat logs and real-time monitoring to specifically authorized Frontline Connect personnel whose assigned roles require such access for platform safety, security, quality assurance, or operational oversight. Access for research purposes will be governed separately by the applicable IRB-approved protocol, participant consent, data-use agreements, and role-based permissions.
- Maintain an audit trail of approvals, access, safety alerts, and material administrative actions.
- Explain material changes to platform terms, privacy practices, or research participation and obtain renewed acknowledgment when appropriate.
6. Research and Program Evaluation
App use and research participation are separate. General platform use may involve operational analytics and de-identified program evaluation. Participation in a formal research study requires a separate study-specific informed consent approved by the responsible Institutional Review Board (IRB), when applicable.
7. Account Closure and Data Requests
Participants may request account closure or deletion by contacting the designated privacy or research contact. Some records may need to be retained for legal, safety, audit, funding, or research-integrity purposes. Data already de-identified or included in completed aggregate analyses may not be capable of being removed. The organization will explain what can and cannot be deleted when responding to a request.
8. Acknowledgment
By checking the acknowledgment box, the participant confirms that they have read and understood this Agreement, the Emergency and Safety Disclaimer, the Privacy Policy, and the Terms of Use.
Frontline Connect | Massachusetts Veterans Suicide Prevention Institute | This Participant Consent and Agreement incorporates the Emergency and Safety Disclaimer by reference.