On November 13, 2023, Southwest Behavioral Health Center filed a notice of data breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights after discovering that confidential information that had been provided to the company was subject to unauthorized access. In this notice, SBHC explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information. Upon completing its investigation, SBHC began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you receive a data breach notification from Southwest Behavioral Health Center, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Southwest Behavioral Health Center data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Southwest Behavioral Health Center Data Breach?

The Southwest Behavioral Health Center data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, SBHC does not yet appear to have posted a website notice discussing the incident, and SBHC’s filing with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights provides only limited information about the breach.

At this point, we know that the breach involved a “Hacking / IT Incident” that targeted a network server. What we don’t know is whether hackers targeted SBHC’s computer network or, alternatively, if hackers orchestrated an attack against one of SBHC’s vendors.

Regardless, after learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Southwest Behavioral Health Center reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While we cannot confirm what data types were leaked, only those breaches that involve the protected health information of more than 500 people must be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. Thus, at this point, it is a fair assumption that protected health information was among the leaked information.

On November 13, 2023, Southwest Behavioral Health Center sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.

More Information About Southwest Behavioral Health Center

Southwest Behavioral Health Center is a behavioral health provider serving the residents of Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington Counties. Based in Saint George, Utah, SBHC provides outpatient, intensive outpatient (“IOP”) and inpatient services for those experiencing substance abuse disorders. SBHC also offers treatment options for a range of other mental health conditions and disorders. SBHC operates five locations throughout Southern Utah. Southwest Behavioral Health Center employs more than 25 people and generates approximately $5 million in annual revenue.