Governance Protocol: The CareConnect Local Verification Standard
[!IMPORTANT] Retirement-transition boundary: This standard is preserved as a historical and conditional safety protocol. It does not authorize active feature or service-record changes, new ingestion, provider outreach or partnership work, pilot reverification, or Brampton pre-launch execution. Apply it only to separately approved safety work or after the current roadmap explicitly reopens an operationally stewarded service scope.
Document Version: 1.1 Effective Date: Dec 29, 2025 Current Scope: Conditional safety rules for governed records when specific service work is separately approved or an operationally stewarded public scope is reopened.
This standard superseded the earlier Kingston-specific framing while preserving the same accuracy-over-coverage rule. Its former Kingston and Brampton launch framing is historical; no Brampton pre-launch execution is active under the current disposition.
1. The "Do No Harm" Mandate
We prioritize accuracy over coverage. It is better to return no result than to send a vulnerable user to a closed door, a disconnected phone line, or an unsafe environment.
1.1 The "Do-Not-Log" List
To protect user privacy, the following intent categories triggers a Zero-Log Policy. No query text, IP address, or metadata is recorded for these searches:
- Suicide / Self-Harm
- Sexual Violence / Assault
- Domestic Violence
- Substance Use / Overdose
Data Standards & Verification Levels (L-Scale)
Every service in the database must be assigned a verification level.
| Level | Definition | Display Policy |
|---|---|---|
| L0 | Unverified. Raw data scraped from web or submitted by public. | HIDDEN |
| L1 | Existence Verified. Phone number calls through, Website loads, and the record has been re-verified within the active freshness window. | ✅ VISIBLE |
| L2 | Eligibility Verified. Inclusion/Exclusion criteria verified against official documentation (PDF, About Page). | ✅ VISIBLE |
| L3 | Provider Confirmed. Direct contact (email/phone) with service provider confirming details. | ✅ VISIBLE (Preferred) |
| L4 | Official Partner. Signed MOU or Data Sharing Agreement. | 🌟 FEATURED |
Conditional display standard: If an operationally stewarded public scope is approved, visible services must be L1 or higher and remain within the active freshness window. This rule does not authorize reverification or publication during the retirement transition.
3. Identity & Equity Attributes
We do not apply unsupported identity tagging. All identity tags must be Evidence-Based.
3.1 Affirming Care Standards
To tag a service as 2SLGBTQI+ Friendly or Indigenous-Led, the record must include an evidence_url pointing to a public statement by the organization.
- Acceptable Evidence: "About Us" page stating mandate, Board of Directors list, official mandate.
- Unacceptable Evidence: Third-party directories, assumptions based on name/logo.
4. Maintenance Cycle
The cadences below define the safety standard for an approved, actively stewarded service. They do not create an active reverification queue or authorize restoration of the corpus during the retirement transition.
- Crisis Services: Verify monthly.
- Pilot / priority services: Target re-verification within 90 days.
- General directory services: Re-verify within 180 days to remain publicly visible.
- Stale Data: Any record not verified in > 180 days is auto-downgraded to L0 (Hidden).
Approved By: CareConnect Steering Committee