Almeida Law Group is investigating a data breach at Bay Area Psychological Consultants. If you were affected, contact Almeida Law Group.
About Bay Area Psychological Consultants
Bay Area Psychological Consultants (formally registered as Benshoof & Tallman, P.A.) is a private mental health practice founded in 2000 and located in Niceville, Florida, in Northwest Florida’s Okaloosa County. The practice employs fewer than 25 people, including seven to nine clinical psychologists and clinical social workers, and offers a wide range of psychological services to children, teens, and adults, including individual, couples, and family therapy, psychological and neuropsychological assessments, cognitive-behavioral therapy, trauma and grief counseling, EMDR, play therapy, and telehealth.
What Happened?
Bay Area Psychological Consultants was listed in an HHS Office for Civil Rights breach portal report submitted on October 1st, 2026. The filing describes a hacking or IT incident affecting 5,679 individuals. The breached information was located in electronic medical records and on a network server, and a business associate was identified as present in connection with the incident.
The specific categories of personal or health information exposed were not specified in the HHS filing. No public breach notification letter, ransomware group claim, or additional media reporting about this incident was found as of the research date, and no prior breaches or related litigation involving this organization were identified.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Company or Organization: Bay Area Psychological Consultants
- Industry: Healthcare – Mental Health Services
- Location: Niceville, FL (Okaloosa County, Northwest Florida)
- Incident type: Hacking/IT Incident
- Date of consumer notification: October 1st, 2026
- Total persons affected: 5,679
- Business associate present: Yes
- Source: HHS OCR Breach Portal · Bay Area Psychological Consultants – Official Website
What Should You Do?
If you believe your information was involved in this breach, you should act promptly to protect yourself. Because this incident involved electronic medical records, review any Explanation of Benefits statements you receive from your health insurer and check your medical records for services you did not receive. You should also place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—and monitor your credit reports for unfamiliar accounts or activity. You can access free annual credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. If you discover signs of identity theft or fraud, report them and get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
Your Legal Rights
If your personal or health information was involved in this breach, you may have legal rights depending on the facts of the incident and the law in your state. Almeida Law Group represents consumers in data breach and privacy litigation and can help you evaluate whether you may have a claim. Contact us at (708) 529-5418 or through our contact page for a free case evaluation.
