Nothing in the Mental Health Association data breach settlement arrives on its own — not the cash, and not the three years of free credit monitoring. The court-authorized notice says the only way to receive any benefit is a valid claim form, filed by November 19, 2026. The settlement covers people whose private information was accessible in the November 2024 cyberattack on Mental Health Association, Inc., a Springfield, Massachusetts nonprofit, and offers $40 with no proof, or up to $5,000 in documented losses plus $75 for lost time.
Status: Claims open; not yet approved | Claim deadline November 19, 2026 | Objection deadline November 19, 2026 | $40, or up to $5,075 documented, plus 3 years of monitoring on request
Why the Monitoring Matters Here
Mental Health Association has provided residential and support services in the Greater Springfield area since 1960 for people affected by mental illness, developmental disabilities, substance use and homelessness. According to the notice, files accessible during the November 2024 attack on its computer systems may have contained names, addresses, Social Security numbers, medical diagnosis or condition information, medication information, medical record numbers, other medical information, dates of birth and driver’s license numbers.
Behavioral health records are among the most sensitive categories a breach can expose, and they make follow-on phishing more convincing. That is the practical case for claiming the monitoring even if you take only the $40: three years of CyEx Identity Defense Complete at no cost, with $1 million in identity theft insurance, real-time credit file monitoring, dark web scanning, public records monitoring and access to a fraud resolution agent. Several similar settlements hand monitoring out automatically. This one does not; you have to tick the box.
The Case
The lawsuit is Campbell et al. v. Mental Health Association, Inc., Case No. 2579CV00419, in the Superior Court of Hampden County, Massachusetts. It alleges that certain files containing private information were accessible during the attack. MHA denies doing anything wrong, and the court has not decided who is right. Both sides agreed to settle to avoid the costs and risks of a trial. Simpluris is the administrator, and class counsel are Milberg PLLC and Shamis & Gentile, P.A.
Who Is in the Class
The court defined the class as all persons whose private information was accessible because of the data incident that occurred on or around November 28, 2024, and the settlement website adds that class members are individuals residing in the United States. MHA’s records decide who is covered, and the notice tells recipients directly that those records show they are entitled to benefits. A notice with a LoginID and PIN is the confirmation.
Excluded are the judge and the judge’s family and staff; MHA and its officers and directors; and anyone who perpetrated the incident. Some people also received an earlier letter from MHA about the incident itself, which is separate from the settlement notice.
$40, or the Documented Route
| Alternate Cash Payment | A one-time $40. No proof or explanation. Replaces the other cash options. |
| Documented losses | Up to $5,000 for actual, unreimbursed losses caused by the incident and incurred between November 28, 2024 and November 19, 2026. |
| Lost time | Up to three hours at $25 an hour ($75), with a brief description of how the time was spent. Claimed with documented losses, not with the $40. |
| Credit monitoring | Three years of CyEx Identity Defense Complete, free, alongside either cash route. Must still be claimed. |
On the documented route the practical ceiling is $5,075. Covered losses include identity theft or fraud losses, fees for credit reports, credit monitoring or freezing and unfreezing credit, the cost of replacing identification documents, and postage to contact banks by mail. Proof such as bank statements or receipts is required; self-prepared notes can support other proof but are not enough alone, and expenses a third party already reimbursed do not qualify.
The $300,000 Cap and Who It Hits
The settlement does not describe a common fund. It sets a $300,000 cap on the total value of benefits claimed. If claims exceed that, the notice says all alternate cash payments are reduced pro rata to bring the total within the cap. So the $40 is a ceiling rather than a guarantee, and the reduction described falls on the $40 payments, not on documented losses.
Attorneys’ fees and costs of up to $250,000 and service awards of $2,500 for each class representative are paid by or on behalf of MHA, not out of the benefits cap. All of those amounts need court approval.
Filing: The LoginID Gate
The online claim form at the official settlement website, MHADataSettlement.com, opens only after you log in with the LoginID and PIN printed on the mailed notice. If you cannot find them, request them through the site’s contact page with your full name and mailing address. A printable claim form can also be downloaded and mailed with any documents, postmarked by November 19, 2026, or requested from the administrator.
Once in, choose either the $40 or the documented-loss and lost-time route, tick credit monitoring, upload any documents and submit. The notice gives the deadline as a date without a time zone.
Objecting — and the Missing Opt-Out
Written objections must be filed with the Clerk of Court by November 19, 2026, with a copy to the administrator. A valid objection includes your full name, mailing address, phone and email, the case name and number, proof of class membership such as your notice, every reason for the objection with supporting documents, and your signature. You may also object in person at the hearing without filing anything first.
The notice does not describe an exclusion or opt-out procedure. Its summary of rights lists submitting a claim, objecting or attending the hearing, or doing nothing — and a class member who does nothing receives no benefit and gives up the rights described in the settlement agreement. If your decision depends on opting out, read the settlement agreement on the website’s documents page first.
After the Hearing
The final approval hearing is set for December 15, 2026 at the Hampden County Superior Court in Springfield; the notice gives no time and warns the date may change. The court will decide whether to approve the settlement, how class counsel are paid, the service awards and any objections. Payments follow only after final approval and any appeals, and the notice says it is unknown whether appeals will be filed. No payment date has been announced.
File only through the official website; an administrator never charges a fee to release a payment. Our sister site keeps the Mental Health Association settlement page on OpenClassActions.com current.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is any Mental Health Association settlement benefit automatic?
No. The notice says the only way to receive benefits is a valid and timely claim form. That includes the three years of free credit monitoring.
Could the $40 be reduced?
Yes. If the total value of benefits claimed exceeds $300,000, all alternate cash payments are reduced pro rata to stay within the cap.
Can I claim lost time with the $40?
No. Lost time of up to three hours at $25 an hour is claimed with documented losses, not with the $40 alternate cash payment.
Can I opt out of the MHA settlement?
The notice does not describe an opt-out procedure. It lists filing a claim, objecting or attending the hearing, or doing nothing. Check the settlement agreement on the official website if opting out matters to you.
Is MHADataSettlement.com the official site?
Yes. It is the court-authorized website for Campbell et al. v. Mental Health Association, Inc., Case No. 2579CV00419, administered by Simpluris.
When will payments be made?
No payment date has been announced. Payments are distributed only if the court grants final approval after the December 15, 2026 hearing and any appeals are resolved.
Sources
- Official settlement website, notice and claim form — MHADataSettlement.com, administered by Simpluris.
- Campbell et al. v. Mental Health Association, Inc., Case No. 2579CV00419, Superior Court of Hampden County, Massachusetts.
- OpenClassActions.com — Mental Health Association Data Breach Settlement.
Source and credit: the settlement terms, deadlines and benefit details described above are drawn from our sister site’s reporting — OpenClassActions.com: Mental Health Association Data Breach Settlement — $40 Cash or Up to $5,000 in Documented Losses — which tracks this case against the court-approved notice and the official settlement website and is updated as the court rules.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. OpenClassActions.org is a consumer news site, not a law firm and not the settlement administrator, and is not affiliated with any party to the case described. The allegations are allegations; unless a court has ruled, the defendants deny wrongdoing and no court has decided the merits. Deadlines, benefit amounts and payment timing can change as the court and the administrator act, so confirm current status on the official settlement website. You never need to pay anyone to file a claim or to receive a settlement payment.