PRIVACY & CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

 

As a provider of quality counselling, consulting and/or coaching services it is necessary to lawfully collect and record relevant personal information. Your personal information is gathered as part of the service you are engaging in. Information is securely stored and is retained to document what occurs during sessions. This helps the counsellor to provide a tailored service specific to your needs. 

 

This counselling confidentiality agreement policy outlines the confidentiality principles, laws, and codes of practice under which Proud Place Therapy operates. We will never use or disclose official, health or personal information without proper authority or for purposes that breach privacy law.

 

CODES OF PRACTICE

As a registered counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association your counsellor adheres to this association’s ethical codes and confidentiality principles as well as to the legal requirements of the Privacy Act 1988, the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

 

COLLECTION OF INFORMATION

Personal information will only be collected when it is lawful to do so and when directly related to the counsellor role and the activity of managing the service. Information will only be collected from you directly when it is relevant.

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WHAT KIND OF PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY BE COLLECTED:

In order for Proud Place Therapy to supply services and benefits to you, we need to collect certain personal information about you. This personal information may include:

·       your name

·       address

·       telephone number

·       date of birth

·       email address and other contact details

·       bank account or credit card details

·       occupation.

 

Proud Place Therapy may also need to collect sensitive or health information from you such as:

·       your medical history

·       your family’s medical history

·       your ethnicity/cultural background, and those of any significant others (e.g. your partner’s).

·       your relationship status and history

·       any additional information obtained throughout the course of your treatment

 

From time to time, you may provide Proud Place Therapy, and we may collect from you, personal information of a third party. Where you provide the personal information of a third party, it is your responsibility to ensure that these persons are aware of this Privacy Policy, understand it, and agree to accept it. You do not have to provide us with any personal information, however, if you do not do so, we may not be able to provide you with the services you have requested.

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HOW PROUD PLACE THERAPY COLLECTS PERSONAL INFORMATION

You information may be collected in the following ways:

·       During conversations with you, over the phone, online and/or face to face

·       Through your use of the Proud Place Therapy website

·       From your referring doctor or any other persons/entities that have referred you

·       When you complete Proud Place Therapy forms and paperwork

 

We will collect personal and health information directly from you wherever reasonably practicable. However, sometimes we may obtain health information about you from your referring doctor, or any other persons/entities that have referred you. Sometimes we may obtain health information about you from your partner or family member when it is not practicable to obtain it from you. If this ever happens we will always confirm that information with you as soon as possible.

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FOR WHAT PURPOSES DO WE COLLECT, HOLD, AND USE YOUR PERSONAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION?

Your personal and health information is collected and used to ensure that you receive the best possible care if you become a client of Proud Place Therapy, and for us to effectively provide you with the appropriate counselling services. It will also be used to:

·       send communications to you

·       provide information and advice

·       conduct business processing functions

·       update our records and keep your contact details up to date

·       respond to any complaint made by you

·       comply with any law, rule, regulation, lawful and binding determination, decision or direction of a regulator, or in co-operation with any governmental authority.

 

It will also be used internally for the administrative, marketing, planning, product or service development, quality control and research purposes of Proud Place Therapy.

 

DATA QUALITY, SECURITY AND FLOW

All personal information you supply should be accurate and up to date. Proud Place Therapy will take reasonable steps to securely protect your personal information from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. Reasonable steps will be taken to destroy personal information no longer needed.

 

STORAGE OF INFORMATION

Your information will remain confidential, private and securely stored, and will be securely disposed of after seven years. It will be protected from unauthorised access, use and disclosure.

 

ACCESS AND ACCURACY

This counselling confidentiality agreement policy informs you of what personal information will be stored, the reason this information is being collected and what will be done with that information. You have the right to access your information with reasonable notice. You will be allowed to update, correct or amend your personal information where necessary.

 

USE AND DISCLOSURE

You have a legal right to expect that any personal or health information held about you will not be disclosed inappropriately to others without your informed consent. Your information will be limited to the purpose for which it is collected and Proud Place Therapy will not use information supplied by you for one purpose for another.

Your permission will be sought for direct marketing communication from Proud Place Therapy. In each communication a prominent option will be displayed for you to express your wish not to receive any further direct marketing.

 

LIMITATIONS TO CONFIDENTIALITY

In some situations, disclosure of personal or health information may be necessary where there is a serious and imminent threat to an individual’s life, health or safety, or a threat to public health or safety.

 

In a counselling contract, limits to confidentiality are explained and issued in the form of a written contract. These situations are:

1. When subpoenaed by court, or

2. When required by law (e.g. Mandatory Reporting for child protection, unlawful activity), or

3. When failure to disclose information would place you or another person at risk of serious harm, or

4. When your prior approval has been gained for authority to release information to a nominated person.

 

OPENNESS

This policy sets out how personal information will be managed, what sort of information will be held, for what purposes, and how it is collected, held, and used.

 

TRANSFER AND LINKAGE OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION

Transfer of personal information to an organisation in Australia or overseas will only be allowed with your consent and will occur in a controlled way. Your express informed consent is needed for authority to transfer information to other organisations. Such information will only be sought when necessary to uphold the law and its statutes.

 

INDEMNITY

Every care has been taken to ensure the information in this policy is accurate and based on current law and best practice. Proud Place Therapy cannot accept any claims arising from error or misinterpretation.

 

CURRENCY

This confidentiality policy was last updated on 1st March 2024. It is advisable to check this policy information when revisiting the website as there may be some changes to reflect best practice and current statutory and legal requirements.

 

FOR QUESTIONS OR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS COUNSELLING CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT CONTACT PROUD PLACE THERAPY.