Haven Psychology Centre is committed to ensuring your personal information is professionally managed, and information is collected, recorded, and stored in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This privacy policy is to provide information to you on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we share it with third parties.
What personal information we collect and why
To provide a professional psychological service to you, Haven Psychology Centre will need to collect personal information relevant to your situation and circumstance. We also use this information for business administration, including Medicare rebates, other financial claims and payments, practice audits, accreditation, and regular business processes.
The personal information we collect, and store includes:
• Your name, address, date of birth, contact details, gender, pronouns
• Information about your mental and physical health condition(s), relevant medical history, social and family history, risk factors, relevant medication(s), and previous mental health treatment
• Medicare number, DVA number, NDIS Plan number, or other third-party identification number(s) for claiming purposes
• Your payment card details
How we collect your personal information
Haven Psychology Centre will collect your personal information in several ways. We do this directly and in person, over the phone, via electronic communication (including email, SMS, social media, and web enquiries), and through Client Information and Consent Forms that you complete prior to your first session with your psychologist. At your first consultation, your psychologist will also complete an intake assessment to better understand your personal history and therapeutic/clinical needs. Your psychologist will also take notes during each consultation to accurately record your situation and create a treatment plan that best suits your clinical needs.
We understand that on occasion, it is not possible to collect information from you directly. In this instance, we may also collect this information from:
• Your guardian, caregiver, or support worker
• Other healthcare providers, including your general practitioner, specialists (such as paediatricians and psychiatrists), other allied health professionals, and community health services
• Your Private Health Fund, relevant Government departments and other third-party stakeholders
Who we share your personal information with and under what circumstance
In certain circumstances, we may need to share your information with other people or organisations. If you are referred for treatment via a Mental Health Care Plan, NDIS, DVA, employee assistance program, or WorkCover, or your treatment is being funded by a different third party to those mentioned above, we are required to share information with the referring provider and their nominee during your course of treatment, up to and including beyond cessation of treatment. We may also need to contact Medicare to confirm your personal details and/or the number of sessions available to you under your Mental Health Care Plan.
All personal information gathered by Haven Psychology Centre during the provision of the psychological service is only accessible by authorised Haven Psychology Centre team members. Other than in when providing relevant psychological or mental health services, or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share your personal information with any third party without your consent.
As part of our commitment to ongoing professional development and ethical practice, our practitioners engage in supervision, debriefing and case conferencing where de-identified client information, treatment and outcomes are discussed with peers bound by the same professional and ethical standards of confidentiality.
Your information will remain confidential and secure except where:
• It is subpoenaed by a court of law, or
• Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious and imminent risk; or
• Your prior approval has been obtained to:
- provide a written report to representative or agency, e.g., a lawyer or government department; or
2. discuss the material with another person, e.g., a parent or employer.
We will not share your information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.
How we store and protect your personal information
Your personal information may be stored at our practice as paper and/or electronic records. Our practice stores all personal information securely and adheres to strict protocols to ensure your personal information is protected from misuse, loss, interference, or unauthorised access. All software or programs used to store your information are password protected. Hard copies of records/information are securely shredded on the same day we receive them. On occasion where this is not practicable, paper copies of your files are stored in a locked cabinet until they are digitised, at which point they will be securely destroyed.
How you can access and correct your personal information at our practice
Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. We will ask you from time to time to verify that your information held by our practice is accurate and up to date. You have the right to access and correct personal information that we hold about you, in electronic or hard copy format. Should you wish to obtain a copy of this information, we request that you put it in writing and address it to the Directors –Haven Psychology Services Pty Ltd. Your request for access or correction will be responded to in writing within 30 days and may also require an appointment, depending on the nature of the request and any clarifications needed. You may be charged an administrative fee to reasonably cover our costs in fulfilling your request. Files cannot be given to clients to be taken from the premises to protect others who may be mentioned in the file and to protect against any source of misunderstanding and/or consequent distress. Where there are grounds for refusing a request for access, this will be provided in writing along with information on the mechanisms through which to make a complaint about a refusal.
How you can lodge a privacy related complaint and how it will be handled at our practice
If you have concerns about your privacy or wish to make a complaint about a privacy breach, please contact the Directors –Haven Psychology Services Pty Ltd. You should provide sufficient details regarding the nature of your complaint together with any supporting information. We will take steps to investigate the issue and will notify you in writing of the outcome within 30 days from receipt date of original written complaint. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact us directly to discuss your concerns, or lodge a complaint with the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.
Privacy and our website
If you communicate with our practice electronically, including by way of email, social media, or our website, your personal information may also be recorded digitally through use of website analytics and cookies.
Dealing with us anonymously
You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are requested or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.
Policy review statement
As part of our ongoing commitment to your privacy, this privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is compliant with the Australian Privacy Principles, and to ensure clients are informed of any changes that may occur to this policy. We will notify our clients of these changes as they occur either in writing, on our website, or in person. A hard copy will also be made available to all clients at reception, and upon request.