Privacy and Confidentiality Statement

This document describes the Privacy and Confidentiality Policy of Psychology CAFFE for the management, collection, use and disclosure of a client’s personal information. The psychological services provided by Psychology CAFFE are governed by the legal requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act 1988(Cth) (“the Act”) with reference to the APS Code of Ethics as required by AHPRA.

Client information

Client notes are held on Best Practice Allied (BP Allied) which is a secure private practice software. For more information regarding Best Practice Allied please see the Privacy Statement at https://bpsoftware.net/privacy-policy/. Client information has the meaning given to it under the Act, and each client file may include personal information such as your name, address, contact phone number, medical history, and other personal information collected as part of providing the psychological service including emails, chat records, and text messages.

How clients’ personal information is collected

A client’s personal information is collected in a number of ways during psychological consultation with Psychology CAFFE, including when the client provides information directly to Psychology CAFFE using hardcopy forms, correspondence via email, when the client interacts directly with Psychology CAFFE employees and contractors such as the administration staff, through your access and use of the Psychology CAFFE website and when other health practitioners provide personal information to Psychology CAFFE during the course of a session, including via referrals, correspondence and medical reports.

Consequence of not providing personal information

If the client does not wish for their personal information to be collected in a way anticipated by this Privacy and Confidentiality Policy, Psychology CAFFE may not be able to provide the psychological service to the client. In some circumstances, clients may request to remain anonymous or to use a pseudonym, however it is impracticable for a Psychology CAFFE Clinician to deal with the information and compliance that is required or authorised by law to deal with identified individuals, thus the practice must keep your details on file under our code of ethics.

Purpose of holding personal information

A client’s personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing psychological services, which includes assessing, diagnosing, and treating a client’s presenting concerns. During your treatment you may also be asked to complete a short survey which will be used for service development and improvement. All personal information is retained to document what happens during sessions and to enable the clinician to provide a relevant and informed psychological service.

Disclosure of personal information

A client’s personal information will remain confidential unless:

1. it is subpoenaed by a court, or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law; or
2. failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of the Psychology CAFFE Clinician place a client or another person at serious risk to life, health, or safety; or
3. the client’s prior approval has been obtained to:
   1. provide a written report to another agency or professional, e.g., a GP or a lawyer; or
   2. discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent, employer, health provider, or third-party funder; or
   3. disclose the information in another way; or
   4. disclose to another professional or agency (e.g. your GP) and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose which is directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected.

A client’s personal information is not disclosed to overseas recipients unless the client consents or such disclosure is otherwise required by law.  A client’s personal information will not be used, sold, rented, disseminated, or disclosed for any other purpose.

If unauthorised access, disclosure or loss of a client’s personal information occurs Psychology CAFFE will activate its data breach plan and use all reasonable endeavours to minimise the risk of consequential serious harm.

Requests for access and correction to client information

At any stage clients may request to view and correct the personal information about them kept on file. The Clinician may discuss the contents with them and/or give them a copy, subject to any exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988. If satisfied that personal information is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete, reasonable steps will be taken in the circumstances to ensure that this information is corrected. All requests by clients for access to, or correction of, personal information held about them should be lodged in writing with the Psychology CAFFE Practice Manager (Email: practicemanager@psychologycaffe.com.au or Phone 03 6426 3050). These requests will be responded to in writing within 30 days, and an appointment will be made if necessary, for clarification purposes.

Links

Our website may contain links to other websites operated by third parties. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the privacy practice of any third-party website and we are not responsible for the privacy policies or the content of any third-party website.

Concerns

If a client has a concern about the management or use of their personal information or privacy, they may inform the Psychology CAFFE Practice Manager (Email: practicemanager@psychologycaffe.com.au or Phone 03 6426 3050). Upon request they can obtain a copy of the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe their rights and how their personal information should be handled.

Ultimately, if clients wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, disclosure of, or access to, their personal information, they may do so with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by phone on 1300 363 992, online at https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints/ or by post to: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW 2001.

Changes to our Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

This Privacy and Confidentiality Policy may change from time to time. Any updated versions of this Privacy and Confidentiality Policy will be posted on our website.