Privacy Policy
Psychology& is committed to providing quality services to you and this policy outlines our ongoing obligations to you in respect of how we manage your Personal Information.
We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act) which governs the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure and dispose of your Personal Information.
A copy of the Australian Privacy Principles may be obtained from the website of The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.aoic.gov.au.
What is Personal Information and why do we collect it?
Personal Information is information or an opinion that identifies an individual.
The types of personal information we may collect about you include:
your name;
your contact details, including email address, mailing address, street address and/or telephone number;
your credit card details;
your demographic information, such as postcode;
your preferences and/or opinions;
information you provide to us through surveys;
details of products and services we have provided to you and/or that you have enquired about, and our response to you;
your browser session and geo-location data, device and network information, statistics on page views and sessions, acquisition sources, search queries and/or browsing behaviour;
information about your access and use of our Site, including through the use of Internet cookies, your communications with our Site, the type of browser you are using, the type of operating system you are using and the domain name of your Internet service provider;
additional personal information that you provide to us, directly or indirectly, through your use of our Site, associated applications, associated social media platforms and/or accounts from which you permit us to collect information; and
any other personal information requested by us and/or provided by you or a third party.
We collect your Personal Information for the primary purpose of providing our services to you. We may also use your Personal Information for secondary purposes closely related to the primary purpose, in circumstances where you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure. You may unsubscribe from our mailing/marketing lists at any time by emailing us.
When we collect Personal Information we will, where appropriate and where possible, explain to you why we are collecting the information and how we plan to use it.
Sensitive Information
Sensitive information is defined in the Privacy Act to include information or opinion about such things as an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record or health information.
Sensitive information will be used by us only:
For the primary purpose for which it was obtained
For a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose
With your consent; or where required or authorised by law.
Collection and Management of Personal Information
The personal information we collect may include sensitive information, such as details about your mental health, medical history, or other information defined under section 6 of the Privacy Act 1988. This information is collected only with your consent and when necessary to provide our services.
Purpose of collecting personal information
Your personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing psychological services, which includes assessing, diagnosing and treating your presenting issue(s). We also collect personal information for the purposes of communicating with you. The personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions and enables the psychologist to provide a relevant and informed psychological service.
How personal information is collected
Your personal information is collected in a number of ways during psychological consultation with Psychology&, e.g. via notes that our psychologists and patient advocates take to document important details relevant to assessment and treatment or service. Personal information is also collected when you provide information directly to Psychology& using online intake forms or enquiry forms, correspondence via email, when you interact directly with our reception team, and when other health practitioners provide personal information to Psychology&, via referrals, correspondence and medical reports.
Storage of personal information
Client information is predominantly stored in Halaxy, which is an Australian-based secure private practice software program commonly used in the healthcare industry. For more information regarding Halaxy please see the Halaxy Terms of Use and Halaxy Privacy Policy at halaxy.com. The information on each file includes personal information such as name, address, contact phone numbers, medical history, and other personal information collected as part of providing the psychological service.
Each psychologist at Psychologist& retains ownership of the clinical notes they create and is individually responsible for the secure storage of those notes. While some psychologists may choose to store their notes in Halaxy, others may use hard-copy records or secure electronic systems (such as a password-protected personal device). If your psychologist prefers hard-copy notes, hard-copy client files are held in a secure filing cabinet which is accessible only to authorised employees and psychologists. In all cases, psychologists are required to ensure their notes are stored confidentially and in accordance with Australian privacy law and professional standards.
Psychology& is also required by law to store your records for a minimum of seven (7) years (or until the age of 25 if under 18 years of age). Psychology& may also retain personal information for administrative purposes such as for Medicare requirements.
In some cases, we may share limited personal information with professional service providers (such as accountants, legal advisors, or IT consultants) for purposes such as billing, systems support, or compliance. All such providers are required to maintain confidentiality and comply with Australian privacy legislation.
Third Parties
Where reasonable and practicable to do so, we will collect your Personal Information only from you. However, in some circumstances we may be provided with information by third parties. In such a case we will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are made aware of the information provided to us by the third party.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Your Personal Information may be disclosed in a number of circumstances including the following:
Third parties where you consent to the use or disclosure; and
Where required or authorised by law.
Security of Personal Information
Your Personal Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
When your Personal Information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify your Personal Information. However, most of the Personal Information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by us for a minimum of 7 years.
Data security
We have stringent security protocols in place regarding data security. Our clinical system, Halaxy, and all back-end systems are protected with multi-factor authentication. We have strict guidelines for our employees regarding password and other data-security measures (such as anti-virus software etc.), and provide guidelines for our psychologists, for circumstances where they are responsible for data security (such as their own clinical notes storage).
Disclosure of personal information
The information you disclose will remain confidential and will not be shared with any other parties, unless you otherwise request/permit (e.g. you request a written report for work/study or you wish to involve a loved one). However, your psychologist may be required to breach confidentiality and disclose your information in the following unlikely situations:
If failure to disclose the information would, in the reasonable belief of your psychologist, place you or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or
Information is subpoenaed by a court of law; or
Your psychologist suspects that a child is at risk of neglect, abuse or harm (i.e. mandatory reporting), or
An authorised member of the Department of Human Services believes on reasonable grounds that your psychologist has information that is relevant to the protection or development of a child in respect of whom a protection order is in force.
There also may be times where as part of the assessment and therapy process, it may be helpful for your psychologist to liaise with other people that are relevant to your therapy goals (e.g. your GP, specialist, etc.). Please note that if you intend to claim rebates from Medicare or another organisation then your psychologist must provide summary reports and be open to professional discussion regarding assessment and treatment progress.
The clinic also receives phone calls from parents of school-aged clients, where by law we are required to confirm with the parent the attendance at the practice of a client who is under the age of 18 years. Please notify your therapist if you are not comfortable with this agreement, or if there is an issue with a parent/guardian knowing about your attendance.
Clients under the age of 18 may have the right to make their own privacy decisions if they are assessed to have sufficient maturity and understanding. Where appropriate, your psychologist will consider the young person’s capacity to consent to treatment and make decisions about how their personal information is handled.
Access to your Personal Information
You may access the Personal Information we hold about you and to update and/or correct it, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your Personal Information, please contact us in writing.
We will not charge any fee for your access request, but may charge an administrative fee for providing a copy of your Personal Information.
In order to protect your Personal Information we may require identification from you before releasing the requested information.
Maintaining the Quality of your Personal Information
It is important to us that your Personal Information is up to date. We will take reasonable steps to make sure that your Personal Information is accurate, complete and up-to-date. If you find that the information we have is not up to date or is inaccurate, please advise us as soon as practicable so we can update our records and ensure we can continue to provide quality services to you.
Policy Updates
This Policy may change from time to time and is available on our website.
Privacy Policy Complaints and Enquiries
If you have any queries or complaints about our Privacy Policy please contact us at Psychology&: danielle@psychologyand.com.au