PRIVACY POLICY | Health Psychologists

This document describes the Privacy Policy of Health Psychologists ("we", "us", or "our") for the management of client (“you”, “your”) personal information. The psychological service provided is bound by the legal requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

1. Client Information

Client files are held in electronic document management systems accessible only to authorised employees. The information on each file includes personal information such as name, address, phone numbers, email, medical history, and other personal information collected as part of providing the psychological service.

2. Collection of Personal Information

We collect personal information that you provide to us when you engage with Health Psychologists. This may include, but is not limited to:

Contact information such as your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address.
Demographic information such as age, gender, and occupation.
Health information including medical history, mental health history, and treatment records.
Billing and payment information.

We may collect this information through various means, including in-person consultations, telehealth consultations, phone calls, emails, hard copy forms, through our website, online forms, and when other health practitioners provide personal information to Health Psychologists via referrals, correspondence, and medical reports.

3. 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 Policy, Health Psychologists may not be able to provide the psychological service to the client. In some circumstances, clients may request to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym, unless it is impracticable for Health Psychologists to deal with the client or if Health Psychologists is required or authorised by law to deal with identified individuals.

4. 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 problems. The personal information is retained to document what happens during sessions and enables the psychologist to provide a relevant and informed psychological service.

5. Use of Personal Information

We may use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

Providing psychological assessments, therapy, and other related services.
Managing appointments and scheduling.
Processing payments and billing.
Communicating with you about your treatment, appointments, and other relevant information.
Responding to your enquiries and requests.
Improving our services and developing new offerings.
Complying with legal and regulatory requirements.

6. Disclosure of Personal Information

Client personal information will remain confidential except when:

it is subpoenaed by a court, or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law; or
failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of Health Psychologists place a client or another person at serious risk or harm; or
you have a Mental Health Care Plan or Chronic Disease Management Plan from your GP, as your psychologist is required to report your presenting concerns, progress, and treatment to the referring GP after six and ten sessions;
the client’s prior approval has been obtained to:

provide a written report to another agency or professional, e.g., a General Practitioner (GP) or a lawyer; or
discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent, employer, health provider, or third-party funder; or
disclose the information in another way; or
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. Client personal information will not be used, sold, rented, or disclosed for any other purpose.

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

7. Requests for access and correction to client information

At any stage clients may request to see and correct the personal information about them kept on file. The psychologist may discuss the contents with them and/or give them a copy, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). 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 with Health Psychologists. These requests will be responded to in writing within 10 days, and an appointment will be made if necessary for clarification purposes.

8. Concerns

If clients have a concern about the management of their personal information, they may inform Health Psychologists. 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 http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/making-a-privacy-complaint or by post to:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW 2001

By engaging with Health Psychologists, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.