Privacy Policy for Handling of Personal Information
This document describes the privacy policy of Laura Bailey Psychology for the management of 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) and the Victorian Health Records Act (2001).
Personal information
Your information is stored securely and accessed only by Laura Bailey and the authorised staff or providers of the practice, as required, in accordance with the practice’s policies and procedures. Your information is stored using a secure document management system. The information collected includes your personal details such as name, address and contact phone numbers. As part of providing a psychological service, such as a psychological assessment or treatment, we will also need to collect and record other personal information that is relevant to your current situation. This includes keeping a record of what happens during sessions, any psychological tests you complete, and any information received from others, such as your GP, lawyer or insurance company.
How your personal information is collected
There are a number of ways your personal information is collected, including when:
• You provide information directly to your psychologist in your session and in writing such as letters, email or text messages.
• You interact directly with Laura Bailey’s employees such as our administration staff.
• Other health practitioners, such as your GP, provide personal information to Laura Bailey, through referrals, correspondence and medical reports.
• We receive personal information from other sources, such as lawyers, employers or insurance companies through correspondence or reports.
If you have concerns that the information recorded is not correct, please discuss your concerns with our administration staff or Laura Bailey.
Purpose of holding personal information
Your personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing a psychological service to you. Your personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions and enables Laura Bailey to provide a relevant and informed psychological service to you. This information and record keeping is a necessary part of the services provided and guides treatment.
Consequence of not providing personal information
Psychologists are required to keep clear and accurate client records as part of their professional obligations. If you do not wish for your personal information to be collected, Laura Bailey may not be able to provide the psychological service to you. Please discuss any concerns you have with Laura.
Accessing your personal information
At any stage, you can request to access your personal information kept on file. There may be some exceptions that impact your ability to access the information, which are outlined in the relevant legislation. If you would like to access your information, please discuss it with us or you can request in writing. All written requests for access to information will be responded to in writing within 30 days and an appointment will be made if necessary for clarification purposes.
Confidentiality of information
Personal information gathered by Laura Bailey will remain confidential except for certain circumstances. In most cases, any sharing of information will only occur with your consent. Our practice asks for your consent to share information when:
• Sharing information with a family member, guardian or carer.
• Discussing with others, such as your GP, employer, or any agencies which may be paying for your attendance.
• Providing a written report regarding your assessment or treatment to another professional or agency, such as your GP, lawyer or insurance company.
• For disclosing the information in any other way not referenced in this document. Psychologists are required to consult and receive supervision from colleagues from time to time. If your information is shared in this context, all care is taken to de-identify your information in such a way that you remain anonymous.
Supervision
As part of ongoing professional supervision and learning, Laura Bailey, may discuss your presenting concerns and treatment with her supervisor/consultant. This supervisor/ consultant is also bound by confidentiality. If your information is shared in this context, all care is taken to de-identify your information in such a way that you remain anonymous.
Exceptions to confidentiality
Personal information gathered as part of this service will remain confidential except when:
1. It is subpoenaed by a court; or
2. Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or
3. Your prior approval has been obtained to:
a) provide a written report to another professional or agency. e.g., a GP or a lawyer; or
b) discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent, employer or health provider; or
c) disclose the information in another way; or
4. You would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed 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; or
5. Disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.
Data breach policy
In the event that any unauthorised access, disclosure or loss of your personal information occurs Laura Bailey will activate her data breach plan and use all reasonable endeavours to minimise any risk of consequential serious harm.
Requests for access and correction to client information
At any stage you may request to see and correct the personal information about you kept on file. Laura Bailey may discuss the contents with you and/or give you a copy, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). If your psychologist is satisfied that your 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 you for access to or correction of personal information held about you should be lodged with your psychologist or our administration staff. All written requests for access to information will be responded to in writing within 30 days and an appointment will be made if necessary for clarification purposes.
Concerns and complaints
If you have a concern about the management of your personal information, you may inform Laura Bailey or her reception staff. Upon request you can obtain a copy of the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe your rights and how your personal information should be handled. Ultimately, if you wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, disclosure of, or access to, your personal information, you 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/lodge-a-privacycomplaint-with-us .
• By post to: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, GPO Box 5288, Sydney, NSW 2001.
Changes to this policy
Periodically, we may revise this policy to align with changes in the law or advancements in professional best-practice guidelines. We encourage all clients and referrers to review this policy on a regular basis to stay informed about any modifications that may have been made.
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