Privacy Policy
Who we are
As a registered Allied Health Provider, Functional Minds Psychology ABN 84 837 849 752 (“we”, “our” or “us”) complies with Australian Federal and State privacy regulations including the Privacy Act 1998, the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 and Victorian Health Records Act 2001. Our practice also observes the standards and ethical guidelines of the Australian Psychological Society.
Your privacy is important to us and we take the protection of your personal information seriously. Personal information includes any information or opinion, whether true or not, about a person who is identified or whose identity can reasonably be established. This privacy statement provides information about the confidentiality of your treatment with our psychologists and how we collect and use personal and health information about you.
What personal data we collect and why we collect it
Personal and Health Information
We and our psychologists collect personal information for the purposes of arranging appointments and delivering counselling services as well as communicating with you. We may collect information through our client consent forms, via the website located at functionalminds.com.au (“Website”), or in the course of our psychologists undertaking counselling services in consultation and treatment of clients.
We collect personal information:
- from clients – when they register an enquiry, book an appointment, attend our practice, access our Website, and/or at any other time in the course of our psychologists providing counselling services;
- from third party service providers – when they are engaged to supply services to us (such as but not limited to psychologists), provide information to us or invoice us for the provision of services;
- when we receive enquiries through the Website and when the Website is otherwise accessed or used;
- when we receive enquiries via email or telephone.
The kind of personal information we may collect will depend on who you are (e.g. a client or third party service provider) and the nature of your interaction with us, and may include your full name, address, email address, date of birth, Medicare details, billing information, general appointment information and other personal or health information.
The personal and health information we collect enables us to arrange for the provision of counselling services and for the safe, appropriate and accurate provision of counselling services by our psychologists, to assess the needs of clients in the provision of counselling services and for us to optimise the quality of our service.
If you do not provide us with all the information we request, our psychologists may not be able to deliver the counselling services.
Cookies
Our Website may use “cookies”, small files that store data on your computer using the functionality of your browser. These cookies are used to store information, such as what time the current visit occurred, whether the visitor has been to the site before, and what site referred the visitor to the web page. This is done in order to optimise the performance of our Website and to provide analytics to allow us to research what areas of our Website to improve, remove or retain.
You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to view or use the full functionality of this website.
Consent
By engaging us or registering your details on our Website or by email or telephone, and/or using the Website or completing a client consent form or otherwise engaging our counselling services, you consent to us and our psychologists collecting, using and disclosing your personal information (including Health Information) for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy.
Who we share your data with
Information that has been recorded about you is strictly confidential within Functional Minds Psychology. On occasion we may seek supervision from other psychologists in order to provide you with the best possible care. Various cases and forms of treatment may also be discussed for the purpose of ongoing training, but all identifying information, such as your name, will be kept strictly confidential to ensure your privacy.
We may disclose your personal information to the extent that it is required to do so by law if it is subpoenaed by a court. Our psychologists are also required by law to act upon any issues regarding your safety or the safety of others, particularly when children are involved. Your psychologist will answer your questions about these two exceptions to your privacy if you have any concerns prior to your initial appointment with them.
We will only disclose personal information to additional third parties with your consent in accordance with this Privacy Policy or if permitted or authorised to do so by law.
How we protect and ensure the quality of your data
We will take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we collect and hold from misuse, loss and interference and from unauthorised access and modification, and to make sure it is accurate, complete and up-to-date when we collect, use or disclose it.
Information relating to electronic transactions entered via this website is protected by encryption technology.
To assist us, please ensure you provide us with your correct details, and let us know if you believe the information we have about you is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading (and we will take reasonable steps to correct the information). We may take steps to destroy or permanently de-identify information when it is no longer needed for any purpose for which it may be used or disclosed. We may retain and use de-identified information.
What rights you have over your data
You can request, and we will provide you with access to, any personal information we hold about you (subject to any applicable legal exceptions) by contacting us via the avenues provided in this policy further below.
If you have any concerns or complaints about the way we are handling your personal information please also let us know so we can address them.
Where our records are found to be inaccurate, incomplete or out of date we will promptly correct and update on the basis of the information you provide.
Changes to this policy
This Privacy Policy forms part of the agreement between you and us (either in your capacity as a client or a third party service provider). We may, from time to time, amend this Privacy Policy, in whole or part, in our sole discretion. Any changes to this Privacy Policy will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Privacy Policy on our Website. Depending on the nature of the change, we may announce the change on the Website or by email (if we have your email address). However, in any event, by continuing to use the Website and/or our service following any changes, you will be deemed to have agreed to such changes. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, as amended from time to time, in whole or part, you must terminate your use of the Website and inform us immediately prior to any further receipt of our counselling services.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to request access to your personal information, correct or update you details or raise any privacy concerns you may have, please contact us:
- via email at info@functionalminds.com.au
- via post addressed to the Privacy Officer – Functional Minds Psychology at 412 Mt Alexander Road, Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia 3032