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Privacy Policy

Part 1 – About This Policy

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1.1 Purpose

At Serenity Counselling and Consulting Services (SCACS), we deeply respect your privacy. We understand that your personal information - any details or opinions that make you identifiable - is a precious part of who you are. Whether we gather this information through our office, over the phone, or via the internet, we do so with utmost fairness and transparency.

 

We only collect what is necessary for us to provide our services effectively and efficiently. We also ensure to inform you about why we need your personal information. Any sensitive data, as defined by law, is handled with exceptional care and confidentiality. We only collect such data when consent has been given or if required by law under certain extraordinary circumstances.

 

We believe in keeping you informed about the implications of withholding any requested information since it may limit our ability to offer relevant services or benefits.

 

To deliver the healthcare services you require, it's necessary for us at SCACS to gather and use your personal details. If the information provided is incomplete or inaccurate, or if there are any personal and health details withheld from us, it might hinder our ability to serve you in the way you need. We understand this process requires trust, and we assure you that your wellbeing is our utmost priority.

 

To provide the healthcare services you've reached out for, we at SCACS need to gather and use your personal details. If the information given is incomplete or inaccurate, or if there's any personal and health-related data that's not shared with us, it might hinder our ability to deliver the services you're seeking. Your transparent communication is key in helping us serve you better.

 

Our commitment to privacy aligns with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), along with other laws governing private health service providers like us. Being a Social Worker, this includes adhering to the Australian Association of Social Worker’s Code of Ethics (2020).

 

This policy provides insights into how SCACS manages collected personal data – its use and disclosure included. As a private practice owned by Smitha Vincent, SCACS pledges unwavering dedication towards ensuring your personal information's privacy and confidentiality. 

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Part 2 – How Serenity Counselling and Consulting Services Handles Your Personal Information

 

2.1 SCACS’s Legal Obligations

In our commitment to deliver the healthcare services you require, we at SCACS find it necessary to collect and utilize your personal information. If any details provided are incomplete or inaccurate, or if certain personal and health-related facts are withheld, it could potentially impede our capacity to provide the services you seek. 

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2.2 What information does SCACS collect?

In our commitment to providing you with the best possible therapy services, we only gather the essential information needed. This includes details such as your name, date of birth, address, health fund specifics, and insights about your health and family history. All these are crucial in helping us understand you better and tailor a therapeutic approach that suits your unique needs. Our allied health professionals rely on this information to offer you the support you deserve. Rest assured that managing our relationship with utmost respect for your privacy is a priority for us.

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2.3 How does SCACS acquire your health information?

In most cases, we collect your health information directly from you. However, there might be times when we need to gather this data from someone else like a family member or another healthcare provider. If such a situation arises, rest assured that we will do our utmost to have a conversation with you first and seek your approval. We also gather your details through referral or enquiry forms.

 

2.4 How does SCACS utilize your data?

At Serenity Counselling and Consulting Services (SCACS), we use your personal data for the purpose it was provided to us - primarily to offer therapy services to you and manage our relationship with you effectively while keeping in touch regarding matters concerning your care. We might also use this information for other purposes permitted under the Privacy Act 1988.

 

2.5 Who might we disclose your information to?

Your information may be shared with the following individuals:

 

(a) Other healthcare professionals involved in your care: Typically, your personal data will be accessed only by the allied health professional attending to you. However, there might be instances where a team of health professionals (such as social workers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and/or psychologists) collaborate on your care. In such cases, we may share your information with these professionals to ensure comprehensive care. This also extends to other healthcare providers such as your GP or referrer involved in your treatment.

 

(b) The referring party:

 

At SCACS, our standard protocol involves sending a discharge summary to your GP or the health professional who referred you. This is done either upon discharge or when necessary for your continued care. However, if you would prefer that we do not share this summary with them, or if their contact details have changed, please let us know at your earliest convenience.

 

If an organization like Carer Gateway referred you to us, we would need to share information about your appointment attendance for invoicing purposes and tracking of funded sessions. But rest assured that in cases where the referral comes from a third party other than a medical practitioner, no discharge summary will be sent to your GP.

 

Remember that our primary concern is always your well-being and privacy. We're here to support you every step of the way while ensuring all procedures are transparent and respect your preferences.

 

(c) Family members, guardians, close friends or legal representatives: We might need to disclose certain aspects of your health condition to people like parents, children, other relatives or close friends who are responsible for you unless you specifically request otherwise. Please let us know if there's anyone from whom you'd like this information shared or withheld.

In our commitment to offering you the highest standard of care, we may need to use or share your personal and health information for a few key purposes:

 

Other uses and Disclosures

  • We might use it for internal activities like clinical supervision, quality assurance procedures, accreditation, audits, risk and claims management. It could also be used for patient satisfaction surveys and the education and training of our staff.

  • For administrative tasks such as invoicing, billing and managing your account.

  • To communicate with your health fund, Medicare or the Department of Veteran's Affairs. If required we will provide them with necessary information to confirm the treatment provided to you.

  • To send you routine reminders such as appointment notifications and follow-up care alerts via text message or email using the contact details you've given us.

  • To comply with relevant laws regarding a client’s real or perceived harm to themselves or others, along with other mandatory reporting requirements.

 

Remember that all these measures are taken in order to ensure that we can provide you with an environment conducive to healing.

 

Other uses with your consent

In compliance with the Privacy Act 1988, we ensure that your personal information is handled with utmost care and confidentiality. This means that any disclosure of your personal data will be:

 

  • For the specific purposes for which we've informed you it's being collected, and for related purposes you would reasonably anticipate.

  • Only when we have received your explicit consent.

  • As mandated by law.

  • Under other circumstances allowed under the Act.

 

During our business operations, it may be necessary to share some of your personal information with relevant team members. With your permission, we might also use this information for additional purposes such as adding you to a marketing mailing list or conducting research. However, rest assured that unless we receive explicit consent from you for these activities, we will refrain from using your data in this manner. Furthermore, please note that under no circumstances will your personal information be disclosed to anyone residing outside Australia. 

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2.6 Access to and correction of your health information

You are entitled to view and amend your personal and health records that we maintain. If you find any inaccuracies, you have the right to request changes.

 

In instances where we might not agree with your proposed amendments, rest assured, we will allow you to include a statement of the requested changes in your record.

 

If you wish to access or make modifications to your health record, our Privacy Officer is here for you (contact details provided below). They can offer more comprehensive information about our procedures for accessing and correcting records at SCACS.

 

Please be aware that SCACS may need to cover reasonable costs associated with providing this information.

 

2.7 Data Quality

At SCACS, we are deeply committed to maintaining the accuracy and completeness of your personal information. We will make every reasonable effort to ensure that any personal details we collect, utilize or share are current and precise.

 

2.8 Data Security

At Serenity Counselling and Consulting Services, we deeply understand the importance of your personal information. We are committed to safeguarding it from any misuse, interference, loss, unauthorized access or alteration. To ensure this, we employ a range of robust technologies and procedures such as stringent access control measures, network firewalls and encryption methods along with physical security.

 

When your information is no longer required for its original purpose and provided there's no legal obligation to retain it under Australian law or court/tribunal order, we will either destroy it or permanently de-identify it.

 

We view any unauthorized disclosure of or access to personal information by our employees or contractors as a serious violation of our policy. Rest assured that in such cases appropriate action will be taken which may include disciplinary measures or legal recourse.

 

Our ultimate goal is to protect the personal data entrusted to us by you and our associates. We promise that your information will be managed with utmost confidentiality and security until it is no longer needed at which point it will be disposed off appropriately.

 

We are constantly on the lookout for technological advancements and improved management processes that can further strengthen our commitment towards safeguarding your personal data.

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2.9 Availability and review of Policy

We are committed to transparency and respect for your privacy. You can access our privacy policy anytime you wish, just by visiting our website at www.serenitycacs.org/. Please know that we periodically review and update this policy to ensure it's up-to-date with current practices. Any changes made will be seamlessly integrated into the revised policy. 

 

2.10 What to do if you have a complaint about privacy issues.

Should you find yourself with inquiries or thoughts regarding our Privacy Policy, or if you encounter any resistance from SCACS in accessing your personal data, or even if you have concerns about how we handle information, please don't hesitate to reach out to us using the contact details provided. We promise to swiftly address your concerns and provide a thoughtful response. 

 

2.11 How to contact us if you have a complaint about privacy issues.

By letter: Smitha Vincent, Serenity Counselling and Consulting Services, 77 Numurkah Road, Shepparton, VIC 3630

By email: referrals@serenitycacs.org

By telephone: 0479 123 574

 

2.12 What to do if you have a complaint about our service.

Should you feel the need to express dissatisfaction about any service provided by SCACS, I encourage you to reach out to the Australian Association of Social Workers. You can connect with them via email at ethicscomplaint@aasw.asn.au or through a phone call at 03 9320 1044. If your concern pertains specifically to the NDIS, they are also available for contact through feedback@ndis.gov.au or via a direct call at 1800 800 110. Your voice matters and we are here to ensure it is heard and addressed appropriately.

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Part 3 – How Serenity Counselling and Consulting Services Handles Your Personal Information When You Visit Our Website

 

In this part of our Privacy Policy, we outline the way we manage your personal information gathered from our website: www.serenitycacs.org. This policy is applicable to your interaction with our website and any utilization of the facilities provided on it.

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3.1 Collection

While browsing our website, please rest assured that we do not attempt to personally identify you. We only collect personal information if you willingly provide it to us. There might be instances where we gather your personal details if you decide to share them through an online form or email, such as when you:

 

  • Reach out with a query via our contact page;

  • Sign up for our eNewsletters; or

  • Send a complaint or inquiry to our Privacy Officer.

 

As part of the standard operation of our site, our Internet Service Provider (ISP) may log certain details about your visit for statistical analysis. This could include:

 

  • Your computer's IP address;

  • Your domain type (like .com., .gov., .org, .au etc.);

  • The date and time of your visit;

  • The pages and documents viewed during your visit; and

  • The browser software used.

 

Our website management team may use this data collected by the ISP to assess how well our website is performing. Remember, all this is done with the aim of providing a better user experience for visitors like yourself!

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3.2 Cookies

A "cookie" is a small piece of data that helps our server to communicate more effectively with your computer. While cookies don't identify you personally, they do recognize your Internet Service Provider and the type of browser you're using. This website utilizes temporary cookies, which are deleted once you close your browser, ensuring no personal information is retained that could identify you later.

 

We only collect personal details like your email address if you choose to share it with us. Rest assured, we do not share domain names or aggregate data with third parties except those who aid us in managing this website and are bound by confidentiality agreements.

 

You may have the option to set up your browser to either accept or reject all cookies and be alerted when a cookie is being used. We recommend referring to your browser's instructions or help screens for further guidance on these functions. However, please be aware that if you set up your browser not to receive any cookies, it might limit certain functionalities of the SCACS website as well as other websites.

 

3.3 Links to third party websites

It's possible that we might establish connections to websites owned by third parties. However, please be aware that we don't have control over the content or privacy measures these sites may use. We're not accountable for any practices they employ, so it's always a good idea to familiarize yourself with their policies when navigating away from our site.

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3.4 Use and disclosure

Rest assured, any personal information we gather through our website will be handled with utmost care, strictly adhering to our privacy policy. Your privacy is of paramount importance to us and we are committed to safeguarding it.

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