ENSURING YOUR PRIVACY Interact Counselling provides counselling, organisational development and other human services. Our privacy policy fully embraces the principles and requirements of the Federal Privacy Act. This policy covers how we collect, use and disclose, keep secure, and provide access to personal information that we may have about our contact with you. We will be fair, open, ethically responsible, respectful and lawful in our dealings with you, particularly about your personal information. With your permission, we collect information about your situation with the intention to assist you in the areas and issues you wish to explore and address. For most of our clients this relates directly to counselling they are undertaking with us, but for other clients this may involve professional supervision and development, staff training, or organisational development. If we collect information from another person or agency with respect to your situation, we will advise you of this and the sorts of information that have been collected.Summarised notes are made of information that is collected. These documents are collated into an Interact Counselling file that include demographic information including your name, age, address and other information pertaining to your dealings with us. Limited information may be stored electronically for accounting purposes only. We agree to maintain your privacy and treat confidentially any information that is collected. This information is stored in secure facilities, with access only being provided to your counsellor or the staff member who has direct contact with you, or others who have a legal right to do so. We will take all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access. We wish to ensure that any information we hold is correct and reliable. Hence, you may access our records after giving us reasonable notice. We encourage you to advise us of any information you believe is incorrect, incomplete or out of date. We will either (a) correct this information or (b) note on our records your advice to us about the accuracy and reliability of the information, and the correction you sought. Sometimes a referral or consultation with another person or agency is required. We agree to consult with you prior to any release of information for these purposes, and to seek and gain your permission for any release of private information. Situations where we may need to release information without your permission are limited, and will occur only in circumstances where there is a clear danger to the health and well-being of yourself and/or others. We will discuss our privacy policies with you at the commencement of our contact and encourage you to raise any concerns you have so that we may clarify any aspect that is unclear. Please feel free to ask us any questions you have about our collection, use, and storage of personal information, and your access to it. Interact Counselling 17 October 2002 # |