Privacy and Collection Policy
Simone Domingues Counselling complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the applicable Privacy Principles outlined within it when handling personal information. In Queensland, we also adhere to the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 (Qld) and the applicable National Privacy Principles (NPPs) when handling personal information classified as health information.
Simone Domingues Counselling takes 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.
Data Collection Practices
Simone Domingues Counselling collects personal information for the purpose of providing you with a counselling service. As part of this service, the practice may need to collect information such as how to contact you to arrange an appointment. Simone Domingues Counselling may collect information via the practice’s consent forms or other practice forms that you complete, via our online booking system if you use it, via administration, or through our website www.simonedominguescounselling.com.
The kind of personal and health information that Simone Domingues Counselling may collect will depend on who you are (for example, a client or a third-party service provider) and the nature of your connection with Simone Domingues Counselling. This information may include:
• your full name;
• your address;
• your email address;
• your date of birth;
• your Medicare details;
• your billing information;
• general appointment information and other personal information.
It is important that you are aware that a failure to provide Simone Domingues Counselling with all of the information requested means that Simone Domingues Counselling may not be able to deliver the counselling and supervision services that you have requested.
Simone Domingues Counselling collects personal information in the following ways:
• from you, when you make an enquiry, book an appointment, email the practice, telephone the practice, engage with the practice on social media, complete documentation, request a letter or report in a counselling session, complete an assessment, or make an online booking;
• from third-party service providers — if you are referred through an EAP, a doctor or another third party, they usually provide us with your contact details and other information relevant to the referral;
• when we receive enquiries through www.simonedominguescounselling.com, and when the website is otherwise accessed or used.
If you do not provide us with all of the information requested, Simone Domingues Counselling may not be able to deliver the counselling services requested.
Consent
You consent to Simone Domingues Counselling collecting, using and disclosing your personal and health information for the purpose of complying with this privacy policy. By booking an appointment, making an enquiry, registering your details via our website, telephone, email, SMS, social media or fax, and/or by completing a consent form, you provide Simone Domingues Counselling with consent to collect, use and disclose your personal and health information for the purposes covered in this privacy policy.
Information and Use
In the course of providing you with services, Simone Domingues Counselling may use the information that you have provided, including personal and health information, in order to provide you with counselling, send you an electronic newsletter, respond to feedback and complaints, operate the www.simonedominguescounselling.com website, correspond with you and, if required, enforce our client consent form and payment arrangement form.
Quality and Security of Data Collected
Simone Domingues Counselling takes reasonable steps to protect the personal information collected and to secure it from misuse, loss and interference, and from unauthorised access and modification. Simone Domingues Counselling endeavours to ensure that all such information collected is up to date and complete at the time it is collected, used or disclosed.
To ensure that your information is accurate, please notify Simone Domingues Counselling of any changes. You can do this by emailing simonedominguescounselling@gmail.com.
Simone Domingues Counselling complies with the Health Privacy Principles and with the ethical guidelines of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) in the collection, use and disclosure of all health information, and to ensure that it is kept confidential.
Simone Domingues Counselling may collect your health information when you attend the practice and/or at any other time, from time to time, in the course of providing counselling services.
Your information may be collected for, but is not limited to, the following reasons:
• as required for the provision of counselling and supervision services, including recording your personal information and health information as relevant to your current situation for the purposes of providing therapeutic intervention and writing reports and summaries;
• only as essential for the provision of counselling and supervision services, or otherwise in accordance with your consent, or as may be required by law;
• only from you, or from someone authorised by you with your written consent;
• in accordance with the code of ethics set out by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA);
• with accuracy, on the basis that you may at any time request a copy of the health information that Simone Domingues Counselling has collected by emailing us at simonedominguescounselling@gmail.com (subject always to applicable law). Where our records are found to be inaccurate, we will rectify any inaccuracies on the basis of the further information that you provide.
Access, Updates and Complaints
Simone Domingues Counselling will provide you with access to the personal and health information that has been collected about you, subject to any legal exceptions, at your written request. Please also let us know if you have any concerns, questions or complaints so that Simone Domingues Counselling can address them promptly, by sending an email to simonedominguescounselling@gmail.com. Where our records are found to be inaccurate, Simone Domingues Counselling will promptly correct any inaccuracies on the basis of the updated information that you provide.
Disclosure
Simone Domingues Counselling discloses personal information to third parties with your consent, in accordance with this privacy policy, or where permitted, authorised or required to do so by any relevant Commonwealth, State or Territory law.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
From time to time, Simone Domingues Counselling may publish a revised privacy policy on www.simonedominguescounselling.com. By continuing to use the Simone Domingues Counselling website and/or the counselling or supervision services following any changes, you will be deemed to have agreed to those changes. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, as amended from time to time, in whole or in part, you must cease your use of the website and inform us immediately, prior to any further receipt of our counselling or supervision services.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, please contact Simone Domingues Counselling at simonedominguescounselling@gmail.com.