Balance Point Psychology Privacy Policy
1. Purpose of this Policy
1.1 Balance Point Psychology is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in a respectful, secure, and transparent manner.
1.2 This Privacy Policy explains how Balance Point Psychology collects, holds, uses, and discloses personal information and sensitive information, including health information, in connection with the psychological services it provides.
1.3 This Privacy Policy is intended to operate in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.
2. Practice Details
(a) Balance Point Psychology
1/14 Creek Street North, Bendigo VIC 3550
(b) Phone: 0460 013 672
(c) Email: joshua@balancepointpsychology.com.au
(d) Website: www.balancepointpsychology.com.au
(e) ABN: 48 896 084 762
3. Information Collected
3.1 Balance Point Psychology may collect personal information and sensitive information, including health information, that is reasonably necessary to provide psychological services and manage practice administration.
3.2 This may include:
(a) name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, and emergency contact details
(b) Medicare, private health, referral, and funding information
(c) presenting concerns, symptoms, treatment goals, and relevant history
(d) medical, psychiatric, psychological, family, social, educational, and employment information where relevant
(e) risk and safety information
(f) appointment, billing, payment, and cancellation information
(g) referral letters, reports, correspondence, and communications
(h) questionnaire and psychometric assessment results
(i) clinical notes and records created as part of assessment, formulation, and treatment
4. How Information is Collected
4.1 Information is usually collected directly from you.
4.2 Information may also be collected from another person or organisation where appropriate, including:
(a) a parent or guardian
(b) a GP, psychiatrist, paediatrician, or other referrer
(c) another treating practitioner or support provider
(d) a school or relevant agency
(e) an insurer, case manager, support coordinator, or plan manager
(f) another person or organisation authorised by you, or otherwise permitted by law
4.3 Information may be collected through intake forms, consent forms, referral forms, ROI forms, telehealth and in-person sessions, questionnaires, emails, SMS, phone calls, website enquiries, and other administrative processes.
5. Purpose of Collection
5.1 Balance Point Psychology collects, holds, uses, and discloses information for purposes connected with providing psychological services and operating the practice.
5.2 These purposes may include:
(a) assessment, formulation, treatment planning, and delivery of psychological services
(b) communication regarding appointments and service delivery
(c) maintaining clinical records
(d) billing, payments, claims, and administration
(e) processing Medicare, private health, TAC, WorkCover, DVA, NDIS, FAS, EAP, or other funding matters
(f) liaising with referrers and other relevant providers where appropriate
(g) meeting legal, ethical, professional, and regulatory obligations
(h) responding to complaints, safety concerns, subpoenas, or legal processes
6. Clinical Records
6.1 Balance Point Psychology keeps clinical records as part of providing psychological services.
6.2 Clinical records may include:
(a) intake and referral information
(b) consent forms and correspondence
(c) session notes and clinical observations
(d) questionnaire and assessment results
(e) treatment plans, letters, and reports
(f) billing and funding information relevant to service delivery
6.3 Clinical notes form part of your health record.
7. Confidentiality
7.1 Information obtained in the course of providing psychological services is treated as confidential unless disclosure is required or permitted by law, or you have consented to the disclosure.
7.2 Information may be disclosed where:
(a) required by a court, tribunal, subpoena, statutory obligation, or mandatory reporting requirement
(b) necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to your life, health, or safety, or that of another person
(c) otherwise authorised or permitted by law
(d) you have provided consent
8. Disclosure and Care Coordination
8.1 Where appropriate, and with consent or as otherwise permitted by law, Balance Point Psychology may request, receive, or disclose relevant information to support your care.
8.2 This may include communication with:
(a) GPs
(b) psychiatrists
(c) paediatricians
(d) schools
(e) other treating practitioners
(f) insurers or agents
(g) case managers
(h) support coordinators
(i) plan managers
(j) other providers involved in your care
8.3 Where appropriate, this may be documented using a Consent to Access and Release Information form.
9. Funded Services
9.1 Where services are funded under a government, insurer, or third-party scheme, Balance Point Psychology may use and disclose information as reasonably necessary for care coordination, reporting, billing, claiming, and administration.
9.2 This may include services provided under:
(a) Medicare Better Access
(b) TAC
(c) WorkCover
(d) DVA
(e) NDIS
(f) Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS)
(g) EAP or other funded pathways
9.3 For Medicare Better Access, relevant information may be shared with your GP as part of the referral and review process.
10. Children and Adolescents
10.1 Where services are provided to a child or adolescent, Balance Point Psychology may collect information about the client, parent(s), guardian(s), emergency contacts, and others involved in care.
10.2 In child and adolescent work:
(a) information may be shared with parents or guardians where appropriate for care, or where required for safety or legal reasons
(b) the psychologist may limit what is shared with parents or guardians where clinically appropriate to support effective therapy
(c) information may be shared if there are safety concerns or where required by law
(d) parents or guardians are responsible for providing relevant court orders, parenting orders, or guardianship documents
(e) Balance Point Psychology does not provide medico-legal assessments or act as an expert witness for court purposes unless separately agreed
11. Telehealth Privacy
11.1 Balance Point Psychology may provide services by telehealth, including video or phone consultations.
11.2 Telehealth involves the same type of psychological service as in-person sessions, but additional privacy and technology risks may apply.
11.3 For telehealth, clients may be asked to:
(a) attend from a private space
(b) use their own device where possible
(c) take reasonable steps to protect privacy
(d) avoid recording the session unless agreed in advance
11.4 Clients are also informed that:
(a) technology may fail or be interrupted
(b) electronic communication carries privacy and security risks
(c) if the connection fails, attempts may be made to reconnect or switch to phone
(d) the client may be asked to confirm their location and a call-back number at the start of the session
12. Website, Email, SMS, and Administrative Communication
12.1 If you contact Balance Point Psychology by website form, email, SMS, or phone, information you provide may be collected and used to respond to your enquiry and manage services.
12.2 SMS and email are used for appointment administration and general communication.
12.3 SMS and email are not monitored continuously and should not be relied on for urgent or crisis communication.
13. Use of Third-Party Systems
13.1 Balance Point Psychology may use third-party systems to support service delivery, administration, assessment, telehealth, billing, payments, and clinical documentation.
13.2 This may include systems used for:
(a) practice management and record-keeping
(b) telehealth
(c) invoicing, payments, and claims processing
(d) questionnaires and psychometric assessment
(e) clinical documentation support
13.3 Reasonable steps are taken to use systems suitable for professional practice. However, all digital systems carry some privacy and security risk.
14. Payments and Stored Payment Details
14.1 Balance Point Psychology may use Cliniko and approved third-party payment providers to process fees, claims, rebates, and related transactions.
14.2 With your permission, payment details may be stored securely within Cliniko and/or through an approved payment provider for the purpose of processing future appointment fees, cancellation fees, private health claims, Tyro Health transactions, or other authorised charges connected with services provided.
14.3 Stored payment details will only be used in accordance with the permission you have provided, or as otherwise permitted by law.
14.4 Balance Point Psychology does not manually retain full payment card or bank details outside secure practice systems unless otherwise required for lawful practice administration.
15. NovoPsych
15.1 Balance Point Psychology may use NovoPsych to administer questionnaires and generate assessment results to support assessment, treatment planning, and progress monitoring.
15.2 If NovoPsych is used:
(a) questionnaire responses and limited identifying details may be collected
(b) results relevant to your care may be saved to your clinical record
(c) links may be sent by email or SMS
(d) use of NovoPsych is optional
(e) you may decline NovoPsych and still receive services
(f) you may withdraw consent for future use at any time
16. Heidi Health
16.1 Balance Point Psychology may use Heidi Health to assist with drafting clinical notes.
16.2 If Heidi Health is used:
(a) it may capture audio during or after a session to create a transcript and draft note
(b) Balance Point Psychology does not otherwise record sessions
(c) any draft is reviewed and edited before being saved to the clinical record
(d) the final clinical note is stored in the practice’s clinical record system
(e) use of Heidi is optional
(f) you may decline Heidi and still receive services
(g) you may withdraw consent for future use at any time
17. Storage and Security
17.1 Balance Point Psychology takes reasonable steps to protect personal information and health information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
17.2 Information may be stored in:
(a) secure electronic systems
(b) secure paper records, where applicable
(c) third-party systems used to support administration and service delivery
18. Access and Correction
18.1 You may request access to personal information or health information held by Balance Point Psychology.
18.2 You may also request correction of information that is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, irrelevant, or misleading.
18.3 Requests should be made in writing.
18.4 Access may be refused or limited where permitted by law.
19. Retention of Records
19.1 Balance Point Psychology retains records in accordance with applicable legal, professional, and regulatory requirements.
19.2 Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the record and whether the client was an adult or a child/adolescent at the time services were provided.
20. Overseas Disclosure
20.1 Some digital services used by Balance Point Psychology may store or process data outside Australia.
20.2 Where such services are used, reasonable steps are taken to consider privacy and security.
20.3 Information handled outside Australia may be subject to the laws of the country in which it is stored or processed.
21. Crisis and Limitations of Service
21.1 Balance Point Psychology is not a crisis service.
21.2 Services are provided by appointment only.
21.3 If urgent help is needed, clients should call Triple Zero (000), contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or attend the nearest hospital emergency department.
21.4 For children and adolescents, Kids Helpline and headspace may also be appropriate supports.
22. Complaints
22.1 If you have a concern about privacy, you are encouraged to contact Balance Point Psychology first.
22.2 Balance Point Psychology will aim to respond respectfully and in a timely manner.
22.3 If the matter is not resolved, you may make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
22.4 NDIS participants may also raise concerns with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission where relevant.
23. Changes to this Policy
23.1 Balance Point Psychology may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
23.2 The current version will be published on the Balance Point Psychology website.
23.3 A copy of this Privacy Policy is available on request.
24. Further Information
24.1 Further information about privacy rights and obligations in Australia may be found at:
Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A03712/latest/text
Australian Privacy Principles
https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
https://www.oaic.gov.au/
Guide to Health Privacy
https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/health-service-providers/guide-to-health-privacy
Health Records Act 2001 (Vic)
https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/health-records-act-2001
Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 (Vic)
https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/mental-health-and-wellbeing-act-2022
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