Privacy Policy

  • Your privacy matters!

    Empowered Minds Wellness Consultancy offers a privacy policy to ensure you feel comfortable and safe in our service provision. This policy outlines the ways in which Empowered Minds handles the personal information of our clients. We take privacy seriously and are committed to complying with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

    Personal information:

    Personal information is any information about an individual that can be used to identify them directly or indirectly, such as name, address, phone number, email address, and date of birth. Sensitive information is a type of personal information which includes details, e.g. a person’s racial or ethnic origins, political or religious beliefs, sexual orientation, health or genetic information, family court orders or criminal record.

    Why we collect personal information:

    The sharing of personal information by a client to Empowered Minds helps assists us to assess and support clients in processing their identified concerns. Personal information is retained to enable us to provide a relevant and informed service. Within our practice and due to our duty of care a client cannot be anonymous. A client may request to use a pseudonym, but a name as listed on ID’s is required.

    How we collect personal information:

    We collect personal information through a variety of means, including: The information you verbally share with us. Written communication received from you via email, SMS or letter. Our online registration and booking systems. Our intake form. Through the guardian of those under 18 years of age. A referral from your GP or another treating practitioner or service. Self subscribed social media engagement.

    Our storage of personal information:

    To protect the personal information we hold from being misused or loss we store it in several ways, all of which are secure and can only be accessed by approved individuals within Empowered Minds. If we become aware of a security breach we will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, take remedial action and notify the individual affected in accordance with the Privacy Act.

    Empowered Minds, Wellness & Consultancy will store your personal and confidential information on a secure database, via Halaxy. You can read about Halaxy’s Privacy Policy here https://www.halaxy.com/article/privacy. By providing your personal information to us, you consent to the collection, use, storage and disclosure of that information as described in this Privacy Policy.

    Personal information can include but is not limited to: your full name, date of birth, home address, contact details including email address, and phone number, medicare number and credit card details.

    Throughout your duration of care with Empowered Minds, Wellness & Consultancy progress notes will be completed after each contact which will briefly summarise the contact or intervention provided.

    Your information* will be stored for 7 years and will only be shared under the following circumstances:

    *this does not include your payment information details including your credit card.

    You disclose information that puts you or that of any other person at risk or reasonable risk of; harm, abuse or neglect. The therapist has a duty of care and will disclose this information to any authority, emergency contact, legal guardian or welfare service reasonably necessary to respond to the concern or incident.

    1. You disclose information regarding a crime being committed. The therapist has a duty of care and will disclose this information to welfare services reasonably necessary to respond to the concern or incident.

    2. You disclose information relating to any form of animal abuse or neglect. The therapist will inform animal welfare protection or local council.

    3. When the practice must adhere to a legally binding request or subpoena.

    4. To persons or organizations you have provided explicit written consent to share your information.

    5. If you have been referred via a mental health care plan, your GP or referring practitioner will receive information on:

      o Number of sessions attended, progress made in therapy, risks and concerns and ongoing plans for support

    Accessing your personal information:

    You may request access to personal information we hold about you. We may ask you to specify what information you require and may charge a fee where we provide access. We deal with all requests for access to personal information as required by the Privacy Act. We may refuse to provide access if the Privacy Act allows us to do so. We try to ensure that the personal information we collect is accurate and up to date. You may request an update or correction to personal information we hold about you and we will deal with all such requests as required by the Privacy Act.

    Complaints

    If you think your personal information has not been handled in line with the Privacy Act, please contact us in the first instance. We will investigate your complaint and try to promptly resolve your complaint directly with you. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, then you may make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). For information about how to make such a complaint, please refer to the OAIC website http://www.oaic.gov.au/

    Changes to this privacy policy

    We may make changes to this privacy policy from time to time and in such cases we will notify clients by email or on our website. Contact us If you have any questions relating to privacy matters, please contact us by email at dcalic.empoweredminds@gmail.com