Privacy Policy

Brain Care Health’s Privacy and Health Records Policy has been developed in compliance with the Privacy Act (1988) and Health Records Act (2001). 

To provide the best possible care, Brain Care Health requires your consent to the collection, documentation, use, and disclosure of relevant personal health information as outlined below.

By making an appointment and providing us with a referral (where relevant), you have indicated your consent that any information provided, obtained or documented in the clinic of Brain Care Health will be kept and managed in accordance with our Privacy and Health Records Policy.

We hold, use and disclose personal information:

• to provide health services to you
• to communicate with you
• to comply with our legal obligations
• to help manage our accounts and administrative services
• to liaise with other professionals involved in your care
• to liaise with your health fund, government and regulatory bodies as necessary.

The information collected by Brain Care Health relates to, or assists in, providing appropriate psychological and neuropsychological services to you, our client. This includes: personal identification and contact information (including important relationships such as carers, guardians or emergency contacts); medical, developmental, psychological, social, educational, and vocational history, and presenting concerns. 

Personal information is documented throughout sessions to assist with assessment and formulation, and to inform treatment so appropriate psychological services can be provided to you. 

Other information we collect is required for accounting purposes and includes Medicare and health insurance details, as this is relevant to delivering of psychological services. 

Information is also collected from parents or guardians who are legally responsible for adolescent clients as they are liable for the associated fees for services provided by Brain Care Health. The name of these parents, guardians or other carers, as well as their contact information, is required for billing and the lodgement of Medicare and health insurance claims and rebates. This information is stored in the adolescent clients file and used for both administrative and clinical purposes, and is managed in the same way as other clinically relevant information as described in this policy. 

Any outstanding accounts and related information may, after a reasonable time, be handed over to a third party for legal or debt recovery purposes.

A client's personal information is collected in a number of different ways. This includes: information provided by yourself to the treating psychologist during sessions, over the telephone, correspondence via email or via the completion of forms relevant to providing psychological services. 

Information is also collected when making contact with Brain Care Health for arrangement of appointments or other relevant tasks. 

Personal and health information is collected from medical and other mental health services via referrals, correspondence and reports.

Administrative personnel and treating psychologist will collect and manage identification, contact, billing and personal information. They may also record, for the purposes of relaying to the treating psychologist, some information pertaining to your care. 

Psychologists will also convey and share relevant aspects of this information to other psychologists and supervisors to assist in your treatment, or when making a referral to another specialist. Such communications will be discussed with yourself, and any information provided will be treated as confidential.

What we discuss is kept confidential as per the Brain Care Privacy and Health Records Policy.

Information is stored electronically and recorded directly into practice software programs or transferred into these from paper records. Paper records are mechanically shredded onsite once they have been converted to a digital record or become otherwise unnecessary. 

Files and programs are accessed only via password by the treating psychologist.

Client records will be stored digitally for 7 years for adult clients, or 7 years after the 18th birthday for adolescent clients.

All information disclosed within sessions is confidential and may not be revealed to anyone without written permission except where disclosure is permitted or required by law. 

These situations include and are not limited to: 

1. when a client is at risk of harm to others
2. when a client is at risk of harm to themselves
3. when there is reasonable suspicion of abuse to a child, dependent or elder adult 
4. when disclosure is subpoenaed by a court or required pursuant to a legal proceeding. 

If you or your psychologist believe it is important and relevant to discuss your information with any another health professional or person, written consent by you is required to release any information. 

Information can be provided in a number of ways including: 

1. A written report to a medical professional, health professional or lawyer.
2. Telephone discussion with a parent or guardian, employer, health provider, or third party
3. Letter correspondence via email (pdf format) or mail in the post

If you are using Medicare Better Access or Telehealth Scheme, it is a requirement that a brief report is given to your referring Doctor after the 1st and 6th session (to provide an update on your progress and to request for another 4 sessions if required), and after the 10th session and/or final appointment.

As part of our professional development and registration requirements as psychologists we engage in professional supervision and peer consultation where we discuss clients’ issues in a non-identifiable way. Privacy and confidentiality of client information would be protected by de-identification. Informed consent would be secured in any other case.

In the event that unauthorised access, disclosure or loss of personal information, all reasonable endeavours will be utilised by Brain Care Health to minimise any risk or serious harm. 

Provision of health information to third parties will require written consent and this will be noted and copied into the record. Where a third party requests the information, the request will be discussed you or the legal guardian(s) first, and written consent would be required.

Brain Care Health prefers to transfer client information to General Practitioners, clinicians, or other providers by telephone and letter correspondence via email (pdf format) or post. 

Adult clients, carers, guardians, or mature adolescent clients may arrange to have access to or copies of some or all of their mental health records by speaking to their psychologist. Clients should initiate their request for information with their psychologist in person or by telephone. 

If the client is an adolescent the request will be followed up with a phone call to the legal guardian for confirmation on whom and how this information will be released.

Where Brain Care Health conducts an enquiry using the MBS Items Online Checker for information regarding client eligibility for MBS Items, we will obtain the verbal consent from the client or guardian.

We declare that:

• Brain Care Health will inform the client or guardian that Brain Care Health will be making a request to Medicare systems  
• To the best of Brain Care Health’s knowledge, the client or guardian has understood Brain Care Health’s request to our satisfaction
• The client or guardian will have provided verbal consent to this enquiry.

As a person matures, particularly into later adolescence, they will increasingly take charge of their personal health information and any matters of consent that would arise. Younger adolescents growing towards this maturity may also need to begin taking responsibility for aspects of their health care decision-making. 

For mature and maturing adolescent clients, Brain Care Health will encourage all appropriate parental, carer and legal guardian involvement in decision-making, bookings and appointments, as well as general support in co-operation with the older adolescent client who has consented to our services.

If you have any questions or concerns about privacy related issues please contact us directly by email.     

You have a right to seek access to the personal information we hold about you. All requests by clients for access to personal information held about them should be discussed with their psychologist over the phone or by post to: Brain Care Health  682 High Street, Thornbury 3071. 

These requests will be responded to in writing within 30 days and an appointment will be made if necessary for clarification purposes, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988. 

If satisfied that personal information is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete, reasonable steps will be taken to ensure that this information is corrected.