Privacy Psychology services are bound by the legal requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act (1988), and by the Psychology Board of Australia's Code of Ethics (2007). Please see below our privacy policy for the management of clients' personal information in accordance with these requirements.
As part of providing a psychological service to you, your Psychologist at The Mood & Mind Centre needs to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your situation, such as your name, contact information, medical history, Medicare number, referral letters, session notes, assessment results, reports, correspondence and other relevant information as part of providing psychological services to you. This collection of personal information will be a necessary part of the psychological assessment and treatment that is conducted.
Client records are stored in a secure Australian cloud-based practice management system, which are accessible only to authorised employees. Reception staff have access to your client record and paper files, but not to your psychologist's electronic session notes.
Your personal information is collected in a number of ways before, during and after consultations including when you:
Your personal information is gathered as part of your assessment and treatment, is kept securely and, in the interests of your privacy, used only by your psychologist and the authorised personnel of the practice (as necessary).
Your personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions, and enables the psychologist to provide a relevant and informed psychological service to you. Your psychologist will only record personal information that they deem necessary or relevant to provide your psychology service and to inform any opinions they may be requested or obligated to provide about you (e.g. a letter to your GP regarding your treatment progress). The Mood & Mind Centre may also use personal information collected from you to provide you with service information, practice updates and appointment reminders. You may change your contact details and unsubscribe or opt-out of any service at any time by contacting us.
All personal information gathered by the psychologist during the provision of the psychological service will remain confidential except when:
Your personal information is not disclosed to overseas recipients, unless you consent or such disclosure is otherwise required by law. Your personal information will not be used, sold, rented or disclosed for any other purpose.
In the event that unauthorised access, disclosure or loss of a client's personal information occurs, your Psychologist/The Mood & Mind Centre will activate its data breach plan and use all reasonable endeavours to minimise any risk of consequential serious harm.
From time to time, your psychologist may consult with their professional supervisor or another registered health practitioner about your case for the purpose of supervision and guidance to enhance their service to you. In such instances, your information will be de-identified (i.e. using a pseudonym), unless consulting with The Mood & Mind Centre's Director (Principal Psychologist), who is likely to know your identity and is also bound by the Privacy Act and this policy.
If you do not wish for your personal information to be collected in a way anticipated by this policy, that is okay. However, The Mood & Mind Centre may not be able to provide the psychological service to you. You may request to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym, unless it is impracticable for your Psychologist to work with you or if your Psychologist is required or authorised by law to deal with identified individuals. In most cases it will not be possible for you to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym.
You may request to see the personal information in your client record by writing directly to your psychologist. Your psychologist will respond to your request in writing within 28 days and may or may not provide you access to this information, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act. Where access is granted, your psychologist will require you to attend an appointment to view your personal information at The Mood & Mind Centre. Standard service fees apply to these appointments.
You may also request to correct personal information on your client record that is agreed to be inaccurate, out-of-date or incomplete. Requests to correct information should be made to your psychologist or, where appropriate, to reception staff (e.g. updating address details). Reasonable steps will be taken to correct your information as soon as practicable or your psychologist will at least respond to your request in writing within 28 days. In some instances, you may be required to attend an appointment for clarification purposes. Standard service rates may apply to these appointments depending on the nature of the requested corrections.
This section describes our policy on responding to requests from clients, guardians, legal representatives or other relevant authorities to release all or part of a client's record. This policy does not pertain to subpoenas.
Requests to release your information must be received in writing at least 28 days prior to the information being needed. Your psychologist must have regard for legal and ethical exceptions in considering the request and will respond to the requesting party within 14 days. If there is no objection to the request, the requesting party will be invoiced for the anticipated cost of properly preparing and releasing your personal information. This process will be completed within 14 days of receiving full payment.
In most instances, your psychologist will require you to attend an appointment to review the information due to be released and to obtain your fully informed written consent to the release (signing a generic consent form is generally insufficient). Standard service fees apply to these appointments.
Alternatively, you may make a written request to your psychologist to provide a summary of your personal information, or a letter or report addressing the purpose that the personal information is being sought for, in accordance with our policy on the disclosure of client information. Costs and timeframes for these requests are at the discretion of your psychologist. Please note that we cannot be responsible for preserving the confidentiality of information that has left The Mood & Mind Centre's control.
Psychologists are required to hold adult clients' files for 7 years and to hold child clients' files until the child has turned 25 years old. Unless impracticable, we store client records in our secure electronic practice management system.
We will notify you immediately on becoming aware of any breach to this policy or the security of your personal information. If you have a concern about the management of your personal information, you may inform your psychologist either verbally or in writing. You can access the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe your rights and how your personal information should be handled, via www.privacy.gov.au.
If you ultimately wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, disclosure of, or access to, your personal information, you may do so with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) by phone (1300 363 992), by post (GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001) or online at www.oaic.gov.au.
This policy is subject to change from time to time in response to new laws or technologies or changes to our practice operations. We will notify clients of any substantive changes to this policy as they occur.
The Mood & Mind Centre values your privacy. This policy explains our use of cookies on our website. By using our website, you consent to this policy.
What Are Cookies? Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help enhance your experience by remembering preferences and analysing traffic.
Types of Cookies: We may use Essential Cookies (required for website functionality), Analytics Cookies (to help improve site performance by tracking usage), Functional Cookies (to remember preferences and enhance your experience), and Third-Party Cookies (used by embedded content or analytics tools).
Managing Cookies: You can modify your browser settings to block or delete cookies, or enable notifications before accepting them. Disabling cookies may affect website functionality. Learn more at www.allaboutcookies.org. We may update this policy from time to time — please review it periodically.
Agreement: By engaging the services of The Mood & Mind Centre, you agree to your personal information being managed in accordance with this privacy policy. If you have any questions about this policy, please speak with your psychologist at your first appointment or as soon as possible thereafter. Feedback and suggestions for improving our policies are also welcome anytime and may be directed to our Clinic Director.
✉ reception@moodandmindcentre.com
🕐 Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 7:00pm | Saturday: 8:00am – 1:00pm
Hope Island: Suite 8/8 Santa Barbara Rd | Upper Coomera: Gold Coast QLD