Privacy
Purpose of Collecting and Holding Information
As part of providing various services to you, the team at Modern Minds will need to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your current situation. This information will be a necessary part of the psychological assessment and treatment that is conducted. You do not have to give all your personal information, but should all relevant information not be made available, this may restrict the quality of the service able to be provided to you.
The information is gathered as part of the assessment, diagnosis and management of the your concerns, and is seen only by the assigned team member at Modern Minds. The information is retained in order to document what occurs within sessions, and enables us to provide relevant and informed services.
Access to Client Information
At any stage you as a client are entitled to access to the information about you kept on file, unless relevant legislation provides otherwise. Your team member at Modern Minds will discuss with you appropriate forms of access.
Confidentiality
It is important that your privacy is protected at all times. All personal information gathered by Modern Minds during the provision of any service will remain confidential and secure except where (as relevant to MM Psychologists only):
It is subpoenaed by a court, or
Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious and imminent risk; or
Your prior approval has been obtained to:
Provide a written report to another professional or agency e.g., a general practitioner or a lawyer; or
Discuss the material with another person e.g., parent or employer; or
If disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.
Additionally, if you have a General Practitioner Mental Health Care Plan MHCP), Psychologists are required to report to the referring General Practitioner after six and ten sessions about your presenting concern, progress and treatment.
If you are part of group therapy, it is important not to discuss with persons outside the group what has occurred in order to build trust and group cohesion. If you breech confidentiality of another group member, this could result in termination of your therapy.
As part of professional development and improving quality of care, a Modern Minds team member may find it helpful to consult an external supervisor about your presenting concerns. It is important to note that the MM team will maintain strict confidentiality of your identity during such discussions.
In the situation where a client is receiving support from multiple professionals, it is usual practice to establish contact with these other service providers to ensure co-ordination and consistency of your care and to provide the best quality service to you (e.g., to communicate assessment and treatment plans and reports, make telephone calls, make referrals to other agencies).
Confidentiality for Individuals Under 18 years
It is the policy of Modern Minds that when children are mature and competent to consent to psychology treatment and enter a therapeutic relationship, then they will receive a duty of confidentiality.
Modern Minds will provide general information to the parents about progress of their child in therapy. Release of other information will only be permitted with the consent of the child, on the basis that the child is of sufficient maturity and intelligence to make decisions in the client’s best interest.
In a situation where it is believed there is a high risk of the child harming themselves or others, we will notify parents of their concern, often after initial conversation with the child and consultation with a supervisor or colleague.
Assessment
As part of your care at Modern Minds you may be invited to complete a number of questionnaires to monitor your progress.