Policy and Consent
Psychological service
As part of providing a psychological service to you, Sonja Lynch of Anahata Psychology needs to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your situation, such as your name, contact information, medical history and other relevant information. This collection of personal information will be a necessary part of the psychological assessment and treatment that is conducted.
Purpose of collecting and holding information
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. 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.
Consequence of not providing personal information
If you do not wish for your personal information to be collected in a way anticipated by this letter Sonja Lynch may not be in a position to provide the psychological service to you. You may request to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym, unless it is impracticable for Sonja to deal with you or if Sonja 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.
Requests for access and correction to client information
At any stage you may request to see and correct the personal information about you kept on file. Sonja may discuss the contents with you and/or give you a copy, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act1988 (Cth). If satisfied that personal information is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete, reasonable steps will be taken in the circumstances to ensure that this information is corrected. All requests by you for access to or correction of personal information held about them should be lodged with Sonja Lynch. These requests will be responded to in writing within 30 days, and an appointment will be made if necessary for clarification purposes.
Disclosure of personal information
All personal information gathered by Sonja Lynch during the provision of the psychological service will remain confidential except when:
1. it is subpoenaed by a court, or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.
2. failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of the Sonja Lynch place you or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety.
3. your prior approval has been obtained to
a) provide a written report to another professional or agency. e.g., a GP or a lawyer.
b) discuss the material with another person, eg. a parent, employer,health provider or third party funder.
c) disclose the information in another way.
d) disclose to another professional or agency (e.g. your GP) and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose which is directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected.
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, Sonja Lynch will activate her data breach plan and use all reasonable endeavours to minimise any risk of consequential serious harm.
Requirement to Provide Contact Details and Location
As we will mainly be working together by videoconference/phone (telehealth), Sonja needs to be able to contact support people in your locality should any issues arise. Please provide the name and contact details of at least one trusted person before we commence the treatment. Because you may be in varied locations for each of the videoconferences, Sonja will require you to provide your location at the commencement of each session.
Email and Software
Sonja is using a range of software products to provide efficient and effective services to you including email, Halaxy, Jotform, Fax Plus, etc. All clinical information is password-protected. Please be aware, cyber-attacks can occur. Under such circumstances, Sonja will be immediately in touch with you. If you have any concerns about this please discuss these with her and provisions may be available.
Concerns about the management of personal information
If you have a concern about the management of your personal information, you may inform Sonja Lynch. Upon request you can obtain a copy of the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe your rights and how your personal information should be handled. Ultimately, if you 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 by phone on 1300 363 992, online at http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/making-a-privacy-complaint or by post to: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW 2001.
Fees
The cost of a normal consultation (50-60 minutes) for individuals is $ 175, longer sessions (75 min.) are $200. The costs of a session for couples (90 minutes) is $ 235. All services will be invoiced to you, or your insurer with prior agreement, at the time of provision of the service. Payment should be made at the time of invoice. A sliding scale fee might apply under certain circumstances such as financial hardship. The provision of thorough reports incurs a fee based on the hourly psychologist rate. Services for individuals might be eligible for Medicare rebate ($ 137.05). You do need a current Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP.
Cancellation Policy
If, for some reason you need to cancel or postpone the appointment, please give Sonja at least 48 hours notice. If the practice cannot fill your appointment, a cancellation fee might apply.
Please Note: If, after reading this page you are at all unsure of what is written, please discuss it with me.
As part of providing a psychological service to you, Sonja Lynch of Anahata Psychology needs to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your situation, such as your name, contact information, medical history and other relevant information. This collection of personal information will be a necessary part of the psychological assessment and treatment that is conducted.
Purpose of collecting and holding information
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. 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.
Consequence of not providing personal information
If you do not wish for your personal information to be collected in a way anticipated by this letter Sonja Lynch may not be in a position to provide the psychological service to you. You may request to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym, unless it is impracticable for Sonja to deal with you or if Sonja 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.
Requests for access and correction to client information
At any stage you may request to see and correct the personal information about you kept on file. Sonja may discuss the contents with you and/or give you a copy, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act1988 (Cth). If satisfied that personal information is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete, reasonable steps will be taken in the circumstances to ensure that this information is corrected. All requests by you for access to or correction of personal information held about them should be lodged with Sonja Lynch. These requests will be responded to in writing within 30 days, and an appointment will be made if necessary for clarification purposes.
Disclosure of personal information
All personal information gathered by Sonja Lynch during the provision of the psychological service will remain confidential except when:
1. it is subpoenaed by a court, or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.
2. failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of the Sonja Lynch place you or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety.
3. your prior approval has been obtained to
a) provide a written report to another professional or agency. e.g., a GP or a lawyer.
b) discuss the material with another person, eg. a parent, employer,health provider or third party funder.
c) disclose the information in another way.
d) disclose to another professional or agency (e.g. your GP) and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose which is directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected.
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, Sonja Lynch will activate her data breach plan and use all reasonable endeavours to minimise any risk of consequential serious harm.
Requirement to Provide Contact Details and Location
As we will mainly be working together by videoconference/phone (telehealth), Sonja needs to be able to contact support people in your locality should any issues arise. Please provide the name and contact details of at least one trusted person before we commence the treatment. Because you may be in varied locations for each of the videoconferences, Sonja will require you to provide your location at the commencement of each session.
Email and Software
Sonja is using a range of software products to provide efficient and effective services to you including email, Halaxy, Jotform, Fax Plus, etc. All clinical information is password-protected. Please be aware, cyber-attacks can occur. Under such circumstances, Sonja will be immediately in touch with you. If you have any concerns about this please discuss these with her and provisions may be available.
Concerns about the management of personal information
If you have a concern about the management of your personal information, you may inform Sonja Lynch. Upon request you can obtain a copy of the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe your rights and how your personal information should be handled. Ultimately, if you 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 by phone on 1300 363 992, online at http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/making-a-privacy-complaint or by post to: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW 2001.
Fees
The cost of a normal consultation (50-60 minutes) for individuals is $ 175, longer sessions (75 min.) are $200. The costs of a session for couples (90 minutes) is $ 235. All services will be invoiced to you, or your insurer with prior agreement, at the time of provision of the service. Payment should be made at the time of invoice. A sliding scale fee might apply under certain circumstances such as financial hardship. The provision of thorough reports incurs a fee based on the hourly psychologist rate. Services for individuals might be eligible for Medicare rebate ($ 137.05). You do need a current Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP.
Cancellation Policy
If, for some reason you need to cancel or postpone the appointment, please give Sonja at least 48 hours notice. If the practice cannot fill your appointment, a cancellation fee might apply.
Please Note: If, after reading this page you are at all unsure of what is written, please discuss it with me.
Anahata Psychology Sonja Lynch ©2022. All rights reserved.
ABN 95 885 158 078
AHPRA Registration PSY0002293454
Medicare Provider Number 5862483W
Telefon Fax0490499895 0291827574
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