Peace of Mind Privacy Policy
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
Peace of Mind recognizes the importance of maintaining our clients privacy while they receive service from us. Peace of Mind is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients’ personal health information in accordance with the law. It is our commitment to you and your family.
Collecting Your Personal Health Information
When you receive service from Peace of Mind, we collect personal and health information about you directly from yourself or from someone with the legal authority to represent you. The information that we collect may include your name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, place of employment, school, personal and family history relating to reason for service. We also collect credit card information for the purpose of payment. We will only collect the amount of information that is required to provide you with most appropriate service.
Use of Health Information
In order to provide mental health services to you, plan for treatment services, and continue to improve the services that we provide, Peace of Mind needs to collect, use and disclose personal and health information about you. In providing service to you, we use your information to:
• Establish, develop and maintain a relationship with you to provide the services requested;
• Improve the quality of the services that you receive;
- Bill and receive payment for the services we provide;
- Supervision of staff related to services provided;
- Comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
How We Protect Your Privacy
Peace of Mind Mental Health Services wants to ensure that we are meeting our commitments under the law to uphold the confidentiality of our clients and maintaining the privacy of the personal and health information that we collect. The following are the steps that we take to protect your personal information:
- Staff are trained to properly collect, use and disclose personal information;
- Personal and health information is recorded and stored on Canadian PHIPPA-compliant, web-based encrypted software, Jane App Practice Management Software, https://jane.app/guide/privacy-and-security/is-jane-pipeda-compliant
- Credit card information is collected and stored through Stripe. Stripe is a secure “Level-1 PCI Compliant provider (the highest level of security and compliance)”. https://stripe.com/docs/security/stripe
- Any paper information collected is stored in a secured, locked area until it is uploaded electronically to your file in Jane App and/or shredded if not admitted to file;
- Electronic hardware is protected by finger-print security and stored in a locked and secured area.
Access and Modification to Your Health Information
Adult clients have the right to access and receive a copy of your personal health information from Peace of Mind with limited exceptions. Exceptions are made in the releasing of your personal health information if this information would place yourself or a third party at risk. If there is more than one person attending sessions and included in the file, then both parties must provide permission to access the file. There will be administrative fees associated with your request. In order to request your personal health information, please contact Melissa Burton at Peace of Mind Mental Health Services: melissa@yourpeaceofmind.ca
You have the right to request corrections to your personal health information if you believe that you personal health information is inaccurate or incorrect. Before requesting any corrections, it is recommended that you talk to your therapist about the proposed changes prior to making the request. In order to request your personal health information, it must be submitted in writing to melissa@yourpeaceofmind.ca. These requests only apply to factual information. You may request for a note to be recorded in your file that updates the previous information.
Disclosure of Personal Health Information
Peace of Mind Mental Health Services is fully committed to protecting the privacy of our patients’ personal health information.
We will require your consent or a court order to disclose your personal health information to any person or organization outside of Peace of Mind Mental Health Services except in specific circumstances where the law requires sharing of information without consent such as:
- If there is suspected physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect of a child under the age of 16, a report will be made to the Children’s Aid Society in your district;
- If a disclosure of family violence or witnessing family violence involving children under the age 16 is made, a report will be made to the Children’s Aid Society in your district;
- If there is imminent danger to one’s self or others, appropriate disclosures will be made;
- If a court orders a release of your files and records.
There are circumstances whereby the cost of services provided by Peace of Mind Mental Health Services to clients is paid for by third parties such as: private insurance, EAP Companies, or WSIB. These third-party payers often have your consent or legislative authority to direct us to collect and disclose to them certain information in order to demonstrate client entitlement to these services.
