Privacy policy.

At Tend Mental Health, we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our clients in accordance with the Australian Psychological Society's Code of Ethics and Guidelines for the Practice of Psychology. The following privacy policy applies to all clients, including children and adults, who access our services.

Collection and Use of Personal Information

We collect personal information from you in order to provide you with the best possible psychological care. The type of information we may hold includes (but is not limited to):

  • Personal contact details

  • Medicare information

  • Session notes

  • Reports

  • Referral letters

  • Assessments

  • General correspondence and,

  • any other information collected throughout your time accessing service at Tend Mental Health.

We use this information to assess your needs, develop a treatment plan, and provide you with the appropriate services. We may also use your personal information to communicate with you about your treatment and to send you relevant information about our services.

How is Personal Information Collected?

Tend Mental Health will collect personal information from you in the following ways:

  • Initial phone enquiry

  • Pre-appointment secure online intake questionnaires

  • Information provided by you directly to a member of the clinical or reception team either verbally or in writing (such as emails, SMS and forms).

  • When other professionals or associated services (eg. GP, paediatrician or school staff) provide personal information to Tend Mental Health via referrals, correspondence, letters and reports.

Tend Mental Health may communicate with clients via phone, SMS, Zoom and email.

Sharing of Personal Information

We will not disclose your personal information to any third parties without your written consent, unless required by law or in the following circumstances:

  • If we believe that you are at risk of harm, including self-harm;

  • If we believe that you may harm another person;

  • If we are required to do so by a court or other legal process;

  • Your prior approval has been obtained to a) provide a written report to another professional or agency. eg. a GP or a teacher; or b) discuss the material with another person, eg. a parent, healthcare provider, or third party funder; or c) disclose the information in another way;

  • In some cases, we may need to share your information with other healthcare professionals (e.g., your GP), such as your primary care physician, in order to provide you with the best possible care.

  • Disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law (such as, but not limited to mandatory reporting).

Professional Supervision

To maintain and improve the skills of your healthcare provider, they may seek guidance and supervision from a supervisor or another qualified healthcare professional. These consultations will be kept confidential and will only involve information about your case that is necessary for the purpose of professional development. In order to ensure the privacy of your personal information, any details shared will be de-identified unless they are directly relevant to the discussion. The practice's management team may also be privy to some of this information, but they are bound by the same privacy and confidentiality policies as the healthcare provider.

Security of Personal Information

We take appropriate measures to protect the security of your personal information, including the use of secure servers and encryption technology. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information.

Client records are kept secure, either electronically or in locked filing. Tend Mental Health is required to retain all client files until a child reaches 25 years of age, or for a minimum of 7 years for a young adult or adult. Physical documents containing confidential client information are disposed of through secure shredding bins when they are no longer needed. These bins are kept locked at all times and the contents are regularly shredded and disposed of securely.

Is it possible to request the release of my therapy records?

If you no longer receive treatment at Tend Mental Health, your healthcare provider will create a summary of your therapy that can be sent to you upon request. If you or another healthcare provider need access to additional information from your sessions at Tend Mental Health, a request must be submitted by email to your clinician or the reception. There may be fees for these additional record transfers, and in most cases, the records will only be released to another healthcare provider rather than to the patient themselves. Please be aware that Tend Mental Health is not responsible for how your personal information is used by third parties.

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.

You have the right to access and review your personal information that we have collected. If you would like to access or update your personal information, please contact us.

What should I do if I have concerns about this Privacy Policy?

If there is a breach of your privacy or the security of your personal information, Tend Mental Health will notify you as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns about how Tend Mental Health handles your personal information, you can contact your clinician or email the management team at admin@tendmentalhealth.com.au

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update this privacy policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page and we encourage you to review this policy regularly.

If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policy, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Last updated January 2023.