Privacy Policy.
Helping To Reconnect Counselling Services: Privacy Policy
Privacy Commitment Helping To Reconnect Counselling Services is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information. We collect, use, and disclose personal information responsibly and only to the extent necessary for the services we provide. This document outlines our privacy policies and how we handle personal information in a transparent manner.
What is Personal Information? Personal information refers to details about an identifiable individual, including personal characteristics (e.g., age, gender, home address, phone number, family status), health information (e.g., health history, conditions, services received), and personal activities or opinions (e.g., religion, expressed views). Business contact information (e.g., an individual’s work address or phone number) is not considered personal information under privacy legislation.
Who We Are Helping To Reconnect Counselling Services is a team of licensed mental health professionals, contracted therapists, interns, and administrative staff. We may also work with external consultants, such as IT specialists, accountants, and legal professionals, who may have limited access to personal information. These individuals are bound by confidentiality agreements and are required to follow appropriate privacy protocols.
Collection of Personal Information: Primary Purposes
For Clients We collect personal information primarily to provide effective counselling services. This includes gathering details about a client’s health history, psychological background, family dynamics, and social circumstances. This information helps us assess client needs, provide appropriate treatment, and track progress over time.
For the General Public We may collect contact information from individuals interested in receiving updates about our services, events, or programs. We aim to obtain consent before using this information and will remove any personal details from our records upon request.
Related and Secondary Purposes We may collect and use personal information for purposes beyond direct service provision, including:
Processing payments, invoicing, and collecting outstanding fees.
Informing clients about new services, workshops, or programs.
Quality assurance and staff performance evaluations.
Regulatory compliance, such as fulfilling requests from governing bodies or legal authorities.
Reporting serious misconduct, incompetence, or illegal activities to appropriate regulatory bodies.
Third-party billing (e.g., insurance claims) when permitted by the client.
Retaining records for professional accountability and regulatory requirements.
Conducting due diligence in the event of a business sale or transfer.
Clients may opt out of receiving service-related communications that are not essential to their care. However, compliance-related obligations and regulatory disclosures cannot be waived.
Protecting Personal Information We implement the following safeguards to ensure the security of personal information:
Paper records are stored in secure, restricted-access areas.
Electronic records are password-protected and stored in secured systems.
Information shared through mail is enclosed in sealed, addressed envelopes.
Secure methods are used for electronic transmission of information.
Staff members and external consultants are trained in confidentiality and privacy protection.
External service providers with access to personal data must sign confidentiality agreements.
Access to Personal Information Clients have the right to access their personal information upon request. We will assist in locating relevant records and explaining any technical terminology. To protect confidentiality, identity verification may be required before providing access. In cases where we cannot provide access, we will explain the reason within 30 days.
If a client identifies incorrect factual information in their record, they have the right to request corrections. While we cannot alter professional opinions, we will append a client-provided statement to the file if they disagree with the content.
Retention and Destruction of Personal Information We retain client records for a minimum of ten years after the last contact, as required by regulatory bodies. Other records, such as newsletters or event sign-ups, are kept for a shorter period and removed when no longer necessary.
Personal information is securely destroyed through shredding (for paper records) or secure deletion (for electronic files). When disposing of digital storage devices, we ensure hard drives are physically destroyed to prevent data recovery.
Contact Information and Complaints For questions or concerns regarding our privacy policy, or to request access to personal records, please contact: Helping To Reconnect Counselling Services