Privacy Policy
All information gathered as part of providing child and family therapy/consultancy services is handled in accordance with the Privacy Act, 1988, and the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Code of Ethics.
Client Information
Client files are held in a secure filing cabinet, which is accessible only to Gloria Porsiello Family Consulting. The information on each file includes personal information collected as part of providing the child and family therapy/consultancy services.
Collection of Personal Information
A clients personal information is collected in a number of ways during the child and family therapy/consultancy services, including when the client provides information directly to the practitioner via forms, email correspondence, when the client interacts directly with the practitioner or the receptionist at the Adelaide Resolutions, and when other health practitioners or legal representatives provide personal information to Gloria Porsiello Family Consulting via referrals, correspondence and reports.
Consequences of not Providing Personal Information
If the client does not wish for their personal information to be collected in a way that is anticipated by this Privacy Policy, Gloria Porsiello Family Consulting may not be in a position to provide the child and family therapy/consultancy services to the client.
Purpose of Holding Personal Information
A client’s personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing child and family therapy/consultancy services, which includes, but is not limited to, counselling, assessment, therapy, and accurate report writing.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Clients personal information will remain confidential except when:
- It is subpoenaed by a court, or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law;
- Failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of Gloria Porsiello Family Consulting to place a client or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety;
- The client’s consent has been obtained to:
- provide a written report to another agency or professional, e.g. a GP or a lawyer;
- discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent, lawyer, health provider, third-party funder;
- disclose the information in another way;
- disclose to another professional or agency (e.g. your lawyer) 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.
In the event that unauthorised access, disclosure, or loss of a client’s personal information occurs, Gloria Porsiello Family Consulting will follow relevant actions and policies as outlined in the Privacy Act, 1988 (Cth) and use all reasonable endeavours to minimise any risk of consequential serious harm.
Requests for Access and Correction to Client Information
At any stage, a client may request to see and correct the personal information about them kept on file. The practitioner may discuss the contents with them and/or give them a copy, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988 (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 clients for access to or correction of personal information held about them should be lodged with Gloria Porsiello. The request will be responded to in writing within 30 days and an appointment will be made if necessary, for clarification purposes.
If clients have a concern about the management of their personal information, they may inform Rachel Jolly or Olivia Kay, Directors at The Adelaide Resolutions Centre. Upon request, they can obtain a copy of the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe their rights and how their personal information should be handled. Ultimately, if clients wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, disclosure of, or access to their personal information, they may do so with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by phone on 1300 363 992, online at https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints/ or by post to:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner,
GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW 2001.
Cancellation Policy
An email reminder will be sent 24 hours prior to your next scheduled appointment (excepting in the case that an appointment is booked with less than 48 hours’ notice). 24 hours’ notice of cancellation prior to your appointment, is required. If notice is given within 24 hours or in the case of non-attendance, a cancellation fee of $85.00 will be applied.
If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, please contact 0467 352 537.
Fees and Debt Collection
Invoices for sessions are emailed at the end of each session and are payable within 7 days.
Payment can be made by cash, cheque, EFT, or paid in advance for a set number of sessions.
Future sessions will not be provided if prior invoices have not been paid in full.
Sessions are not eligible for a Medicare or Private Health Fund rebate.
Costs of reports are required prior to the release of the report. An invoice will be sent to yourself or your legal representative when the report is nearing completion. The report will not be released until payment has been received in full. The exception of this being that Legal Aid is responsible for the costs.
Any invoices that remain unpaid for more than 30 days are subject to a late payment fee of 10% and may be referred to a debt collection agency. Any costs incurred by engaging the collection agency will be the responsibility of the debtor.
Fees are subject to change.