Victorian Psychology Group Pty Ltd trading as Yarra Clinic Psychology & Psychiatry (ABN 33 659 424 629) (we, us or our), understands that protecting your personal information is important. This Privacy Policy sets out our commitment to protecting the privacy of personal information provided to us, or otherwise collected by us when providing our psychology and psychiatry services to you (Services) or when otherwise interacting with you.

The information we collect

Personal information is information or an opinion, whether true or not and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual who is identified or reasonably identifiable.

The types of personal information we may collect about you include:

• Identity Data including first name, last name, title, date of birth, gender, job title, photographic identification, marital status, and pronouns.

• Contact Data including billing address, email address and telephone numbers.

• Financial Data including bank account and payment card details (which are processed securely by our third-party payment processors).

• Transaction Data including details about payments to you from us and from you to us and other details of services you have purchased from us or we have purchased from you.

• Technical and Usage Data including internet protocol (IP) address, your login data, your browser session and geo-location data, device and network information, statistics on page views and sessions, acquisition sources, search queries and/or browsing behaviour, information about your access and use of our website, including through the use of Internet cookies, your communications with our website, the type of browser you are using, the type of operating system you are using and the domain name of your Internet service provider.

• Interaction Data including information you provide to us when you participate in any interactive features of our Services, including surveys, activities or events.

• Marketing and Communications Data including your preferences in receiving marketing from us and our third parties and your communication preferences.

• Professional data including where you are a worker of ours or applying for a role with us, your professional history such as your previous positions and professional experience.

Sensitive information is a sub-set of personal information that is given a higher level of protection. Sensitive information means information relating to your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional associations or memberships, philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation or practices, criminal records, health information or biometric information.

Health information is a type of sensitive information and includes any personal information that is collected while providing you a health service. For example, any details you share with us in a consultation about your medical history or mental health will be health information.

The types of sensitive information (including health information) we collect about you include:

When you register with us as a patient:

• your Medicare number, private health fund details, or other provider numbers;

• health information contained in any referral letters or mental health treatment plans we receive from third parties, including your referring doctors;

• information about your past and current physical and mental health;

• information about any past or current medication you are taking; and

• any other information you choose to share with us in the course of registering as a patient.

When you have a consultation with us:

• sensitive information (including health information) which is necessary and relevant to the assessment and/or treatment of your presenting concern and which you choose to share with us, and any mental health assessment or diagnostic opinion we believe it is necessary or relevant to record. The types of sensitive information you choose to share with us may include:

  • detailed information about your current medications, your physical health and detailed information about your psychological health;

  • your racial or ethnic origin;

  • your religious beliefs;

  • your philosophical beliefs;

  • your political beliefs or affiliations;

  • your sexual orientation or practices; and

  • any other sensitive details you choose to share with us; and

• other information you share in the course of your appointments with our practitioners.

How we collect personal information

We collect personal information in a variety of ways, including:

• Directly: We collect personal information which you directly provide to us, including through the contact form on our website, during an appointment, or when you request our assistance via email, or over the telephone.

• Indirectly: We may collect personal information which you indirectly provide to us while interacting with us, such as when you use our website, in emails, over the telephone and in your online enquiries.

• From third parties: We collect personal information from third parties, such as information contained in your mental health plan or referral from your doctor, from other health providers involved in your care (with your consent), or details of your use of our website from our analytics and cookie providers. See the “Cookies” section below for more detail.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We are committed to using technology responsibly to support the quality and efficiency of our Services.

• AI for Clinical Recording: In the event that we propose to use AI-based tools to directly record or transcribe a clinical consultation, we will explicitly inform you of this intention prior to the session. Your separate, informed consent will be obtained for this specific use.

• AI for Administrative Support: We may use AI-based tools to support clinical administration tasks related to your care, such as assisting with the drafting of clinical notes, letters, reports, and other documentation. When used for these purposes, we only engage with trusted AI service providers that have achieved and maintain stringent security and privacy protocols to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information. All AI-generated administrative work is reviewed and approved by a qualified practitioner before being finalised.

Why we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information

We have set out below, in a table format, a description of the purposes for which we plan to collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information.

Sensitive information: We only collect, hold, use and disclose sensitive information for the following purposes:

• any purposes you consent to;

• the primary purpose of providing our psychology and/or psychiatry Services to you, which includes connecting you with our practitioners and providing tailored healthcare;

• secondary purposes directly related to this primary purpose, including disclosure to the below-listed third parties as reasonably necessary to provide our Services to you;

• to contact emergency services, or to speak with your family, partner or support person where we reasonably believe there is a serious risk to the life, health or safety of you or another person and it is impracticable for us to obtain your consent; and

• if otherwise required or authorised by law.

Our disclosures of personal information to third parties

We may disclose personal information to:

• our employees, contractors and/or related entities;

• third parties used to provide our Services, including IT service providers, data storage, web-hosting and server providers;

• professional advisors, bankers, auditors, our insurers and insurance brokers;

• payment systems operators and debt recovery services;

• your nominated health providers (e.g., your General Practitioner), but only with your express consent;

• courts, tribunals, regulatory authorities and law enforcement officers, as required or authorised by law, in connection with any actual or prospective legal proceedings, or in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights;

• anyone to whom our business or assets (or any part of them) are, or may (in good faith) be, transferred; and

• any other third parties as required or permitted by law.

Overseas disclosure

While we store personal information in Australia, where we disclose your personal information to the third parties listed above, these third parties may store, transfer or access personal information outside of Australia. We will only disclose your personal information overseas in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Your rights and controlling your personal information

Your choice: Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you provide personal information to us, you understand we will collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. You do not have to provide personal information to us, however, if you do not, it may affect our ability to provide our Services to you.

Restrict and unsubscribe: To object to processing for direct marketing/unsubscribe from our email database or opt-out of communications (including marketing communications), please contact us using the details below or opt-out using the opt-out facilities provided in the communication.

Access: You may request access to the personal information that we hold about you. An administrative fee may be payable for the provision of such information. Please note, in some situations, we may be legally permitted to withhold access to your personal information. If we cannot provide access to your information, we will advise you in writing of the reasons for our refusal and the mechanisms available to complain.

Correction: If you believe that any information we hold about you is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, please contact us using the details below. We will take reasonable steps to promptly correct any information found to be inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. If we cannot correct your information, we will advise you in writing of the reasons and the mechanisms available to complain.

Complaints: If you wish to make a complaint, please contact us using the details below and provide us with full details of the complaint. We will promptly investigate your complaint and respond to you in writing, setting out the outcome of our investigation and the steps we will take in response. If you are not satisfied with our response, you also have the right to contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Storage and security

We are committed to ensuring that the personal information we collect is secure. We have put in place suitable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure personal information and protect it from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure.

However, the transmission and exchange of information is carried out at your own risk. We cannot guarantee the security of any information that is transmitted to or by us over the Internet.

Cookies

We may use cookies on our website from time to time. Cookies are text files placed in your computer's browser to store your preferences. Cookies, by themselves, do not tell us your email address or other personally identifiable information. However, they do allow third parties to recognise you and may be used to support online advertising campaigns. If and when you choose to provide our website with personal information, this information may be linked to the data stored in the cookie.

You can block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites. We do not have any control over those websites and we are not responsible for the protection and privacy of any personal information which you provide whilst visiting them. Those websites are not governed by this Privacy Policy.

Amendments

We may, at any time and at our discretion, vary this Privacy Policy by publishing the amended Privacy Policy on our website. We recommend you check our website regularly to ensure you are aware of our current Privacy Policy.

For any questions or notices, please contact us at:
Email: contact@yarraclinic.com.au