Privacy policy

The following paragraphs explain the Privacy Policy of the UQ Psychology Clinic.

This policy is designed to assure that information gathered by your clinician over the course of assessment and treatment at the Clinic is used in an appropriate, secure manner, and to provide for access to, and correction of such information.

Information gathered

Over the course of treatment at the Psychology Clinic, information is gathered that allows the clinician to make an informed professional decision as to the most appropriate assessment and treatment methods to be used. This information will include basic demographic data (e.g. name, date of birth, address, etc), as well as other information that is deemed relevant. This will usually include the following:

• The nature of the problem for which you are presenting;
• Areas of behaviour related to the presenting problems;
• A history of the presenting problem;
• A family history of relevant information; and
• Other information deemed necessary to make an informed clinical judgement about the nature of the presenting complaint and other relevant factors

Confidentiality of information

Generally, all information gathered over the course of assessment and treatment at the Psychology Clinic remains confidential. There are several notable exceptions, however, to this confidentiality:

• All psychologists and counsellors at the Clinic discuss their case load with an experienced clinician as part of a supervisory relationship. Information on the nature of the case (though not necessarily full identifying information) is shared with the supervisor;
• In the event that the clinician forms the professional opinion that either the client, or another individual is a risk for significant harm (self or others), a moral obligation may exist to act on this information with the aim of preventing such harm;
• In the event that a file is subpoenaed by the court;
• In the event that a written Record Release Authority is provided with the client’s signature.

Use of information

Information gathered by the Psychology Clinic is used exclusively for two purposes

• For the formation of a professional opinion, which is used to guide assessment and treatment for the presenting concern; and
• For the evaluation of the service provided by the Clinic, through collation of detailed statistics about referral sources, nature of presenting problems, attendance durations, etc. In all cases where information is used for statistical purposes, no identifying information is made available.

Security of information

Information provided to the Psychology Clinic is held both in the Client File and the Client Database. All files are held within the School of Psychology, at the UQ Psychology Clinic, in locked offices. Files do not leave the Clinic at any time.

Obtaining information

Requests for information may be made to the Clinic Manager, UQ Psychology Clinic, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Q 4072. Requests should be specific as to the exact information required, and should be acknowledged within 14 days in writing. Once a request for information is received, the Clinic Manager will conduct a thorough chart review and collate the information in an appropriate manner to ensure adequate and full understanding on the part of the requesting person.

Procedure for complaint/rectifying information

Official complaints or requests to change inaccurate or erroneous information should be made to the Clinic Manager, UQ Psychology Clinic, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Q 4072. In such cases the Clinic Manager will conduct a review of the information held by the Clinic and make every effort to ensure that such information is accurate.

Access to privacy policy

This document should be freely available, and accessible on request by all staff and clients of the Psychology Clinic. Its availability should be announced in a prominent location, and discussed with each client during their first session.