Organizational Privacy Policy for Groundfire Counselling and Community Work
LAST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 23, 2024
EFFECTIVE DATE: SEPTEMBER 01, 2024
At Groundfire Counselling & Community Work ("we", "us", "our"), we respect the privacy of our clients ("you", "your"). This Organizational Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information beyond our web privacy policy. This policy describes how we handle personal information gathered through our client intake process, service provision, and other interactions in accordance with privacy regulations in British Columbia and Alberta.
In this policy, “personal information” or “personal data” refers to any information that can be used to identify an individual, including but not limited to contact information, health information, and payment details. “Programs” refers to the counselling, coaching, or structured sessions, or other services provided by Us.
###I. COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect personal information to provide our Programs, manage client relationships, and comply with legal obligations. This includes, but is not limited to:
Health History & Background Information: Details about your mental and physical health, therapy goals, medical history, and other relevant background.
Payment Information: Records of payments made via e-transfer or third-party processors like Stripe.
Emergency Contact Information: Name, relationship, and contact details of your designated emergency contact.
Pronouns & Accessibility Information: Information to ensure respectful communication and appropriate accommodations.
Standard Contact Information: Name, address, phone number, email address, and other relevant contact information.
Session Notes and Progress Reports: Documentation of Program sessions, progress notes, and assessments.
Correspondence Information: Information from communications, such as emails, phone calls, or other interactions between you and us.
Insurance Information: If applicable, details required to process claims or insurance reimbursements for services provided.
Appointment and Scheduling Information: Data necessary for managing bookings and preferences related to appointment times.
Demographic Information: General information such as age or marital status.
Referrals: If applicable, how you were referred to our services.
We use personal information for the following purposes:
To provide and maintain services and Programs: This includes using personal information to deliver Programs and support your experience.
To manage client relationships: This includes managing appointments, responding to inquiries, and ensuring quality of service.
For billing and payment purposes: We use payment and contact information to process payments and manage your account.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations: This includes compliance with mandatory reporting requirements and other legal obligations.
For business transfers: In the event of a merger, sale, or transfer of assets, personal information may be shared with or transferred to the new entity.
To communicate with you: We may use personal information to contact you by email, phone, SMS, or other electronic means regarding updates, service changes, or relevant information related to the services.
For marketing purposes: We may use personal information to inform you about new services, offers, or events, provided you have not opted out of receiving such communications.
For other lawful purposes: This includes using personal information for data analysis, identifying usage trends, and improving services.
We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of personal information. However, certain situations require us to share or disclose information per legal and professional obligations:
Legal Requirements: If information indicates that a child or vulnerable person is being, has been, or is at risk of being abused, neglected, or harmed, or if there is an imminent risk of harm to yourself or others, we may be required by law to report this information to authorities. Additionally, we may be required to comply with court orders or legal investigations.
Professional Consultation: Sometimes, we may consult with other professionals to provide the most effective care. In such instances, no identifying information will be disclosed unless necessary and with explicit consent.
Service Providers: Members of our team and certain service providers, such as accountants, administrative support, and platform providers (e.g., Zoom, and Cliniko, our file management system), may have access to personal information as part of our operations. We limit this access to what is necessary for business purposes and ensure confidentiality agreements are in place.
Emergency Contact: If there are concerns for your safety, we may contact the emergency contact you provided on your intake form.
Electronic File Management and Communication Risks: While we use secure, encrypted platforms (e.g., Proton Mail, Cliniko, Zoom), there are inherent risks associated with using them, such as interception or unauthorized access. IV. USE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
We communicate with clients through email, text messaging, phone, or videoconferencing (such as Zoom). We take steps to protect the confidentiality and security of electronic communications, but the use of such communications carries certain risks:
Security Risks: Electronic communications can be intercepted, misdirected, altered, or accessed without permission.
Employer Access: If an employer’s system is used, they may have the legal right to inspect and store communications.
Technical Risks: Electronic communications may introduce malware or other security risks into a system.
Backup Copies: Electronic communications may remain in backup systems, even after deletion.
Legal Disclosures: Electronic communications may be disclosed to comply with legal obligations.
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by law. This includes retaining personal data to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
We implement appropriate security measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. While we use commercially acceptable means to safeguard data, no electronic transmission or storage method is entirely secure. We take reasonable steps to protect personal data.
Personal information may be processed or stored at our operating offices or other locations where our service providers operate. This may involve the transfer of data to jurisdictions outside your own, where data protection laws may differ. We take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect personal information during such transfers. VIII. YOUR RIGHTS AND CHOICES
You have the following rights regarding your personal information per Canadian privacy laws:
Access Your Personal Information: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.
Request Correction of Your Personal Information: You can request corrections if you believe the personal information we have is inaccurate or incomplete.
We may update this policy periodically. We encourage you to review it regularly to stay informed about how we protect personal information. If you have any questions or concerns about this Policy, or wish to exercise any rights under this Policy, please contact us at info@groundfireccw.ca.
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