Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 1st July 2026

Our Commitment to Privacy

Ballarat Women's Psychology is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal and health information entrusted to us.

We collect, use, store and disclose personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), applicable health records legislation, and the professional and ethical obligations of registered psychologists.

This Privacy Policy explains how we manage your personal information and your rights in relation to that information.

1. What Information We Collect

We may collect personal and health information including:

Name, date of birth and contact details
Emergency contact details
Medicare and health fund information
Referral information
Medical history
Mental health history
Family and social history relevant to your care
Assessment results
Psychological treatment records
Correspondence
Payment information
Appointment history
Information provided through intake forms and questionnaires

Where appropriate, we may also collect information from:

Your GP
Psychiatrist
Paediatrician
Other treating health professionals
Hospitals
Approved third-party funding bodies
Family members or carers (with your consent or where otherwise authorised)

2. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information to:

Provide psychological assessment and treatment
Maintain accurate clinical records
Develop treatment plans
Communicate with you regarding appointments
Coordinate your care with other health professionals
Process Medicare and other funding claims
Process payments
Meet legal, ethical and professional obligations
Improve the quality and safety of our services

3. How We Collect Information

Information is collected directly from you through:

Intake forms
Update forms
Appointments
Telephone conversations
Emails
Website enquiries
Telehealth consultations

With your consent, or where otherwise authorised by law, information may also be collected from:

Referring practitioners
Other treating health professionals
Hospitals
Family members or carers
Third-party funding organisations

4. How We Store and Protect Your Information

Ballarat Women's Psychology takes reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Information is securely stored using systems including:

Halaxy Practice Management Software
NovoPsych
Approved AI-assisted clinical documentation platforms (such as Heidi Health or NovoNote where applicable)

Paper records (where required) are stored securely with restricted access.

Electronic information is protected through password security, encryption, secure authentication and access controls.

5. Use of AI-Assisted Documentation

Some psychologists may use approved AI-assisted clinical documentation platforms to assist with preparing clinical notes.

These platforms:

Use encrypted data transmission
Store information temporarily only
Do not use client information to train artificial intelligence models
Comply with Australian privacy requirements

Clients may choose to opt out of AI-assisted documentation at any time by informing their psychologist.

6. Disclosure of Information

Your personal information will remain confidential unless:

You provide consent;
Disclosure is required or authorised by law;
There is a serious risk to your life, health or safety or that of another person;
Disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat;
Disclosure is required by subpoena or court order; or
Disclosure is otherwise permitted under applicable legislation.

With your consent, information may be shared with:

General Practitioners
Psychiatrists
Paediatricians
Other treating health professionals
Medicare
WorkSafe
TAC
NDIS
Other approved funding bodies

Only information reasonably necessary for the purpose of the disclosure will be provided.

7. Professional Supervision

Psychologists participate in professional supervision and peer consultation to maintain professional standards and provide high-quality care.

Where client information is discussed, it is de-identified wherever possible and remains confidential.

8. Overseas Disclosure

Ballarat Women's Psychology uses reputable software providers that implement appropriate privacy and security measures.

Where information is stored or processed outside Australia, reasonable steps are taken to ensure those providers comply with Australian privacy obligations or equivalent standards.

9. Access to Your Information

You may request access to your personal information or health records.

Requests should be made in writing to the Practice Manager.

Access will generally be provided unless an exception under applicable privacy or health records legislation applies.

Reasonable administrative fees may apply for extensive requests involving copying or preparation of records.

10. Correction of Information

If you believe any personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date, please notify us.

We will take reasonable steps to correct your information where appropriate.

11. Retention of Records

Clinical records are retained in accordance with legal and professional requirements.

Generally:

Adult records are retained for a minimum of 7 years after the last consultation.
Records relating to clients under 18 years of age are retained until the client reaches at least 25 years of age.

Records are securely destroyed when they are no longer required to be retained.

12. Website Privacy

Our website may collect limited information such as website usage statistics through cookies or analytics services to improve user experience.

This information does not generally identify individual users.

Our website may contain links to external websites. Ballarat Women's Psychology is not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites.

13. Privacy Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been managed, we encourage you to contact us so we can attempt to resolve the matter.

Practice Manager

Ballarat Women's Psychology

Email: admin@ballaratwomenspsychology.com.au

Phone: 0490 884 951

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Phone: 1300 363 992

14. Contact Us