Our Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how we, Bloom Health Clinic (ACN 654 807 717) protect the privacy of personal and sensitive information. Bloom Health Clinic is an appointment-based business that provides health services in both face-to-face and online formats. We are firmly committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information and maintain robust physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect personal information in our care. Bloom Health Clinic complies with the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act).

We’ve tried to make this Privacy Policy as easy to read as possible. After all, it’s your information and you deserve to know what we do to protect it, and all the rights you have. If there is anything you’re not sure of though, please contact our team by emailing admin@bloomhealthclinic.au and we’d be happy to answer any questions.

Personal Information

If you engage with Bloom Health Clinic via this website, or choose to become a client at Bloom Health Clinic we may ask to collect the following kinds of personal information from you, including:

  • your name, email address, phone numbers, and residential address

  • credit card details (STRIPE)

  • date of birth

  • Medicare number

  • information relating to your personal circumstances relevant to your treatment and the ways your practitioner might support you.

  • information that allows us to tailor our services to your needs when you sign up for one of our webinars or group programs.

  • your IP address, and information about your browsing history to help us improve the usability and appeal of our website. More information about this is found in the section on Cookies below.

  • if you are an employee or contractor, or propose working with us in that capacity, information about your qualifications, skills, and work experience

We rely on you to ensure that the information you provide is accurate and complete.

Collection and Use

Your personal information is collected in a number of ways before, during, and after consultations including:

  • when you provide information to book your appointments;

  • complete our secure online intake forms; 3)

  • interact with or provide information directly to your psychologist or Bloom Health Clinics employees, either verbally or in writing, including emails and forms

  • when other professionals, stakeholders, or third parties (e.g. GP, lawyer, school staff) provide your personal information to Bloom Health Clinic via referrals, correspondence, and medical or other reports.

  • you contact us with a question, comment or inquiry

  • you subscribe to our mailing list

  • you attend a webinar, seminar, or group where we are hosting or presenting

  • you correspond with us on a social media platform such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or similar sites

  • you opt in to receive a free resource from us

  • you book a consultation or purchase a product or service from us

  • you provide us with a testimonial

  • our website automatically collects information about you and your activities on our site (including analytics and cookies)

Where practicable we will only collect personal information about you directly from you. However, in some circumstances we may obtain personal information from a third party. If this information is obtained contrary to this Privacy Policy and the Privacy Act, we will destroy or de-identify such information within a reasonable period.

Your personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing and documenting the psychology service you have referred for. Your psychologist will only record personal information that they deem necessary or relevant to provide your psychology service and to inform any opinions they may be requested or obligated to provide about you (e.g. letter to your GP regarding your treatment progress). Bloom Health Clinic may also use personal information collected from you to provide you with service information, practice updates, and appointment reminders. You may change your contact details and unsubscribe or opt-out of any service at any time by contacting us.

As a clinic that provides professional health services to you we are required to identify our clients by collecting specific data. If you do not wish to provide your personal information in a way anticipated by this Privacy Policy, that is okay, however, Bloom Health Clinic may then be unable to provide the psychology service to you. You may request to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym, unless it is impracticable for Bloom Health Clinic to work with you or if Bloom Health Clinic or your psychologist is legally required to deal with identified individuals only.  If circumstances permit us to agree to you being anonymous or using a pseudonym, you must pay your service fee in full prior to your service.

We use your information to:

  • respond to your enquiries

  • contact you in regards to your scheduled appointments

  • provide you with our products or services at your request

  • Keep appropriate records of your treatment and provide correspondence or treatment reports to approved third parties

  • monitor or improve the use of and satisfaction with our website, products ,or services

  • share the latest news and developments relevant to our work

  • let you know about our expertise, and products or services that may be of interest to you

We will only collect your information:

  • with your full awareness and consent, such as when you email us, tick a checkbox or fill in a form to provide us with information

  • if we need it to provide you with information or services that you request

  • if we are legally required to collect it

  • if collecting the information is necessary to preserve life or keep someone safe from harm

  • for necessary administrative processes if you become our client

Where practicable we will only collect personal information about you directly from you. However, in some circumstances we may obtain personal information from a third party. If this information is obtained contrary to this Privacy Policy and the Privacy Act, we will destroy or de-identify such information within a reasonable period.

Sensitive information

We understand that some information is particularly sensitive, and that you are trusting us to keep this information confidential. The sensitive information we collect from you may include but is not limited to:

  • your medical history

  • information about your mental health and wellbeing

  • information about your lifestyle and relationships

  • information relevant to your presenting concerns and future goals

We will only collect sensitive information by methods that are reasonably secure, such as:

  • through our intake form in Power Diary when you book an appointment

  • in a telehealth plus consultation (supported by Power Diary)

  • in a face to face consultation

  • In a telephone consultation

  • when you send us information in an email (please note that email may not be sufficiently secure – if the information is extremely sensitive, ask us about alternative ways to share it with us.)

The reason why we collect your sensitive information is:

  • so that we can provide you with the services you have requested from us

  • to ensure that we are providing you with the most appropriate services

  • for completion of correspondence relevant to your treatment

Secure Storage of Sensitive Information

We are committed to securely storing and handling your information. Your Personal and Sensitive Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Client records are stored electronically using Power Diary, a secure Australian cloud-based practice management system. Any paper documents that cannot be uploaded to these online files, is stored in a secure filing cabinet, which is accessible only to authorised employees. You can find out more about their security provisions in the section on Security below.

Only the treating clinician responsible for your treatment has access to your sensitive information. Authorised team members (i.e., senior admin staff and clinic director) have access to your personal details on a strict need to know basis to ensure that the clinic is able to adequately manage your appointments, respond to your enquiries, and manage your file for admin purposes. They do not have access to your clinicians session notes or sensitive information.

You have the option to consent for other team members to access your information for the purpose of facilitating your treatment and to consent to the distribution of correspondence and reports to third parties. This authority to share your information will be obtained from you in writing before any access to your information is provided.

Collection of Information from Minors

Sensitive information may be collected from children under the age of 18 under the following circumstances:

  • in the presence of their parents

  • with their parent or guardian’s full consent

All information collected from minors is securely stored in accordance with this privacy policy.

Disclosure of Information

We may disclose your information if required under the following circumstances:

  • to provide you with the services you have requested

  • to send you products that you have purchased

  • where disclosure is necessary to carry out your instructions, such as [corresponding with someone else on your behalf / sending reports / completing assessments / etc]

  • where we use support services to assist us in our business

  • to engage in professional supervision, although any information we share under these circumstances is de-identified to preserve client confidentiality unless consulting with Bloom Health Clinics Director (Principal Clinical Psychologist), whom is likely to know your identity and is also bound by the Privacy Act and this policy.

  • to refer you to other service providers at your request

  • to provide treatment reports and correspondence relevant to your care

Who disclosures are made to

You consent to us sharing relevant information, on a strictly need-to-know basis, with:

  • people you authorise us to correspond with, as reasonably required to carry out your instructions

  • our employees and subcontractors

  • Third party providers who assist with

    • administration

    • archiving

    • auditing

    • legal advice

    • professional supervision

We will also disclose your information if required by law to do so or in circumstances permitted by the Privacy Act – for example:

  • it is subpoenaed by a court; or

  • failure to disclose the information would, in the reasonable belief of your psychologist, place you or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or

  • your prior approval has been obtained to: (1) provide a letter or report to another professional or agency (e.g. GP or lawyer); or (2) discuss or share the information with another person (e.g. parent, carer or employer); or (3) disclose the information in another way (e.g. via email); or

  • you would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another health practitioner or professional, and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected (i.e. your psychology service); or

  • Disclosure is otherwise required by law.

Confidentiality for Individuals Under 18 years

It is the policy of Bloom Health Clinic that when children are mature and competent to consent to psychology treatment and enter a therapeutic relationship, then they will receive a duty of confidentiality.

Bloom Health Clinic will provide general information to the parents about progress of their child in therapy. Release of other information will only be permitted with the consent of the child, on the basis that the child is of sufficient maturity and intelligence to make decisions in the client’s best interest.

In a situation where it is believed there is a high risk of the child harming themselves or others, we will notify parents of their concern, often after initial conversation with the child and consultation with a supervisor or colleague.

If you have any concerns regarding the disclosure of your information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us to discuss this personally.

Destruction of sensitive information

Psychologists are required to hold adult clients files for 7 years and to hold child clients files until the child has turned 25 years old. Unless impracticable, we store client records in our secure electronic practice management system and shred duplicate paper information onsite six months after a client last appointment. Any information unable to be stored electronically is archived in a secure filing cabinet. Once your record is due to be disposed of, your electronic file will be permanently deleted, and any archived paper file will be shred onsite.

It is clinic policy to review our records every three months. Any files due for destruction are disposed of at these points.

Security

We take reasonable physical, technical and administrative safeguards to protect your personal and sensitive information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.

We manage risks to your information by:

  • storing files securely

  • ensuring that only key personnel with approved consent have access to sensitive information

  • releasing information to service providers on a consent basis

  • conducting regular audits of our security systems

As mentioned above, your information may also be stored with a third-party provider, where it will be managed under their security policy. The following security policies may apply during our work together:

Cookies and Google Analytics

Cookies are small text files that are commonly used by websites to improve a user’s experience, collect statistics or marketing information and provide access to secure areas.

You can choose to configure your browser settings not to accept cookies but this may interfere with the functioning of this website. Our website uses the following cookies:

  • Squarespace Cookies

Please see the Squarespace cookie policy here Squarespace Cookies

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to collect information about your use of our website so that we can get strategic information about how our website is being used and improve its functionality. You can find out more about the information Google collects and how it is used here:

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245.

Google also provides an add-on for your browser that you can use to opt-out and prevent your data being used by Google Analytics. You can access that add-on here:

https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Access to Information

You can contact us to access, correct or update your personal information at any time by writing directly to your psychologist and forwarding this to the clinic at admin@bloomhealthclinic.au. Your psychologist will respond to your request in writing in 28 days and unless we are subject to a confidentiality obligation or some other restriction on giving access to the information which permits us to refuse you access under the Privacy Act, and we believe there is a valid reason for doing so, we will endeavour to make your information available to you within 30 days.

Where access is granted, your psychologist will require you to attend an appointment to view your personal information at Bloom Health Clinic. Standard service fees apply to these appointments. You may also request to correct personal information on your client record that is agreed to be inaccurate, out-of-date or incomplete. Requests to correct information should be made to your psychologist or, where appropriate, to reception staff (e.g. updating address details). Reasonable steps will be taken to correct your information as soon as practicable or your psychologist will at least respond to your request in writing within 28 days. In some instances, you may be required to attend an appointment for clarification purposes. Standard service rates may apply to these appointments depending on the nature of the requested corrections.

REQUESTS TO RELEASE CLIENT RECORDS:

This section describes our policy on responding to requests from clients, guardians, legal representatives or other relevant authorities, to release all or part of a client’s record. This policy does not pertain to subpoenas. Requests to release your information must be received in writing at least 28 days prior to the information being needed. Your psychologist must have regard for legal and ethical exceptions in considering the request and will respond to the requesting party within 14 days. If there is no objection to the request, the requesting party will be invoiced for the anticipated cost of properly preparing and releasing your personal information. This process will be completed within 14 days of receiving full payment. In most instances, your psychologist will require you to attend an appointment to review the information due to be released and to obtain your fully informed written consent to the release (signing a generic consent form is generally insufficient). Standard service fees apply to these appointments. Alternatively, you may make a written request to your psychologist to provide a summary of your personal information, or a letter or report addressing the purpose that the personal information is being sought for, in accordance with our policy on the disclosure of client information. Costs and timeframes for these requests are at the discretion of your psychologist. Please note that we cannot be responsible for preserving the confidentiality of information that has left Bloom Health Clinics control.

Notification of Breach

If we have reason to suspect that a serious data breach has occurred and that this may result in harm or loss to you, we will immediately assess the situation and take appropriate remedial action. If we still believe that you are at risk, we will notify the Office of the Information Commissioner and either notify you directly, or if that is not possible, publicise a notification of the breach on this website.

Complaints

If a breach of this Privacy Policy occurs, or if you have a concern about the management of your personal information, you may inform your psychologist either in writing or verbally and are welcome to contact us by sending an email outlining your concerns to admin@bloomhealthclinic.au.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your enquiry and ultimately wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, disclosure of, or access to, your personal information, you may seek a review by contacting:

You can access the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe your rights and how your personal information should be handled, via www.privacy.gov.au.

Notification of Change

This policy is subject to change from time to time in response to new laws or technologies or changes to our practice operations. We will notify clients of any substantive changes to this policy as they occur. When we update our Privacy Policy, we will post a copy of the revised policy on our website.

AGREEMENT: 

By engaging the services of Bloom Health Clinic, you agree to your personal information being managed in accordance with this privacy policy. If you have any questions about this policy, please speak with your psychologist at your first appointment or as soon as possible thereafter. Feedback and suggestions for improving our policies are also welcome anytime and may be directed to our Director Jessica Tollemache.

*Bloom Health Clinic psychologists are subcontractors who are responsible and liable for their own professional conduct and compliance with the laws and standards that apply to the practice of psychology in Australia. Bloom Health Clinic psychologists are also responsible for complying with Bloom Health Clinic policies and informing their clients and the Director immediately of any intended or incidental departure from those policies.

This Privacy Policy was created with the support of Carefree Counsel. Copying it without permission is an infringement of our copyright and Carefree Counsel’s.