This privacy and collection statement provides information to you as a client or potential client of Mel Campbell Therapy about how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within this practice, and the circumstances in which the practice may share it with third parties.

When you register as a client of Mel Campbell Therapy by booking an appointment, you provide consent for me to use your personal information so I can provide you with mental health occupational therapy services. If I need to use your information for anything else, I will seek additional consent from you to do this.

Mel Campbell Therapy needs to collect your personal information to provide mental health services to you. The main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to provide a high quality mental health service. I may also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes.

The information I will collect about you includes your:

name, date of birth, addresses and contact details for identification purposes;

health, social, emotional, developmental and family information;

Medicare number or NDIS plan number for claiming purposes.

You have the right to deal with Mel Campbell Therapy anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for me to do so or unless I am required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.

Mel Campbell Therapy may collect your personal information in several different ways.

When you make an enquiry or book an appointment I will collect some initial personal and demographic information from you.

During the course of providing mental health services, I will collect further personal information directly from you.

I may also collect your personal information when you visit my website, send me an email or SMS, or telephone me.

In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. This may include information from your GP, other healthcare providers, Medicare and other NDIS providers such as support coordinators and plan managers.

Mel Campbell Therapy may share your personal information:

with your treating doctor if you have a mental health care plan or other Medicare funded referral;

with your NDIS plan manager or support coordinator at your request;

with third parties who work with Mel Campbell Therapy for business and professional purposes, such as accreditation agencies, clinical supervision providers or information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with Australian Privacy Principles and this policy;

with other healthcare providers involved in your care at your request;

when it is required or authorised by law (eg court subpoenas);

when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to life, health or safety or public health or safety;

when it is necessary to take appropriate action in relation to suspected unlawful activity or serious misconduct;

to assist in locating a missing person;

to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim;

for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process;

or when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information.

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing mental health services or as otherwise described in this policy, this practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.

Mel Campbell Therapy will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.

Mel Campbell Therapy will not use your personal information for marketing directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying me in writing.

Mel Campbell Therapy may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services I offer to my clients through research and analysis of client data.

Mel Campbell Therapy stores all personal information securely. Your personal information may be stored in various forms, including paper records stored in a secured environment and electronic records stored securely in protected information systems.

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information. Mel Campbell Therapy will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date.

Mel Campbell Therapy takes complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. If you have any concerns about privacy, please contact Mel Campbell by email at mel@melcampbelltherapy.com or in writing at 155 Mount Barker Rd Stirling SA 5152.

You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

This policy is reviewed regularly, with the most recent review being October 2024.