PRIVACY POLICY
Form psychology is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our clients and psychologists and takes the protection of personal and health information very seriously.
This policy outlines our approach to managing personal and health information, collected as part of provision of a service, enquiry about provision of service, or in accessing our website. Form Psychology complies with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), and the Health Privacy Principles under the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), when handling personal information.
About this policy:
This Privacy Policy applies to all personal and health information collected by Form Psychology.
This policy applies to:
Current and former clients
Prospective clients who enquire about services
Referrers, GPs, and other health professionals who contact the practice
Visitors to our website
By engaging with our services, you consent to the collection, use, storage, and disclosure of your personal and health information as described in this policy.
This policy is publicly available and will be provided to you upon request. It is reviewed at least every two years or whenever there is a significant change to our information-handling practices.
Personal Information we collect:
We collect personal and health information that is necessary to provide psychological services, this may include your name, contact details, date of birth, Medicare and health insurance details, GP information, and clinical information such as session notes, mental health history, and treatment plans.
This information is used to provide and coordinate your care, process Medicare and insurance claims, meet our legal and professional obligations, and communicate with you about appointments and services.
Where you contact us via our website, we collect the details you submit solely to respond to your enquiry. Our website may use basic analytics tools; this data not linked to your clinical records.
Who holds your information:
Two parties handle your information:
Clinical records (session notes, assessments, treatment plans, letters, and reports). Responsibility of: your treating psychologist. Platform stored: Zanda Health.
Administrative and billing records (appointments, invoices, medicare claims, contact details), Responsibility of: your treating psychologist & WellSpace Psychology (who provided administrative support to Form Psychology). Platform stored: Zanda Health.
Session transcriptions and AI summaries (where consent is given). Responsibility of: your treating psychologist. Platform: NovoNote (NovoPsych)
All platforms are Australian-based, encrypted, and compliant with the Australian Privacy Principles. Telehealth sessions are conducted via Microsoft Teams. Sessions are not recorded.
Where consent has been given, NovoNote transcribes sessions in real time to assist with clinical notetaking. Transcriptions are automatically deleted within 24 hours and no audio is stored. All identifying details are redacted before summaries are generated. The co-working space does not have access to NovoNote.
Who we may share your information with:
We only share your information where necessary and appropriate:
Your GP or other treating health professionals, to coordinate your care (with your consent).
Medicare Australia or your private health insurer, to process claims on your behalf.
A clinical supervisor or a fellow psychologist, on a de-identified basis, as part of professional practice.
There are circumstances where we are legally required to share information without your consent, including:
If we have reasonable grounds to believe a child is at risk of harm or neglect.
If there is a serious and imminent risk of harm to you or another person.
If your records are subpoenaed by a court.
How we protect your information:
Your records are stored securely in Zanda Health, an Australian platform using bank-grade encryption and Australian-based servers. Clinical records are retained for a minimum of 7 years (or until age 25 for clients seen as minors). After this period, records are permanently destroyed.
Your Rights:
You have the right to:
Access the personal and health information we hold about you.
Request corrections to any information that is inaccurate or out of date.
Withdraw consent to the use of NovoNote at any time, without affecting your care.
Make a complaint about how your information has been handled.
Complaints and Contact:
If you have a concern about how your information has been handled, please contact us in the first instance at: info@formpsychology.com.au
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): oaic.gov.au | 1300 363 992
Health Complaints Commissioner Victoria: hcc.vic.gov.au | 1300 582 113
AHPRA / Psychology Board of Australia: ahpra.gov.au | 1300 419 495