Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 2025

At Vaughan Psychologists, we are committed to safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of our clients. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information in accordance with the standards set by the College of Psychologists of Ontario and applicable privacy laws, including the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

1. Collection of Personal Information

We collect personal information when you seek services from our clinic, including but not limited to:

  • Personal Identification Information (e.g., name, contact details, date of birth)
  • Health Information (e.g., medical history, psychological assessments, treatment plans)
  • Demographic Information (e.g., gender, age, occupation)
  • Payment Information (e.g., credit card details, insurance information, billing records)

This information is collected directly from you or through interactions with your healthcare providers, caregivers, or legal representatives when appropriate.

2. Use of Personal Information

  • We use the collected personal information for the following purposes:
  • Providing psychological services, including assessments and therapy
  • Developing treatment plans and strategies
  • Communicating with you regarding your appointments, services, and billing
  • Complying with legal and regulatory requirements set by the College of Psychologists of Ontario and other governing bodies
  • Keeping your treatment records accurate and up to date
  • Billing and payment processing, including insurance claims
  • Research purposes, where applicable and with your explicit consent

3. Confidentiality and Security

At Vaughan Psychologists, confidentiality is fundamental to the trust between our psychologists and clients. All personal health information is treated as confidential and is protected in compliance with PHIPA. Our staff and practitioners are trained on maintaining privacy standards.
We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. This includes physical, technical, and administrative safeguards.

4. Sharing of Personal Information

Your personal health information may be shared under the following circumstances:

  • With Your Consent: We will share your information with other healthcare providers or professionals involved in your care, but only with your written consent.
  • Legal and Regulatory Obligations: We may be required to disclose information without your consent to comply with legal requirements, such as court orders or to report situations of risk (e.g., harm to self or others).
  • College of Psychologists of Ontario: We are required to maintain records of your care, and the College may access these records during their regulatory functions, including ensuring professional conduct.

We will never sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties.

5. Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal health information for the period required by law or the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Typically, treatment records are kept for a minimum of 10 years after the last treatment or service provided. If you have any questions about our retention policies, please contact us.

5. Retention of Personal Information

As a client, you have the right to:

  • Access your personal health information
  • Request corrections to your personal health information
  • Withdraw consent to the collection or sharing of your information (with certain legal limitations)
  • Request that your information be deleted, subject to applicable laws and professional obligations

To request access to or correction of your information, please contact our Privacy Officer Dr. Kim Arbus at admin@vaughanpsychologists.ca.

7. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website may collect information through cookies or other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience. This may include data like your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. We do not collect personal health information through our website unless explicitly provided by you (e.g., through contact forms).

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

8. Updates to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on our website with the revised effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your privacy.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our practices, please contact us:

Privacy Officer

Dr. Kim Arbus
Vaughan Psychologists
9983 Keele Street, Suite 105
Phone: 4168018889
Email: admin@vaughanpsychologists.ca

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