Statement of Information Practices

Beaches Therapy Group believes that the information we receive about our clients deserves to be treated with respect and that privacy must be protected.

We collect your personal health information to provide assessment and therapy services. The information that we collect may include a client’s name, date of birth, address, health history, family history, records of visits to us and the care received during those visits.  We also collect background information with respect to our clients and their family members to the extent that it is relevant to the provision of therapy services. This is considered your personal health information (PHI).

In Ontario, the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) is a health privacy law that governs the manner in which personal health information is collected, used and disclosed within the health sector.

Beaches Therapy Group and all of its employees and agents must follow this law with respect to the handling and safeguarding of your personal health information (PHI).

We are committed to keeping your personal health information private and secure.

Only employees who need to see your personal health information are allowed to access it. We assume you agree (consent) to share your information with therapists and trainees involved in your care. We will ask for your consent before we collect, use or share your information for any reason other than our stated activities or those authorized by PHIPA or law. You have the right to withdraw or change your mind if you have previously given us permission to use or disclose your PHI.

As a client at Beaches Therapy Group, you have the right to know how we collect, use and share your health information, as well as how you can access it.

We may collect, use or share your personal health information for the following reasons:

• to provide direct client care,
• to obtain payment for services,
• to conduct quality improvement activities (such as sending satisfaction surveys),
• for teaching,
• for compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, 
• and as permitted or required by law.

Your PHI is kept in accordance with our retention policies and as required by law. Otherwise it is destroyed, erased, or made anonymous.

You also have the right to:

• see and ask for a copy of your record of personal health information (PHI)
• ask us to make corrections to any inaccuracies or incomplete PHI,
• be told if your PHI is lost, stolen or shared with someone without authorization.

Privacy Rights and Children

PHIPA affords the same privacy rights to children, so long as they are deemed capable to make their own decisions about the collection, use and sharing of their health information. Where there is disagreement between the capable child and a parent, it is the decision of the capable child that prevails.

There are legal exceptions in certain circumstances where we are obligated to share information without client consent. Some of these include, but are not limited to, the suspicion of child abuse or neglect, or where we have reason to suspect harm to a client or others.

At Beaches Therapy Group, we are committed to ensuring our client’s privacy rights are met and that they receive the best care possible.

For more information or to exercise your rights, which are subject to some exceptions, please contact:

Privacy Officer at Beaches Therapy Group, 390 Victoria Park Ave, Toronto, ON M4E 3T2, Phone: 647-484-8622, email: [email protected]

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Any individual may submit a concern or complaint about Beaches Therapy Group’s information practices to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario by contacting:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON M4W 1A8 Phone: 416-326-3333 or 1-800-387-0073, email: [email protected]