E: wellness.hub@mhfa.org.au
A: G1, 10 Yarra St, South Yarra VIC 3141
W: https://wellnesshub.mhfa.org.au/
Ph: 03 8825 3501
INTRODUCTION
The Mental Health Foundation Australia's (MHFA) Integrated Wellness Hub was established to provide low-cost psychological services to the Australian community. We are primarily a student clinic, and all work is conducted by provisional psychologists/counsellors on short-term clinical placements. While on placement, our clinicians are supervised by fully registered psychologists approved by the Psychology Board of Australia, who provide support, practical advice, and feedback. Moreover, our collaboration with specialist psychiatrists associated with the MHFA contributes significantly to maintaining a safe, ethical, and effective clinic governance, further enhancing the support available to our clients.
PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
Psychological treatment is a highly personal experience, and it is important for the success of treatment that you have confidence in the responsible gathering and retention of your personal information and records.
As part of providing a psychological service to you, your therapist will need to collect and record personal information that is relevant to your current situation. Information is gathered as part of the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of an individual and is managed by your treating clinician and associated supervisors and managers. The information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions and enables MHFA to provide a relevant and informed service.
All personal information collected during the provision of the therapeutic services will remain confidential and secure, except when:
There is legal obligation to disclose information, such as if a court subpoenas the clinician/clinic.
Failure to disclose the information would put you or another person at serious or imminent risk of harm.
Your prior approval has been obtained for the following:
a) Provide a written report to another professional or agency, for example, a general practitioner, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker, or a lawyer; or
b) Having another person, such as a family member or a person from the care team, in the session to discuss any pertinent situation to improve the conduct of treatment; or
c) If the disclosure is required or authorised by law.
Your right to privacy and confidentiality is fundamental. All sessions are confidential, and your information will remain private and secure. Exceptions happen if the client is in danger or putting others in danger.
FUNCTIONING OF THERAPY SESSIONS
At the Wellness Hub, we prioritise the confidentiality and effectiveness of our therapy sessions. To ensure a smooth and secure experience, we utilise Halaxy, a trusted practice management system. You can review the security measures implemented by Halaxy here: https://www.halaxy.com/article/security. Any changes to this system during your therapeutic journey at the Wellness Hub will be communicated to you in advance.
Before commencing therapy at the Wellness Hub, clients should be aware of the following:
Provisional Psychologists/Counsellors must have their practice periodically reviewed by a registered supervisor. As part of this process, sessions may be recorded as a tool to enhance the quality of services provided by our clinicians. This is done with the client's consent, and always in the interest of preserving client-therapist confidentiality. Recordings are not stored as part of the client's file, nor are they retained on any system for an extended period. They are also inaccessible to clients.
Both the clinician and client must be in a private setting with no others present in the room during sessions, unless mutually agreed otherwise. This applies for video/telehealth consultations as well.
Occasionally, unforeseen interruptions like phone calls, pets, or noises may occur during sessions. We ask for patience and understanding from both parties in such instances.
If joining via telehealth, it is the client's responsibility to access our service from a safe, quiet, and private environment. Ensure your device is rested on a flat surface, and there is a stable internet/phone signal connection.