Privacy policy.

Sage Psychological Services is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal and health information. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and store it, and the rights you have in relation to it.

As a private health service provider, Sage Psychological Services is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, regardless of the size of the practice. Health information is classified as sensitive information under that Act and is afforded a higher level of protection than ordinary personal information. Jacob Jones is also bound by the confidentiality obligations of the Psychology Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

We collect only the information reasonably necessary to provide safe, effective psychological care. This may include:

• Your name, date of birth, contact details, and emergency contact
• Your Medicare number, private health fund details, or third-party funding reference where relevant
• Your GP's details and any referral or Mental Health Care Plan documentation
• Relevant medical and mental health history, including current medications
• Clinical notes recorded during and after sessions
• Correspondence between you and the practice
• Appointment and billing records

Information is collected directly from you wherever possible. In some circumstances, and generally with your consent, we may receive information from your GP, a referring practitioner, or a third-party funder such as the NDIS, DVA, or an insurer.

Your information is used to provide psychological services to you, to maintain accurate clinical records as required by professional standards, to process billing and Medicare or third-party claims, and to communicate with you about appointments. Where you have been referred under a Mental Health Care Plan, Medicare requires that a brief progress letter be provided to your referring GP. These letters summarise progress and treatment direction rather than the detail of session content.

We do not use your personal or health information for marketing purposes, and we do not sell or trade it under any circumstances.

What you discuss in session is confidential. Your information will not be disclosed to any third party without your consent, except in the limited circumstances permitted or required by law:

• Where there is a serious and imminent risk to your life, health, or safety, or to that of another person
• Where disclosure is required by law, including a court subpoena or a lawful order
• Where there is a legal obligation to report, including mandatory reporting requirements
• Where information is provided to your referring GP as part of a Mental Health Care Plan, as described above
• Where you have provided express consent for information to be shared with a nominated person or organisation

Jacob will explain these exceptions to you at your first session so that you understand them clearly before therapy begins.

Clinical records are held securely in an encrypted practice management system with access restricted to authorised users. Any physical records are stored in locked facilities. Digital information is protected by password controls and secure backup procedures.

In line with professional and legal requirements, adult clinical records are retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of last contact. Once records are no longer required to be retained, they are securely destroyed or de-identified.

Telehealth sessions are conducted over a secure, encrypted platform and are not recorded.

When you visit this website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including your IP address, browser type, device information, the pages you view, and how you arrived at the site. We use this information to understand how the site is used and to improve it.

This site uses cookies and similar technologies, including analytics and advertising tools provided by third parties such as Google and Meta. These may be used to measure website performance and to show relevant information to people who have visited the site. This tracking is not linked to your clinical records, and no health information is ever shared with advertising platforms. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, though some parts of the site may not function as intended if you do.

If you submit an enquiry form, the information you provide is used solely to respond to your enquiry.

You have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you, and to request that it be corrected if it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. Requests should be made in writing to the practice. We will respond within a reasonable period, usually within 30 days.

In limited circumstances, access may be refused where providing it would pose a serious threat to the life, health, or safety of any person, or where it would unreasonably affect the privacy of others. If access is refused, we will explain why and discuss alternatives with you, such as providing a summary or releasing records to another health practitioner.

If you have a question about this policy, or a concern about how your information has been handled, please contact the practice in the first instance so we can address it directly.

Sage Psychological Services, 7B Silas Street, East Fremantle WA 6158. Phone 0480 425 776.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.

This policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The current version is always available on this page, with the date of the most recent update shown at the top.