If a cancellation occurs with less than 24 hours’ notice, this is considered a late cancellation and you will be charged the full fee of the appointment. This payment is due on the same day of the scheduled appointment.

If the session is not cancelled but you do not show, this is considered a missed appointment and you will be charged the full fee in this case, as well. This payment is due on the same day of the scheduled appointment.

I encourage you to check with your insurance provider, as late cancellations and missed appointments may not be covered as part of your plan.

Exceptions

The policy applies in all cases other than a medical emergency, in which case I will waive the above policy and not expect payment for a missed appointment.

Please note that you can request appointment reminders either by e-mail or text. However, this is simply a courtesy and clients are still expected to keep track of their own appointments.

My commitment to you

In keeping consistent with my own policies, I will also provide at least 24 hours’ notice if I need to cancel our appointment. However, I also am not immune to emergencies and will do my absolute best to notify you as soon as possible should I need to cancel last minute.

All services provided to you are strictly confidential. Information about you or your situation will not be released without your written consent except in the following circumstances:

1) If a client presents a risk of physical harm to themselves or others, I am obligated to notify the appropriate parties.

2) If a child is at risk of harm or neglect, I have a duty to report to Family & Children’s Services.

3) If clinical records are subpoenaed through a court order.

4) Non-identifying information about your case may be shared within the context of clinical supervision or case consultation with other clinical professionals for the purposes of obtaining clinical support or referral. However, in this instance, your personal information would remain anonymous.

Confidentiality in Public

If we see each other in a public setting, I will not initiate conversation or acknowledge that we know each other. This is not meant to ignore you, but to protect your privacy and prevent you from having to explain to someone how we know each other.

Confidentiality and Minors

Children under the age of 12 require parental consent to enter into therapy and parents have the right to access their clinical file. Children age 12 and older have the same rights to confidentiality as any adult. This means that parents do not have the right to access their clinical file and I am prohibited from sharing what your child and I discuss in session. Maintaining this therapeutic relationship is essential for your son or daughter to feel that they can have an open and honest conversation with their counsellor, without fearing that it will come back to a parent.

Sanctuary Counselling and Training has developed policies regarding the collection and use of personal information in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, 2004 (PIPEDA) and Personal Health Information Protection Act 2004 (PHIPA). Sanctuary Counselling and Training collects personal information from clients our for the purpose of providing clinical and educational services. Depending on the services the client is enrolled in the information collected could include:

Information required to maintain a working file according the standards of the social work profession and OCSWSSW regulations including: name, date of birth, address, e-mail address, telephone number and other contact information; names of others who are significant to your situation (doctors, professional supports, family members etc.) and sometimes their contact information. We also collect information relevant to our work together including clinical notes, personal, medical and social history, employment information; signed documents, correspondence, information necessary for billing and scheduling. We utilize personal information in the following ways: providing services or information to clients; responding to questions and comments with respect to our services; contacting clients to evaluate services provided; providing receipts for services; providing information about agency activities.

Information will only be indirectly collected (from family members or professionals), if necessary or according to law when providing services, and is only done with consent or if required by law.

An individual’s express, written consent will be obtained before or at the time of collecting personal information. An individual’s implied consent is assumed for the collection of personal information if an individual verbally requests service before express consent can be obtained (for example: a telephone intake). Once consent is obtained from the individual, Sanctuary Counselling and Training has implied consent to collect or receive supplementary information that is necessary to provide services. A client’s written consent will be obtained before disclosing personal or clinical information to third parties such as insurance companies, other health professionals or social service agencies.

Clinical files will be retained and stored securely for the duration of service, and seven years afterwards as required by law. After this time, they will be shredded and disposed of securely. You have the right to view your clinical file. I will assist you to understand what has been written in your file. If you feel that something that has been written about you is incorrect, you have the right to request that the information be changed. To review your file please submit a request for access in writing to the owner of Sanctuary Counselling and Training.

If an individual has a concern about Sanctuary Counselling and Training’s services, personal information handling practices, a complaint, in writing, may be directed to the owner. Sanctuary Counselling and Training will promptly contact the individual who submitted the complaint and investigate the complaint.

The counsellor has the right to terminate services under the following conditions in accordance with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice :

a) the potential client is unable or unwilling to reimburse the member or the member’s employer for services rendered, wherever such reimbursement is both appropriate and required as a condition of providing service;

b) the potential client has repeatedly, and without adequate explanation, cancelled or changed the interview or meeting time to the extent that the counsellor experiences or believes that financial hardship and/or service disruption will occur

c) the potential client behaves in a threatening or abusive manner such that the counsellor believes that their safety is at risk.

d) complying with the potential client’s request for service would require the counsellor to violate ethical and legal requirements including, but not limited to: the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers Code of Ethics; the Standards of Practice Handbook; the Criminal Code of Canada; the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

e) complying with the potential client’s request would violate the counsellor’s values, beliefs and traditions to the extent that the counsellor would not be able to provide appropriate professional service;

f) the counsellor is aware of extenuating circumstances (e.g. a planned absence from the office, serious health problems, relocation of practice, etc.) that would make compliance with the potential client’s request for service impossible and/or not in the potential client’s best interests

File Closures
In the case of outstanding payment, the client’s file may be closed and services discontinued. This file can be re-opened and services can continue upon receipt of payment. In the case of lack of contact, the client’s file may be closed if there is no response to messages within 30 days. Clients are welcome to reconnect and request services again; however, availability cannot be guaranteed and they may be placed on a waitlist. Files may also be closed due to inconsistent attendance. If cancellations and missed appointments are frequent it may not be the right time to pursue counselling.

Non-Payment of Fees
Payment is due on the day of your appointment. If you miss an appointment or provide late notice of cancellation you will be charged the full session fee. Please note that there will be an additional $42.00 for returned cheques due to insufficient funds. If you do not make payment, a notification will be sent to you requesting payment. If payment is not received within 30 days, interest will be applied. If there are any further issues, legal action will be taken.

If you have any questions about our policies, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this site, please contact us at:

Sanctuary Counselling and Training
www.sanctuarycounsellingandtraining.ca
email: connect@sanctuarycounsellingandtraining.ca

This document was last updated on March 5, 2018