Privacy Plan
Notice of Health Information Practices
This notice describes how information about your child may be used and disclosed and how you can gain access to this information. Please review it carefully.
Collection of Personal Health Information
We collect personal health information about your child directly from you or from the person acting on your child’s behalf. The personal health information that we collect may include, for example, your child’s date of birth, address, health history and records of visits to One Kids Place. In these instances, electronic and written notes are made which contain a description of the contact, any treatment provided and a plan for future care or treatment. Occasionally, we collect personal health information about your child from other sources if we have obtained your consent to do so or if the law permits.
This personal health information, often referred to as your child’s health or medical record serves as a:
- Basis for planning your child’s care and treatment.
- Means of communication among the team members who contribute to your child’s care.
- Legal document describing the care your child received.
- Source of data for compilation of statistics.
- Source of data for clinical research.
- Source of data for facility planning and in-centre fundraising activities.
- Tool with which we can assess and continually work to improve the care we provide and the outcomes we achieve.
- Source of data to comply with legal and regulatory requirements and other purposes permitted or required under the law.
Understanding what is in your child’s health record and how the information is used helps you:
- Ensure its accuracy.
- Better understand who, what, when, where and why others may access your child’s health record.
- Make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosures to others.
Examples of Disclosure
Treatment – Information obtained by therapists or any other member(s) of your child’s treatment team will be recorded either in the working file or the main health record. This will be used to determine the course of treatment best suited to your child’s needs. As well, reports from other caregivers and facilities are maintained on the health record. All members of the treatment team have access to this information which may be released electronically or in written format.
Frequent Asked Questions
What is personal information?
Personal information includes any factual or subjective information, recorded or not about an identifiable individual. This includes information in any form such as a personal e-mail address, credit card numbers, home addresses and so on. It does not include information normally found on a business card, such as name, title, company, business address, business e-mail address, business telephone or fax number.
Who is responsible for protecting the personal information collected, used and disclosed by One Kids Place?
The Intake Coordinator of One Kids Place is the Privacy Officer for the organization. All employees and members of the Board are responsible for ensuring compliance with this Privacy Policy. At times, One Kids Place staff may be delegated to act on behalf of the Privacy Officer or to take responsibility for occasional collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
How does One Kids Place obtain consent?
The consent to the collection, use or disclosure of the information may be implied or expressed.
- Expressed (written) consent will always be asked in the following circumstances:
- Where the disclosing of the information is to someone who is not a Health Information Custodian (i.e. to an insurer, an employer, WSIB, CAS, lawyer.etc.); and
- Where the disclosing of the information is to someone who is a Health Information Custodian but for the purposes other than providing health care (e.g. a school nurse)
- Implied consent is one that is obtained where one is provided with a notice (either posted in a place where one is likely to see it, directly given to you verbally) and an opportunity to withhold consent is given.
- Limitations and withdrawal of consent may be provided at any time, unless doing so prevents service providers from recording the information that is required by law or under professional standards. Expressed (written) instruction can be given to specify what information should not be used or disclosed.
- Personal information can sometimes be collected, used or disclosed without consent in limited instances that are expressly permitted by PHIPA. For example, some statutes require disclosure of personal information such as the Coroners Act, the Vital Statictics Act, and the Child and Family Services Act.
Why does One Kids Place collect, use or disclose personal information?
For employees:
One Kids Place collects, uses, and discloses personal information about employees in order to administer the employment relationship and although this relationship is not strictly covered by the Privacy Acts, One Kids Place takes the necessary precautions to ensure this information is adequately protected and is only used for the purposes for which it is collected and is only disclosed when necessary to do so.
All information provided to third parties for the purposes of payroll and benefit administration is provided under the agreed contractual terms in order to ensure the privacy of this information and that it will be used only for the intended purposes and not disclosed to any other party.
For Clients:
One Kids Place is committed to providing its clients with the best possible intervention to ensure achievement of their maximum potential. One Kids Place may collect, use and disclose personal information, when applicable, for the following purposes:
- As a basis to plan client care and intervention
- As a communication tool between intervention staff
- Legal documentation regarding client care
- As a source of data for clinical research and statistics
- As a planning tool to facilitate changes
- For fundraising activities
- To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
How can individuals access their personal information held by One Kids Place?
Employees have the right to access their own personal information in the possession and control of One Kids Place. Employees are able to view their personal information, as contained in their individual personnel files, by making a request to the Clinical Services Manager.
Clients have a right to access their own personal information in the possession and control of One Kids Place. Clients are able to request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of their information, amend their health records, obtain an account of disclosures of their health information, or revoke authorization to use or disclose their health information except to the extent that action has already been taken. (subject to legal exceptions)
How much personal information does One Kids Place collect, use or disclose?
One Kids Place collects, uses and discloses personal information only to the extent required to fulfill the purposes stated within this policy.
How long does One Kids Place retain personal information?
One Kids Place retains personal information only for as long as is required to fulfill the purposes stated in this policy, and to meet all requirements by law.
How accurate is the personal information collected, used and disclosed by One Kids Place?
It is the responsibility of the employee and the client to advise One Kids Place of changes to their personal information.
If an employee’s personal information requires amendment, the changes need to be submitted to the Finance Officer.
Clients should notify the appropriate One Kids Place service provider of any changes to their personal information.
How secure is the personal information stored at One Kids Place?
One Kids Place is committed to ensuring that personal information is protected from unauthorized access, unintended disclosure or theft. This protection is provided by firewalls in the computer system, passwords to protect databases, signed confidentiality agreements, locking file cabinets and restricted access to offices. Only authorized personnel have access to this information.
How can individuals relay their concerns about their personal information held by One Kids Place?
If individuals have a complaint related to the One Kids Place Privacy Policy, they may contact the Privacy Officer in writing. If the Privacy Officer is unable to resolve the concern, or if there are further complaints, individuals may contact the Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.