YOUR RIGHTS
Qualified psychologists are committed to providing quality care and treatment for clients. Promoting the rights and responsibilities of clients is an important part of this commitment.
A client of Collins Place Psychology and Hypnotherapy is a person (child, adolescent, or adult) receiving the service.
The Australian Psychological Society and the Psychologists Registration Board of Victoria has a code of practice (based on legislation) which sets out clients' rights and responsibilities.
As a client of these services you have the right to:
- be treated with dignity and respect regardless of cultural background or other personal beliefs;
- receive a competent and professional service
- be involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of your treatment (including clarification of your treatment goals and the number of session required);
- be given clear explanations of the treatment and\or tests being recommended, (including any risks and alternative options);
- receive a clear explanation of all costs involved
- refuse treatment (unless subject to mental health legislation);
- the information you give to any therapist to be treated in the strictest confidence and to only be shared with those who are directly involved in your primary care. In circumstances where, in the opinion of your therapist, there is an issue of concern about the safety of yourself or another person, the therapist has a legal duty to follow Department of Human Services regulations by making a notification of the concern to the appropriate authorities.
- request the services of an advocate or interpreter at any stage during treatment if, for example, you have difficulty hearing or if English is not your first language
- give your consent for release of any information from the case file to another person or agency. Wherever possible your wishes will be respected. In rare and specific circumstances, should the file be subpoenaed to appear in court, the therapist is obliged to make contents of the file available to the court;
- request a second opinion from another therapist;
- receive a service without sexual harassment, exploitation or coercion
- make a complaint about the type of service you are receiving, either to the service or to an external complaints body
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
As a client of Collins Place Psychology and Hypnotherapy, and as far as you are able, it is your responsibility to:
- inform your therapist about your relevant medical history;
- ask for a clear explanation of the treatment and\or tests being recommended;
- become involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of your treatment;
- ask about the consequences or alternatives for you should you refuse the recommended treatment;
- make every effort to attend appointments arranged;
- let the service know if you are unable to keep your appointment (a cancellation fee is charged with less than 1 full working days notice);
- inform the service of any difficulties with the treatment being proposed because of religious, cultural, language, ethnicity, gender or other factors;
- respect the rights, property and privacy of other clients;
WORKCOVER/TAC/VOCAT
Psychologists at Collins Place Psychology and Hypnotherapy are registered to provide services to patients with claims through the Victorian Workcover Authority,
the Transport Accident Commission in Victoria, and the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal. In most cases people who have moved to Victoria from other states can also
access our services through the equivalent authorities in their previous home states. To make an appointment for a consultation contact our reception staff.
If you are unsure whether your existing claim will cover our services we suggest you contact the relevant authority and discuss the matter with them first.
In most cases a referral from a medical practitioner is also required.
FEEDBACK
We value your feedback about our services. If you are happy with the service let us know. If you have constructive suggestions to make, we would be pleased to hear.
If you were unhappy with any aspect of our service we would also like
to know. The first person to speak to regarding problems with our service is your therapist. If you are uncomfortable speaking to your therapist about the problem you may like to make an anonymous suggestion by sending a letter. Alternatively, contact the Psychologists Registration Board of Victoria to make a formal complaint or enquiry about what is regarded to be appropriate psychological service.
To help us improve our services we invite you to fill out our Feedback Form. This is available as a PDF file which can be downloaded form this website or please ask your therapist for a Form when visiting our practice.
FEEDBACK FORM - PDF
* PDF files can be viewed in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed you can download it directly from Adobe.
Click the link below. This is a free download.
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