Law 25, the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector, is a Québec law that establishes rules for the collection, use, disclosure and retention of personal information in the private sector. This Act also applies to psychologists in private practice and complements the code of ethics that every psychologist must respect.

 

Here is some information about the collection, use and protection of personal information.

 

 

Privacy Officer

The only person authorized to access the client’s personal information is Chantal Tougas, psychologist. She is also solely responsible for ensuring compliance with and implementation of the Privacy Act.

 

 

Collection and Use of Personal Information

The psychologist collects personal information necessary to establish a professional record of the client. This includes, but is not limited to, data on identity, contact information, reasons for consultation and a description of professional services rendered. This personal information may be collected through forms, questionnaires and during consultations. The collection is done in accordance with the professional standards issued by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec.

 

 

Disclosure of Personal Information

The disclosure of the client’s personal information to a third party requires the written (or verbal in an emergency) consent of the client. The document authorizing this communication is added to the client’s file. The psychologist will not disclose any information about the client unless the client authorizes it or the law directs it.

 

Examples of sharing personal information with a third party:

• The client authorizes the psychologist to obtain information from the client’s physician or another therapist consulted by the client. In this case, the psychologist reveals that the client is using her services.

• The client asks the psychologist to share personal information about the client with another professional, such as a physician.

 

A psychologist may waive confidentiality and disclose personal information if there are reasonable grounds to believe that an imminent danger of death or serious injury threatens an identifiable individual or group of individuals. However, this information may only be communicated to persons exposed to this danger, to their representative or to persons who can assist them. In addition, the psychologist may only disclose the information necessary for the purpose of the disclosure.

 

 

Use of the Website and Cookies

This website is hosted on the Wix.com platform, which uses cookies. Cookies are small files transmitted by a website to the computer of a user of that site. They are used to store information about interactions with the site, such as pages viewed and language preferences. Some of these cookies are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the website and to ensure the security of the website and its users.

 

Cookies are used by Wix for the following purposes:

• To optimize the user experience on the web page

• To analyze and track the performance, operation and effectiveness of the Wix platform

• To ensure the security of the Wix platform

 

Cookies used by Wix on this web page are temporary and deleted when the session is closed (XSRF-TOKEN, hs, bSession) or are saved on your computer for several months (SvSession).

 

 

Retention and destruction of personal information

The client’s personal data is stored in a password-protected database for a minimum of five years from the last professional service provided. Records may be retained for longer periods of time, for example, to ensure continuity of services in the event that the client returns to consult periodically. Information may also be retained for legitimate purposes in an anonymized form.

 

PDF documents provided by the client and reports prepared by the psychologist are stored in a cloud-based environment that is protected by a password and/or biometric identification. Information provided by the client in paper format is scanned and the original paper document is destroyed.

 

Files containing personal information that are sent to the psychologist by email are uploaded to the cloud-based environment and deleted from the original email.

 

 

Right of access and rectification of personal information

The client may request to obtain a copy of the information in their file and to have inaccurate information corrected. The client must make the request in writing.

 

The psychologist has 30 days from the receipt of a request to respond. The psychologist may temporarily refuse access to information in the file if its disclosure could cause serious harm to the client’s health. In this case, the psychologist informs the client of the reasons for the refusal, records the reasons in the client’s file and informs the client of any next steps.

 

Requests for access or rectification of personal information should be addressed to Chantal Tougas by email at dr.chantal.tougas@gmail.com.

 

 

Confidentiality Incident

A confidentiality incident is

• Unauthorized access, use or disclosure of personal information,

• loss of personal information

• any other breach affecting the protection of personal information

 

Examples of confidentiality incidents include:

• Mistakenly disclosing personal information to the wrong recipient

• Data is compromised by a cyberattack

• A person consults personal information without authorization

 

In the event of a confidentiality incident that would present a risk of serious harm to the persons concerned, the psychologist will take the necessary measures to reduce the risks and avoid new incidents, will notify the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec and the persons concerned (unless such notice is likely to interfere with an investigation conducted under law), and will maintain a record of confidentiality incidents.

 

Any complaint regarding the protection of personal information should be addressed to Chantal Tougas by email at dr.chantal.tougas@gmail.com.