Confidentiality Statement:
The Centre for Accessible Learning and Counselling Services (“CALCS”) at Centennial College (“Centennial”) is committed to providing an environment that respects the rights of its students, including the right to privacy. CALCS provides both Accessible Learning Services and Personal Counselling Services at Centennial.
CALCS agrees to keep your information safe and secure. CALCS will collect, use and share your personal information (“PI”) and personal health information (“PHI”) in order to provide you care for your mental health, accessible learning services, and academic and career success. Information is collected, used, maintained, disclosed, and disposed of in accordance with Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.31 (“FIPPA”) and Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, S.O. 2004, c. 3, Sched. A (“PHIPA”).
Personal Counselling – Expressed Consent to Share And Collect Your Personal Health Information:
Should you be accessing CALCS for Personal Counselling, your written or verbal consent must be obtained in order to collect your PHI or to share it with anyone outside of CALCS (including faculty, college staff outside of CALCS, health care providers outside of CALCS, and your parents / family).
Limits to Confidentiality:
There are limits to protecting the privacy of your PHI. PHI and/or PI may be disclosed without your consent in the following situations:
- For the purpose of eliminating or reducing a significant risk of serious bodily harm to a person or group of persons
- For the purpose of contacting a relative, friend or potential substitute decision-maker if you are injured, incapacitated or ill and unable to give consent personally
- When there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a child under the age of 16 is being abused or neglected
- When there are reasonable grounds to suspect sexual abuse by a regulated health professional
- In order to comply with a court order (subpoena, summons or warrant)
Accessible Learning – Implied Consent To Share And Collect Your Personal Information:
Should you be accessing CALCS for Accessible Learning Services, you agree that CALCS may disclose your PI with applicable College Departments, which may include, but are not limited to Academic Faculty and Administrators (e.g., Deans), Success Advisors, Enrolment Services, Student Financial Services, Learning Strategists and the Learning Centre, for the purposes of:
- Confirming that you have accessed Accessible Learning Services
- Discussing, confirming, facilitating, and implementing your accommodation(s) and accessible learning supports and services through an Individual Student Profile (ISP) or otherwise
- For administrative purposes
Students accessing CALCS services from outside of Ontario:
The CALCS team is made up of counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers and psychologists who engage in the protected acts of psychotherapy, social work, and psychology within the province of Ontario. Services provided to Centennial students are offered under the regulations guiding the practice of psychotherapy, social work and psychology in Ontario. Jurisdictions outside of Canada and the province of Ontario regulate the act of psychotherapy, social work and psychology differently. To ensure your safety, and the types of services that can be provided, it is your responsibility to advise CALCS if you are located outside of the province of Ontario, so that appropriate steps can be taken to determine if services can be provided.
By engaging with CALCS services and signing this agreement, students engaging in CALCS services virtually from a location outside of Ontario acknowledge that our services are offered under jurisdiction and regulations of practice of psychotherapy, social work and psychology within the province of Ontario. If students have any concerns about the services they receive, practices engaged in, or privacy, they agree to navigate the appropriate Ontario regulatory bodies to address their concerns, including the CALCS Health Data Custodians, College of Psychologists of Ontario, the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, or the Ontario legal system.
Accessing Your Record and Making Amendments to Your Record:
You may request access to your record, a copy of your record, or that any errors contained in your record be corrected. Requests are to be made in writing to the Director of Equitable Learning, Health and Wellness (CALCS Health Data Custodian contact information is included below). Please allow up to 10 business days for your request to be processed.
Access, Storage and Disposal of Your CALCS Record:
Your record will be securely stored within InputHealth, the Electronic Health Record for CALCS. InputHealth has advanced privacy and security provisions with certified compliance with FIPPA and PHIPA, eHealth Ontario, and OntarioMD privacy standards. You understand and agree that professionals, as well as administrative staff, within CALCS involved in your care will have access to your information and will review that information when relevant to your care.
Your record will be kept for 10 years from the date of your last interaction with CALCS. After this period, your record will be destroyed in a secure manner.