Privacy Policy
Willowbridge Community Services, Inc. is committed to safeguarding the personal information entrusted to us by our clients. We manage clients’ personal information in accordance with Ontario’s Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and other applicable laws.
We collect only the personal information that we need for the purposes of providing services to our clients. We inform our clients, before or at the time of collecting personal information, of the purposes for which we are collecting the information.
We collect client personal information directly from our clients or from agencies or individuals that have been authorized by the client to provide us with their personal information.
We disclose client personal information to third parties only with the express consent of the client and only for purposes that have been fully discussed with, and understood by, the client.
We may disclose personal information of clients without consent when required by law, such as when ordered by subpoenas, search or coroner’s warrants, or when required to report suspected child abuse to the Children’s Aid Society or abuse of an adult with a developmental disability to the Police. In situations where there is a significant and imminent risk of harm to self or others by a client, we reserve the right to notify or respond to authorities or persons at risk.
We may release information without the client’s consent as provided in legislation to a Ministry of Community & Social Services or Children and Youth Services employee who is responsible for conducting financial or program audits or study involving the client’s record, or for monitoring a program provided by the agency.
A client may withdraw consent to the use and disclosure of personal information at any time, unless the personal information is necessary for us to fulfil our legal obligations. We will respect your decision, but we may not be able to provide you with services if we do not have the necessary personal information.
Electronic communication of personal health records will be protected using a variety of technical, physical, and administrative safeguards. These safeguards include firewalls, anti-malware scanners, encryption, password protection, restricted access to server rooms, and requesting read receipts. Workers will obtain written or verbal consent from clients prior to communicating via email that is not encrypted.
We shall ensure that this policy is provided to all persons receiving service or support and that it is presented in a language and manner, and with a level of support, that is appropriate to the capacity of the person, and any person acting on their behalf.
Any issues, questions or complaints arising from breaches of this policy should be directed to [email protected].
If a breach of confidentiality occurs at Willowbridge Community Services, the Privacy Manager will personally contact clients whose personal information has been affected. An investigation will be conducted and a review of the circumstances that led to the misuse, release, theft or loss of the personal information will be undertaken.
Feedback Form
At Willowbridge, we take your feedback seriously. If you would like to send us feedback or file complaint, please use this confidential form to contact our Privacy Officer. In your message, let us know the nature of your feedback, the individuals involved, and whether you are sending feedback for yourself or on behalf of someone else. Note that you can also send feedback via email, in-person, by phone or in a written letter.
The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
If we are unable to resolve all of your concerns about your health information, you may contact the IPC, which oversees compliance with Ontario’s health privacy law.
You can make a complaint to the IPC about any decision, action or inaction that you believe does not comply with the law, such as:
– If you are unable to resolve a complaint or concern about how your health information has been handled
– If you are unable to see all of your health information, or want to complain about a delay in responding to your request
– If you feel the health information in your record is incorrect and you have been unable to persuade us to correct the information to your satisfaction, or if we refuse to attach your statement of disagreement to your record, or
– If you disagree with the fee that we charged for you to see or get a copy of your health record
Generally, you must file a complaint within a year of becoming aware of a matter and submit it in writing. You only have six months to make a complaint if it is about an access or correction request. If your complaint cannot be resolved through mediation, the IPC may investigate and make a binding decision to settle the matter.
You can contact the IPC at:
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8
Telephone: 416-326-3333 or 1-800-387-0073
TTY: 416-325-7539