At Fresh Minds, we respect your privacy.

This statement explains how we collect, use, store and share your personal and health information. We understand that health information is private and sensitive. We will treat your information with care, respect and confidentiality.

What information we collect

We collect information we need to provide you with safe and effective support.

This may include:

• Your name, date of birth, contact details and NHI number
• Information about your physical and mental health, including assessments and care plans
• Notes made by your clinician during appointments
• Information about your whānau, home life or social situation, if it is relevant to your care
• Appointment records and billing information

How we collect your information

We usually collect information directly from you when you:

• Register with our service
• Attend appointments or assessments
• Contact us by phone, email or online

Information from other sources

Sometimes we may need to collect information about you from other people or organisations, such as:

• Your GP, hospital, specialist or other healthcare providers
• Services or organisations that referred you to us, or were involved in helping to connect you with our services
• Schools, early childhood centres, community organisations or workplace wellbeing services
• Family or whānau members (when appropriate)
• Government agencies such as Health New Zealand, ACC, Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Social Development
• Non-government organisations (NGOs)

We may do this when:

• It is needed to support your care
• It helps keep you or someone else safe
• You have agreed to it
• It is not practical to collect the information directly from you

If we collect information about you from someone else, we will usually tell you:

• What information we collected
• Why we collected it
• How you can access or correct it

There may be some situations where the law allows us not to tell you.

Why we collect your information

We collect and use your information to:

• Understand your needs and provide support and treatment
• Work with other people involved in your care
• Help keep you safe and ensure continuity of care
• Meet legal, professional and funding requirements
• Provide information required by Primary Health Organisations, Health New Zealand and other agencies
• Improve the quality of our services
• Support clinical supervision and quality assurance processes

We will only use your information for the purpose it was collected, unless the law allows or requires us to use it for another reason.

When we share your information

We may share your information with:

• Healthcare providers involved in your care
• Primary Health Organisations, Health New Zealand and the Ministry of Health
• Specialists, laboratories or other services involved in your care
• Government agencies where required or permitted by law

We may also use information that does not identify you for reporting, planning and service improvement.

Some services are provided by clinicians contracted to Fresh Minds. These clinicians may access the information they need to support you and must follow our privacy and confidentiality requirements.

We only share your information when:

• You have agreed to it
• The law allows or requires it
• It is necessary to prevent or reduce a serious risk to health or safety

Employer-funded services

If your employer or another organisation pays for your support, we do not share details of your sessions or clinical records with them.

We may share information needed for billing or service management, such as:

• Appointment dates
• The number of sessions used

In some circumstances, we may provide a final summary to the referring provider for the purpose of care coordination.

How we keep your information safe

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access or sharing.

We use secure electronic systems to manage appointments, records and service delivery. We also use security measures such as encryption and access controls.

Some information may be stored by trusted cloud service providers in New Zealand and Australia. These providers must meet our privacy and security requirements.

If we need to share information outside New Zealand, we will do so only when allowed by law and will take reasonable steps to keep it protected.

Your right to access and correct your information

You have the right to:

• Ask for a copy of your health information
• Ask us to correct information if you think it is wrong

You do not need to explain why you want to see your information, although we may ask you to confirm your identity.

If we do not make a correction you have requested, you can ask for your views to be added to your record.

How long we keep your information

We keep your information for as long as we need it to meet clinical, legal, funding and reporting requirements.

When it is no longer needed, we securely destroy it.

Unique identifiers

We may use unique identifiers, such as your NHI number, to make sure we identify you correctly and coordinate your care safely.

Questions or complaints

If you have questions, concerns or a complaint about your privacy, please contact us:

Email: communications@freshminds.co.nz

Mail:

Privacy Officer ProCare Fresh Minds / ProCare Health Limited PO Box 105 346 Auckland 1143

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner:

Website: https://www.privacy.org.nz

Changes to this Privacy Statement

We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time. The latest version will be available on our website or can be provided on request.