Application

The following terms and conditions apply to all patients that agree to use our services. If possible, we will obtain your written consent to these terms and conditions.

Your Participation

Your participation in this process is voluntary. No one from AWP will proceed without your consent. You have the right to stop participating at any time. If there are active court orders or ongoing proceedings, there may be legal or other consequences for your non-participation, and it would generally be in your best interest to consult with your legal representative prior to doing so.

Registration and affiliations

All of our clinicians are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (‘AHPRA’) as a psychologist, and it is a requirement that all psychologists follow strict guidelines for professional conduct that is in line with the Psychology Board of Australia (‘PBA’) and the Australian Psychological Society (‘APS’) Code of Ethics. 

Confidentiality in Psychological assessment

Information gathered as part of a psychological assessment is strictly confidential. With your informed consent, a report containing the information gained during the assessment will be shared with your referrer. After the report is completed, you may be offered a copy of the report and an opportunity to meet with the assessor to review the report.

Confidentiality in Psychological therapy

Information gathered as part of psychological therapy is strictly confidential. With your informed consent, a report containing the information gained during our engagement, progress attained, and any future recommendations may be shared with the referrer.

Clinical Supervision

All psychologists require clinical supervision as part of their ongoing professional development and registration with AHPRA. From time to time, your case may be discussed in supervision in a de-identified format. All psychologists involved in supervision are bound by our Code of Ethics, especially in relation to confidentiality and privacy.

Exceptions to Confidentiality

We must breach confidentiality in any of the following circumstances:

• you say that you will hurt yourself or others;

• you say things about children being hurt or neglected;

• you provide details of serious indictable offences for which you have not been charged; and/or

• if we or our documents are subpoenaed by a Court or Tribunal.

If a report is produced for court, tribunal, or other legal proceedings and your legal representative tenders it to the court or tribunal, you understand that it will not be confidential. You also understand that if a report is ordered directly by a court or tribunal that all information gathered as part of this psychological service will not be confidential.

Privacy

Your personal information is gathered from you and such other persons for whom you have provided consent for us to produce a report. This personal information is health information for the purpose of the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). You have a right of access to your health information held by us and the right to request any amendments to ensure its accuracy. We maintain the right not to change our psychological opinion formed from our engagement. Your records will be kept according to the APS recordkeeping guidelines. You may access the information in your file on request, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). You may wish to review our privacy policy.

Your personal and health information will be stored in a secure cloud-based storage system, Cliniko. Psychologists are required to keep your file for a minimum of 7 years or, if clients are under the age of 18 at the time of treatment, until they are 25 years of age.

Fees

Our fees are negotiated before your engagement with us. It is your responsibility to pay our fees upfront as agreed. If you are eligible for Medicare rebates, you understand that you are required to pay the full amount and may be responsible for claiming the rebate directly from Medicare. Some health insurance policies cover psychology services. It is your responsibility to check with your insurance company about your policy’s coverage.

Cancellation Policy for Psychological Assessment

AWP expects you (or someone on your behalf) to give us reasonable notice that services are no longer required or that you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment. If 48 hours’ notice is not provided or you fail to attend a scheduled service, this may result in you being charged $1,000.00+GST for the missed appointment.

Should you or your representative provide us with notice that the assessment report is no longer required after our appointment(s), the fee payable will be determined by the time spent on your matter up until the date of your notice, which will not exceed the agreed price of the service. Our hourly rate for assessments is $600.00+GST.

Cancellation Policy for Psychological Therapy

AWP expects you (or someone on your behalf) to give us reasonable notice that services are no longer required or that you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment. If notice is not provided or you fail to attend a scheduled service, this may result in you being charged 100% of the applicable fee for the booked service.

Please note, where you attend only part of the scheduled service, without providing advance notice, payment for the entire scheduled service may be charged. This fee will not exceed the agreed price of the service. AWP will exercise discretion in determining fees.

In circumstances where you do not attend a scheduled service or provide advance notice to AWP to cancel the appointment (referred to as “no show”), AWP will make every effort to contact you to determine if there is a problem and see if we can assist. If you are simply running late, AWP may need to reschedule the appointment if it means another patient would be impacted by that delay.

Fees for cancelling or missing appointments may be charged as follows:

• Reasonable notice of more than 48 hours = No fee. Service will be rescheduled.

• Less than 48 hours = 50% of applicable fee for the booked service.

• Less than 24 hours = 100% of applicable fee for the booked service.

• No notice (No Show) = 100% of applicable fee for the booked service.

Credit Card Authorisation

You authorise us to collect and store your credit card details on our online billing system (i.e., Tyro Health), and to charge your credit card for each psychological therapy session and any other services requested by you or your representative. If your credit card details change, you must advise us as soon as practicable so long as you are still an active patient of AWP.

Expiry of Consent

Your consent will expire one (1) year after your last date of contact with us.

Permission to Consult / Release of Information

Without your consent, information gathered as part of providing this psychological service is confidential. In order to provide a written report or to discuss your case with relevant people (e.g., your referrer, your legal representative, a specialist, an institution, or a support person), your written consent is required. There may be times where, as part of the assessment or therapy, it may be helpful for us to speak with other people or agencies that are relevant to your case (e.g., your referrer, a specialist, or support person). In these instances, we require your written consent to contact these people.