Privacy and Consent 

Children’s Wellness Centre (CWC) abides by the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts and is committed to meeting the privacy standards established by the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) and the Personal Health Information Act (PHIPA).  

 

CWC collects personal information about caregivers and children during intake, assessment and service provision. Some examples of information we may collect include: 

​

• Name, date of birth, address, phone number 

• Personal and family information related to the assessment and service provision 

• Diagnosis and other professionals involved in supporting the child  

• Session notes documenting recommendations & progress 

• Data & graphs regarding the child’s individual goals 

• Service plans, reports and summaries 

 

Confidentiality 

CWC will not disclose to any third party any details regarding the child or caregiver’s personal information or any information that specifically identifies the caregiver or their child UNLESS they have provided written consent to share such information OR there is a legal obligation (e.g., suspicion or observation of child endangerment, requirement from courts or any other legal requirements).  

CWC may request written consent to share information with other professionals and/or to present details of services provided for the reasons of improving the service offerings to other clients with similar needs in the areas of feeding, sleeping or toileting services. All requests will be confirmed through express written consent and will be reviewed with the caregiver prior to the sharing of any information (with the exception of legal obligations outlined above). 

​

Storage & Retention of Client Records 

As per the Behavior Analysis Certification Board, CWC is obligated to retain all documents (e.g., service agreements, data, session notes, service plans, etc.) for a MINIMUM of 7 (seven) years. All documents will be stored in an Ontario’s Personal Health Information Act (PHIPA) approved database OR in a secure, locked location and will only be accessible by parties that the caregiver has provided written consent to view. 

​

Communication 

CWC is committed to timely and efficient communication with caregivers regarding their consultative services. To achieve this, CWC uses many forms of communication such as text messaging, phone calls and email. All documents sent from CWC via e-mail containing identifying and/or confidential information will be password protected. The password will not be shared to any other parties by CWC without written consent. Protected methods of communication will be shared with caregivers upon intake to ensure the safety of personal information. CWC cannot be held responsible for the privacy and confidentiality of any information sent to CWC via unprotected avenues. 

​

Consent for Information Sharing 

CWC is committed to a collaborative approach with any service provider that is currently supporting your child. Your express consent will be required before we release any clinical assessments, reports or disclose any identifying information to any third parties. Consent is valid for up to 6 months or once service with CWC has concluded.  

​

Withdrawing and/or Withholding Consent 

Caregivers can withdraw or withhold consent at any time.  This means that you may ask us not to disclose particular information (such as specific diagnosis) or not to disclose information to a particular person unless we are otherwise permitted or required to do so (as outlined above). 

 

Caregivers can make corrections to their child’s personal health records, ask to see and get a copy of their health record by speaking directly with their Lead Consultant or e-mailing us at services@childrenswellnesscentre.com.  

​

If you have any questions, concerns or would like further information regarding CWC’s privacy policies, please contact: 

 

Megan Smith, Lead Consultant 

Children’s Wellness Centre,  

Kingston Ontario 

343-363-5379 

Msmith@childrenswellnesscentre.com  

 

You may also contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) if you have a complaint about the way your information has been collected, used, or disclosed: 

 

2 Bloor Street East 
Suite 1400 
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8 
Email: info@ipc.on.ca 
Toronto Area:  416-326-3333 
Toll Free:  1-800-387-0073