CLINIC POLICY AND INFORMATION

ABOUT THE CLINIC:

Petals Perinatal Psychology is a clinic dedicated to assisting women who are experiencing distress in the perinatal period: conception through to approximately one-year postpartum. We provide access to focused psychological services. The treatment is aimed at addressing, but is not limited to:

Perinatal stress, anxiety or depression
Pregnancy or Birth trauma
Managing an unplanned pregnancy
Termination / adoption decisions
Infant attachment difficulties
Parenting with a mental health diagnosis
IVF-journey / multiple births
Perinatal grief & loss
Perinatal relationships / adjustment

WHAT TO EXPECT:

An initial interview will be conducted to assess your intake form, collect your medical and mental health history, gather current information, and identify areas of concern. During intake, psychological assessments are used to determine current levels of distress, such as the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS), or other relevant psychological instruments. Following this collection of information, a discussion will be held between you and your Therapist, which may include the appropriateness of referral and type of therapy that may be used during sessions. Communication and reports with third parties, such as your General Practitioner, Psychiatrist, Obstetrician, Midwife, or Child Health Nurse, are required for clinical collaboration and appropriate treatment. This clinic utilises an encrypted medical software program called Halaxy, where your records will be stored and shared with relevant practitioners. Your Therapist may also utilise AI notetaking within this platform to record accurate information and data during sessions. Multiple relationships are discouraged by the Psychology Board of Australia's Code of Conduct, as such, your Therapist will not be able to enter into a personal relationship or link-in with you through social media. This is to protect the therapeutic relationship. Initial information and consent is conducted during initial intake, however this will be re-addressed at the beginning of each calendar year and is an ongoing, dynamic process throughout your treatment journey.

YOUR RIGHTS:

You have the right to informed consent and the ongoing right to fully withdraw consent or cease therapy at any time and to be referred to another Practitioner should you make this request.
You have the right be treated with dignity, honesty, and respect, regardless of age, sex, gender, identity, race, religion, social status, economic status, or other relevant characteristics.
You have the right to access clear and effective communication, please advise if you do not understand information or a conversation during consultation.
You have the right to use interpreters for support if English is not your first language.
You have the right to strict confidentiality under the Commonwealth Government 1988 Privacy Act.
Your information will only be shared with third parties if necessary for collaborative therapeutic purposes and only with your prior written or verbal consent.
If you feel uncomfortable with any question or direction given during therapy, you have every right not to answer or comply.
You have the ongoing right to request to view, correct and have a copy of your therapy notes at any time (additional cost will be incurred for administrative time).
Your personal information will be handled in accordance with this Act and securely stored on the Halaxy Software or on appropriate, encrypted, and password-protected software for a period of 7 years.
You may choose to opt out of AI notetaking if you are not comfortable with this method of record-keeping.

THERAPIST RIGHTS:

It is expected that you will attend arranged sessions in a timely manner, unless extenuating circumstances arise and you have notified your Therapist in advance.
Your Therapist has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
It is expected that when attending sessions, you are not under the influence of alcohol, illicit drugs or medications not prescribed by your GP.
Violence or aggression will not be tolerated at any time.
Crying and sobbing is perfectly normal and to be expected - tissues will always be available and a hug if needed and requested by you!

LIMITS TO CONFIDENTIALITY:

Confidentiality is taken very seriously at this service, and personal information will be protected. Your personal information and therapy content are treated with respect and managed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, and relevant Queensland legislation. There are, however, some circumstances in which your Therapist is obligated by law to disclose certain information shared during sessions. The limits of confidentiality are outlined below:

If at any time your Therapist believes you may be in SERIOUS AND IMMINENT DANGER of harming yourself or identifiable others, that can be averted ONLY by disclosing information to relevant authorities.
If at any time your Therapist believes a VULNERABLE PERSON such as a child, elderly or disabled person, is being physically, psychologically, emotionally, or sexually abused, in accordance with relevant mandatory reporting obligations under Queensland Law.
When completing mandatory reporting to your referring doctor, as required by Medicare.
Your Therapist may need to consult with colleagues, supervisors, or other third parties about your case if an ethical dilemma or concerns regarding treatment arises. Under these circumstances, your identity will always be protected during collaboration, unless you provide prior written or verbal consent to fully disclose.
If a court lawfully subpoenas your records. In this case, documents are provided to the court (not directly to other parties). Where possible, your Therapist will seek to limit disclosure only to what is relevant to the case and protect your privacy, particularly in the case of sexual assault and sexual violence disclosures under the protection of the Sexual Assault Counselling Privilege within Division 2A of the Evidence Act 1977.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TELEHEALTH:

Background and Services - Telehealth

Medicare began offering Telehealth Bulk Billing Psychological Services as a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It has now been classified as a permanent option for psychological health access; however, there are challenges and limitations for this service, which you should be aware of before choosing this as a therapeutic delivery option.

How to use this service

Telehealth services involve using interactive cloud-based systems that facilitate the sharing of audio, video, or other data online (outside of the clinical space). There are several options to engage in Telehealth. Video is preferred; however, you can choose to engage in your session via telephone. This clinic prefers to use Halaxy Medical Conferencing for security purposes; however, you have the right to choose alternative methods. Please note that it is your responsibility to check that you are satisfied with their privacy statements on security protocols and encryption methods to ensure you are satisfied with the safety of online services provided.

Privacy, Safety & Confidentiality

As outlined in the consent form, your information will be treated with respect and confidentiality. Sessions will not be recorded, nor information shared from online sessions without your consent (unless due to safety reasons outlined in confidentiality). If you choose the Telehealth option, an email will be sent to you with an invitation just prior to your session, allowing you to automatically sign in to the Halaxy Medical Conferencing meeting room. As with in-person sessions, these meetings are conducted in a private setting. It is recommended that you also find a private space where you feel comfortable. It is essential that you take steps to protect the verbal sharing of your information. If you are unable to find a private location at your scheduled time, please notify us at least 24 hours prior to your session to reschedule your appointment. Your privacy is important, and we respect your decision to reschedule.

Distractions

Please treat this appointment like face-to-face sessions to ensure you get the most out of treatment by minimising distractions. This may include asking others to care for children (if possible), refraining from playing games or browsing the internet (unless part of your treatment), working, sending messages, or engaging in other activities such as household chores.

Data Transfer & Usage

Please ensure you have sufficient data to participate in the conference video calls and understand that the cost of data usage falls to you. All reasonable efforts will be made to provide a reliable connection; however, as the internet can be unreliable at times, it may not be possible to ensure this, and no responsibility can be taken for any disruption to sessions due to poor internet connection.

Connecting via Telehealth

A phone call or text message will be used to notify you of the link availability. If it is your first time using video conferencing, we will make every effort to assist you in connecting. Three attempts to connect will be made. However, if you are unable to connect to video after three attempts, you may then choose to engage in an audio-only session via telephone or reschedule / cancel your appointment without charge.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HALAXY AI SCRIBE:

Halaxy AI Scribe

The Halaxy AI Scribe transcribes sessions in real time, which generates secure notes and documents to reduce administrative time and increases focus on patient care.

Privacy, Safety & Confidentiality

Halaxy AI Scribe does not store any audio recordings, and your data is not used to train the program. The feature streams audio in real time for live transcription and does not save the recording anywhere. Only the final transcription and generated summary are securely stored in your Therapist’s notes, similar to writing notes on a tablet or desktop computer. All information remains private, encrypted, and accessible only to your Therapist. Halaxy adheres to strict privacy and security standards to ensure your data is safe at all times (see https://www.halaxy.com/privacy/au & https://www.halaxy.com/article/security for more information)

COST AND FEES:

All sessions last between 50 and 60 minutes. Medicare rebates are available with a GP referral and an appropriate mental health care plan. If you do not have these and choose a Private Health option, rebates may be available, depending on your personal policy and level of insurance coverage. Encrypted software on the Halaxy Platform is used to securely store your payment information and process automatic payments, as well as approved Medicare rebates.

$200.00 - Standard Consultation (Medicare rebate $98.95, $101.05 out of pocket; or Private Health rebate if applicable).

$150.00 - Financial Assist/Reduced Fee if experiencing financial hardship (Medicare rebate $98.95, $51.05 out of pocket; or Private Health rebate if applicable).

Please be advised that a $50 failure-to-cancel fee applies. If you are unable to make an appointment or do not wish to continue with therapy, we respectfully request that you notify us at least 24 hours in advance. Charges may be waived at the Therapist’s discretion if due to unavoidable circumstances, i.e. labour, sleep deprivation, hospitalisation, etc.

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

This clinic is dedicated to creating a safe environment for pregnant women and vulnerable infants. We offer hand sanitiser and use antibacterial sprays to provide a clean and hygienic environment. If you are unwell on the day of your appointment, please notify us by calling to request a Telehealth session or to reschedule your appointment. We appreciate your consideration in this matter.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES:

Should something happen to your Therapist and they are not contactable for any reason, without prior warning, please contact any other therapist number provided on the Petals Perinatal Psychology webpage and they will assist with your inquiry.

COMPLAINTS PROCESS:

If at any time you are unhappy with the service you receive, please ensure you communicate these issues with your Therapist in an open, honest and respectful manner. If you do not feel this successfully resolves the issue, then complaints can be forwarded directly to the Psychological Registration Board at AHPRA on 1300 419 494 or www.ahpra.gov.au.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

This practice acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land in which we work and pay respect to their elders, culture and community.

PLEASE ADVISE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT DETAILS PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT!