Before we start

We may collect:

• Your name, date of birth, and contact details.
• Emergency contact information.
• Relevant health, wellbeing, or social details to support your care.
• Notes from meetings, sessions, or progress reviews.
• Information from other professionals or organisations (with your consent).

Your information may be used to:

• Deliver and coordinate your supports and services.
• Communicate with you and, with your consent, other service providers or supports.
• Evaluate and improve our programs and service quality.
• Meet our legal, reporting, and funding requirements.

Staff are required to consult and receive professional supervision from colleagues from time to time, including when reviewing your care pathway or support plan. These consultations are conducted respectfully and confidentially, and identifying details are shared only where necessary to support your care and uphold professional standards.

We may need to share anonymous information (information that your name has been removed from) with funders, or health departments which may be used for reporting, statistical and evaluation purposes designed to improve services in Australia. If you do not wish for your de-identified statistical information (data that is not linked to your name) to be sent to the relevant Health Department, please tell our team.

All personal records are encrypted electronic systems or stored securely in locked cabinets. Access is restricted to authorised personnel only.

Your personal information will not be shared with anyone outside Solasta unless:

• You have provided consent via a Consent to Share Information Form;
• We are legally required to disclose information (e.g. subpoena or mandatory reporting);
• There is an immediate or serious risk of harm to you or another person; or
• There are concerns about the safety of a child or vulnerable person.

Where possible, we will discuss any required disclosure with you before occurs.

You have the right to access your personal information and to request corrections if it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. Requests can be made in writing to Solasta.

Please attend scheduled sessions or provide 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule, so that others on our waiting list may have the opportunity to access services.

Staff may use medical scribe software to assist with notetaking; explicit consent will always be obtained from you before this is used.

Sessions are not to be recorded without consent of both the client and clinician and any other parties present.

Solasta offers services via telehealth (video, phone, or online platforms). Telehealth involves some additional risks, including potential interruptions to service, limitations of assessment or observation, and privacy risks associated with electronic communication.

By consenting to telehealth services, you acknowledge and accept these risks. You agree to ensure that sessions are conducted in a private environment where confidentiality can be maintained.

In the event of an emergency during a telehealth session, Solasta staff will follow emergency protocols based on the location provided by you at the time of the session. You agree to provide your current physical location at the start of each telehealth session.

For clients under 16 years of age, consent is generally provided by a parent or legal guardian. As young people mature, they may be assessed as capable of providing their own informed consent.

Where a young person is assessed as having capacity to consent independently, confidentiality will be maintained in accordance with law and professional obligations. Parents/guardians will be informed only:

• With the young person’s consent, or
• Where there is a serious risk to safety, or
• Where disclosure is required by law.

Participating in therapeutic or support services may involve discussing personal or distressing topics and may at times cause emotional discomfort. While many people benefit from these services, outcomes cannot be guaranteed. You acknowledge that improvement is not assured and that therapeutic progress may vary.

Our fees are available on our website: Fees & Funding Options. There is also information available regarding cancellation and late arrivals: Cancellations & Late Arrivals. This information may be updated from time to time, and you will be advised accordingly.

We welcome your feedback at any time about your experience or the services you receive. You are encouraged to tell us if something isn’t working well, or if there’s anything we could do differently.

You can give feedback directly to your worker, another staff member, or through our Feedback process, available via our office or website.

If you are uncomfortable working with a particular staff member, you may request a change of clinician or worker. We will make every effort to accommodate your request respectfully and promptly.

Providing feedback or making a complaint will not affect your access to services.

Solasta maintains professional communication boundaries to protect your privacy and wellbeing. Clinical services are not provided via SMS or email. Communication outside of sessions is limited to administrative or scheduling matters.

Staff do not engage with clients via personal social media accounts and are unable to respond to messages after hours, on weekends, or during leave.

If you are in crisis or require urgent support, you must contact emergency services or a 24-hour crisis line.

SMS is our main method of communicating appointment reminders.

Client experience surveys are sent to all clients and help us to understand what your experience of Solasta was like. Completing the survey is voluntary.

Electronic communication (including SMS and email) carries inherent privacy and security risks. While reasonable precautions are taken, Solasta cannot guarantee the security of electronic transmissions. By consenting to electronic communication, you acknowledge these risks and accept responsibility for your chosen method of communication.