Coastal Sands Counselling & Rehabilitation Services
Supporting recovery, functional improvement, and sustainable participation in work and life.
01 - Overview
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
Coastal Sands Counselling & Rehabilitation Services is committed to protecting the privacy of clients, referrers, and anyone who interacts with our practice. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information.
We comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and the professional obligations of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Code of Ethics. By using our services or website, you agree to this policy.
02 - What We Collect
Information We Collect
We collect only what is necessary to deliver clinical services and manage our practice. This may include:
- Personal details - name, date of birth, address, phone number, and email
- Health information - medical history, presenting concerns, diagnoses, and clinical notes
- Referral & funding details - GP or insurer referral, claim numbers, and funding pathway
- Emergency contact - name and number of a nominated support person
- Correspondence - emails, messages, and documents exchanged in the course of your care
Information is collected directly from you, from referring practitioners, or from insurers and funding bodies where you have authorised this.
03 - How We Use It
How We Use Your Information
Your information is used to:
- Provide, plan, and coordinate your clinical care
- Communicate with your GP, treating team, and funding bodies involved in your care
- Prepare clinical reports required by your funding pathway (e.g. WorkCover, Medicare, private insurer)
- Meet our legal and professional obligations
- Process payments and manage administrative matters
We do not use your personal or health information for marketing purposes.
04 - Disclosure
When We Share Your Information
We will not share your information without your consent, except in the following circumstances:
- With your consent - when you have authorised disclosure to a specific person or organisation
- Coordinated care - when necessary to provide or coordinate your treatment, consistent with your reasonable expectations
- Funding bodies - clinical reports to WorkCover, NIISQ, Medicare, or private insurers as required by your referral arrangement
- Legal obligation - where required by law, court order, or a regulatory authority
- Duty of care - where there is a serious and imminent risk of harm to you or another person
For insurer-funded services, clinical reporting to your funding body is a condition of funded treatment. We will always discuss report content with you before submission.
05 - Storage & Security
How We Protect Your Information
Your records are stored in a secure, Australian hosted clinical management system with restricted access, password protection, and encryption at rest and in transit.
Telehealth sessions are conducted via an encrypted, healthcare grade platform. Sessions are not recorded without your explicit written consent.
Records are retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of last service for adults, or until a minor client turns 25, whichever is later in accordance with Australian legal requirements.
In the event of a data breach posing a risk of serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
06 - Your Rights
Your Privacy Rights
Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:
- Access your personal and health information held by us
- Request corrections if information is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date
- Know how your information is being used and disclosed
- Complain if you believe your privacy has been breached
To request access or a correction, contact us in writing. We will respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au or call 1300 363 992.
07 - Website & Cookies
Website & Cookies
Our website may collect non-identifying information through cookies and analytics tools (such as page visits) to help us improve the site. This does not identify individual users and can be disabled through your browser settings.
Our site may link to third party platforms including our online booking system (Halaxy). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third party services, please review their policies separately.
08 - Contact
Privacy Enquiries & Complaints
For any privacy related enquiry, access request, or complaint, please contact us directly. We take all privacy concerns seriously and will respond promptly.
Practice: Coastal Sands Counselling & Rehabilitation Services
Clinician: Colm Sands, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
ABN: 66 344 613 978
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland