Nature and purpose of treatment

The counselling service provided by Wyndham City Council Youth Services is available to young people, family members and community members that have a connection to Wyndham, under certain conditions.

If needed, your counsellor will assist you in making a referral to other support services after finishing or not wanting to continue with our service. You can choose to stop counselling at any stage throughout the counselling process.

Purpose of collecting and holding information

As part of providing a counselling service to you, your counsellor will need to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your current situation. This information will be a necessary part of the counselling assessment and treatment that is conducted.

Access to client Information

All personal information gathered by the counsellor during the provision of the counselling service will remain confidential and secure except where:

• Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at an immediate and specified risk; or
• Your prior approval has been obtained to:
  • provide a written report to another professional or agency. eg. a GP or a lawyer; or
  • discuss the material with another person, eg. a family member or support worker;
• Outcomes or actions from which young people need protection including:
  • neglect.
  • physical abuse.
  • sexual abuse.
  • emotional maltreatment.
  • exposure to family violence.
• Disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.

Cancellation policy

If for some reason you need to cancel or postpone the appointment, please contact your counsellor to inform them you are unable to attend the appointment.

Closure:

Your file may be closed with us for one or more of the following reasons:

• You have reached your ten sessions and/or treatment goals.
• You have missed three or more booked sessions without explanation.
• You have missed three or more attempts at contact (e.g. phone call, text message, email) and not returned contact to your counsellor.
• In discussion with you, your counsellor has decided to refer you to another agency.

You will be welcome to refer for counselling again when you are better able to attend appointments, if you choose to.

Privacy Collection, Use and Disclosure Statement

Your personal, sensitive and health information is being collected by Council for the purposes of providing  Youth & Family Counselling Services and meeting statutory obligations under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005.

Your information will be stored in Council’s Youth Counselling Database and used as stated in this Counselling Consent Form and to identify you when communicating with Council for the delivery of services and information.  For further information on how your personal; sensitive and health information will be handled, please refer to  Council’s Privacy Policy at www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/privacy-policy

Consent, Acknowledgments and Arrangements

1. I consent to  or consent to my child taking part in this service.
2. I acknowledge and agree that I or my child’s  attendance at the program is at their own risk and  agree to indemnify Council, its Councillors, Staff, Volunteers, Contractors and agents from and against any claims, losses, demands, damages, penalties and costs (including legal costs) arising from my or my child’s  attendance at this program.
3. I agree to notify Council in writing of any changes to the information I have provided in this form or my or my child’s ability to participate in the program as soon as is practicable.
4. I agree that the emergency contact has been notified and has consented to their personal information being provided.
5. Where I provided parental/guardian consent, I confirm that I am the parent or legal guardian of the participant mentioned.