Lazy therapy service agreement
The purpose of this information is to provide information to you about, and to obtain your consent, to engage in mental health services with Lazy Therapy. This form helps to ensure the welfare, satisfaction, and privacy of our clients. If you have any questions about this service agreement, feel free to email: enquiry@lazytherapy.com.au.
Mental Health Service
Lazy Therapy needs to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your situation, such as your name, contact information, medical history and other relevant information as part of providing mental health services to you. This collection of personal information will be a necessary part of the mental health assessment and treatment that is conducted.
The first therapy session will typically involve an evaluation of your needs and treatment goals. As you move through the evaluation, you will be offered some first impressions of what the work will include and a treatment plan to follow. If you have questions about the treatment plan or chosen methodology, you are encouraged to discuss them whenever they arise. You can cease assessment and/or therapy with your clinician at any time. If you feel uncomfortable with what is happening in a session you may request for the session to cease at any time, and this will not disadvantage you in subsequent help-seeking efforts.
Purpose of Collecting and Holding Information
Your personal information is gathered using the online platform, Halaxy, as part of your assessment and treatment, is kept securely and, in the interests of your privacy, used only by your mental health clinician and the authorised personnel of the practice (as necessary). This practice is subject to the Privacy Act 1988 and must comply with obligations related to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, including through telehealth services.
Your personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions and enables your mental health clinician to provide a relevant, ethical, and informed mental health service to you. To meet Australian privacy legislation all data is stored in Australia and with strict adherence to the Australian Privacy Principles.
During the course of your engagement with Lazy Therapy, you may be asked to complete online assessment measures hosted by other third party platforms (e.g. Halaxy, Novopsych, and others). These platforms have been selected as they similarly adhere to Privacy Principles, and you can view their respective data security policies via their websites. All clients retain the right to refuse or withdraw consent to provide personal data using these platforms. Raw data and interpretive scores and reports will be saved within your electronic file on our practice management software.
Lazy Therapy stores personal records electronically in your client file on practice management software Halaxy, which you consent to as a client (or parent/carer/guardian) of this practice. Halaxy has strict data security protocols.
Payments for services can be made via direct deposit (bank transfer), or credit/debit card (via Halaxy). You can view the privacy and data protection policies of Halaxy on-line.
Access to Client Information
As part of providing mental health services, relevant personal information to the current situation will be collected and recorded in Halaxy. Your mental health clinician is required by law to keep your file for a minimum of 7 years after your last contact with Lazy Therapy. If you are under the age of 18 at the time of treatment, the information is mandated to be retained until you are 25 years of age. Personal information pertaining to clients who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander must be kept permanently. You may access the information in your file on request, subject to the exceptions in the National Privacy Principles. In this instance, you will be encouraged to arrange a session with your mental health clinician to discuss the content of your file and any foreseeable risks of releasing this personal information. Fees apply for file preparation and review.
Disclosure of Personal Information
All personal information gathered by the mental health clinician during the provision of the mental health service will remain confidential except when:-it is subpoenaed by a court, or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law; or-failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of the mental health clinician place you or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or-your prior approval has been obtained to:a) provide a written report to another professional or agency. e.g., a GP or a lawyer; orb) discuss the material with another person, eg. a parent, employer, health provider or third-party funder; orc) disclose the information in another way
1. you would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another professional or agency and disclosure is directly related to the primary purpose for which it was collected such as to inform your GP of treatment and progress; or2. consultation with another professional is required to provide better services (identifying details will remain confidential).
If during your work with the Mental Health Clinician, they become aware of risk to someone’s life, health, or wellbeing, your Mental Health Clinician is required by policy of the state and federal governments to report the matter to the appropriate agencies.
Mandatory Reporting
This practice adheres to a mandatory reporting policy and your Mental Health Clinician is required by law to report any disclosures of harm, including but not limited to, child sexual assault, physical abuse, or neglect, to the relevant authorities. Your Mental Health Clinician will notify you if they receive information relating to you that a child under 18 years of age within your care is at risk, and that the Mental Health Clinician must report such information to the state child protection agency / Police.
Supervision
Mental Health Clinicians in Australia are required to engage in continuing professional development, peer consultation, and supervision. At times it may be necessary for your Mental Health Clinician to discuss your presenting issues, case formulation, assessment results, treatment plan, and/or diagnostic report with their supervisor or peers to ensure ongoing quality assurance. Confidentiality is of utmost importance and all de-identifying details are removed before supervision is sought. The supervisor and professional peers are bound by the same confidentiality rules as your Mental Health Clinician. As a client of Lazy Therapy (or parent/carer/guardian), you are consenting to the possibility of your case being reviewed within a supervision capacity.
Abuse/damage to property. We respectfully advise you that any form of disrespectful or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated to any of our staff. Abusive or threatening behaviour (whether in person or via electronic means) will result in services being discontinued.
Evaluation
Assessment information may be utilised for research and service evaluation purposes, but this is only with your consent. All identifying information and names are removed prior to such usage. You have the right to withdraw participation in research at any time, even if you originally gave your consent.
Electronic Consent
We prefer to send all information and communication electronically, preferably by email and text message (SMS). You may remove your consent to receive electronic communication at any time by written notice. Lazy Therapy does not currently have provisions to send hard copy correspondence by mail.
Therapy Fees
The cost of a standard consultation with the Mental Health Clinician at Lazy Therapy is $160.00 (50 minute session). Your card details will be saved in a secure database (Halaxy) and payment will automatically be processed on the day of your session. You may be eligible for a Medicare rebate ($85.20) with an appropriate Mental Health Care Plan and referral, and this can be processed on your behalf. If you have any problems with Medicare sending you the rebate, you will have to follow up with Services Australia for yourself due to confidentiality limitations. Fees are subject to change and are reviewed each January and July. Please note that our software program charges a small 1.8% card fee for all transactions. You may be required to pay up front and organise a reimbursement from your funding body after the session. Lazy Therapy does not bill third parties directly for your consultation.
Any additional correspondence (face-to-face, phone, email) with other professionals, agencies and organisations (at the request of a client) or consultations with the Mental Health Clinician outside of the organised appointment, will be charged at the standard hourly rate per unit of 15 minutes of correspondence/communication. This includes treatment summary reports, letters of support, and/or request for accommodations for workplaces or educational institutions.
Bulk billing using a MHCP is offered at Lazy Therapy under certain financial difficulty circumstances, on a case-by-case scenario.
Cancellation fees for therapy clients are as follows:
More than 24 hours (1 business day) notice – No charge Between 1 and 24 hours notice - $50.00 feeNo show of appointment (DNA) – Full fee cancellation fee ($160.00)
Weekends and public holidays are not counted as business days. Using a secure payment system (via Halaxy), refunds and late cancellation penalties will be automatically processed.
Given the limited availability and wait list for Lazy Therapy, we reserve the right to terminate your agreement and any remaining consultations if you cancel or re-schedule numerous (e.g. 3) appointments and/or are otherwise experiencing significant difficulties engaging with your proposed treatment plan. The outcomes of therapy are often “dose-dependent”, meaning that your Mental Health Clinician will help you to understand the importance of the timing, consistency, and frequency of your sessions to make the most meaningful changes. Please discuss any barriers to attending regular therapy with your Mental Health Clinician as soon as difficulties arise.
Please note that if you arrive late to your therapy session, your session length will be reduced to ensure that the session is still completed in the scheduled time. For example, if you are 10 minutes late, your session will only be 40 minutes maximum. This is to ensure that appointments run to schedule and the following clients are not affected. We reserve the right to cancel the session and record it as a no-show if you are more than 30 minutes late without any communication with your Mental Health Clinician. In this instance, the no-show (DNA) cancellation fee will apply (full fee).
Fees must be paid prior to attending subsequent consultations. We reserve the right to cancel upcoming consultations if you have fees outstanding. We reserve the right to use debt collection services for failure to pay for services, including cancellation fees.
Using our secure payment system, late cancellation penalties will be automatically processed. Your Mental Health Clinician will have reserved this time for you, and it can be difficult to organise a new client to fill the spot with minimal notice. You may then reschedule the appointment. We reserve the right to cancel upcoming consultations.
Emergency
Lazy Therapy is NOT an emergency service. We are not able to respond to urgent or emergency matters and our communication channels. Email is not monitored outside of standard business hours.In case of emergency, please go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital or call 000.
Telehealth Psychology Services
Lazy Therapy offers telehealth sessions delivered via videoconferencing software. Mental Health Clinicians providing telehealth services apply the same ethical and professional standards of care and practice that are required when providing in-person mental health services. To participate in a telehealth service, clients will need to ensure they can log on the platform from a safe, private, comfortable environment. It is important that the person is free from distractions including children and pets. The Mental Health Clinician must have emergency contact details for each client and be aware of the client’s physical location (address) at the time of the session.Potential benefits of telehealth consultations
Telehealth might:
Improve access to servicesReduce your need for travelDecrease exposure to infectious diseasePotential risks of telehealth consultations
Telehealth might:
Be negatively impacted by technical problems, such as delays due to technology failures.Not offer the same visual and sound quality for observations and modellingRequire you to have a support person available to assist
Increased exposure to privacy and digital security risks. To help with this, the practitioner must maintain confidentiality and privacy standards during sessions, and in creating, keeping and transmitting records.
While the practitioner is obligated to meet standards to protect your privacy and security, telecommunication, including videoconference, may increase exposure to hacking and other online risks; as with all online activities, there is no guarantee of complete privacy and security protection. You may decrease the risk by using a secure internet connection, meeting with the practitioner from a private location, and only communicating using secure channels.
Court / Tribunal / Mediation / Advice Policy
Lazy Therapy does not provide any court reports/letters nor any legal advice regarding any legal matters. This includes Family Court matters regarding custody and parenting arrangements. Lazy Therapy does not provide competency assessments, or fitness for work assessments. Lazy Therapy does not provide assessments or reports for medico-legal purposes.
Mental Health Service
Lazy Therapy needs to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your situation, such as your name, contact information, medical history and other relevant information as part of providing mental health services to you. This collection of personal information will be a necessary part of the mental health assessment and treatment that is conducted.
The first therapy session will typically involve an evaluation of your needs and treatment goals. As you move through the evaluation, you will be offered some first impressions of what the work will include and a treatment plan to follow. If you have questions about the treatment plan or chosen methodology, you are encouraged to discuss them whenever they arise. You can cease assessment and/or therapy with your clinician at any time. If you feel uncomfortable with what is happening in a session you may request for the session to cease at any time, and this will not disadvantage you in subsequent help-seeking efforts.
Purpose of Collecting and Holding Information
Your personal information is gathered using the online platform, Halaxy, as part of your assessment and treatment, is kept securely and, in the interests of your privacy, used only by your mental health clinician and the authorised personnel of the practice (as necessary). This practice is subject to the Privacy Act 1988 and must comply with obligations related to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, including through telehealth services.
Your personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions and enables your mental health clinician to provide a relevant, ethical, and informed mental health service to you. To meet Australian privacy legislation all data is stored in Australia and with strict adherence to the Australian Privacy Principles.
During the course of your engagement with Lazy Therapy, you may be asked to complete online assessment measures hosted by other third party platforms (e.g. Halaxy, Novopsych, and others). These platforms have been selected as they similarly adhere to Privacy Principles, and you can view their respective data security policies via their websites. All clients retain the right to refuse or withdraw consent to provide personal data using these platforms. Raw data and interpretive scores and reports will be saved within your electronic file on our practice management software.
Lazy Therapy stores personal records electronically in your client file on practice management software Halaxy, which you consent to as a client (or parent/carer/guardian) of this practice. Halaxy has strict data security protocols.
Payments for services can be made via direct deposit (bank transfer), or credit/debit card (via Halaxy). You can view the privacy and data protection policies of Halaxy on-line.
Access to Client Information
As part of providing mental health services, relevant personal information to the current situation will be collected and recorded in Halaxy. Your mental health clinician is required by law to keep your file for a minimum of 7 years after your last contact with Lazy Therapy. If you are under the age of 18 at the time of treatment, the information is mandated to be retained until you are 25 years of age. Personal information pertaining to clients who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander must be kept permanently. You may access the information in your file on request, subject to the exceptions in the National Privacy Principles. In this instance, you will be encouraged to arrange a session with your mental health clinician to discuss the content of your file and any foreseeable risks of releasing this personal information. Fees apply for file preparation and review.
Disclosure of Personal Information
All personal information gathered by the mental health clinician during the provision of the mental health service will remain confidential except when:-it is subpoenaed by a court, or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law; or-failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of the mental health clinician place you or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or-your prior approval has been obtained to:a) provide a written report to another professional or agency. e.g., a GP or a lawyer; orb) discuss the material with another person, eg. a parent, employer, health provider or third-party funder; orc) disclose the information in another way
1. you would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another professional or agency and disclosure is directly related to the primary purpose for which it was collected such as to inform your GP of treatment and progress; or2. consultation with another professional is required to provide better services (identifying details will remain confidential).
If during your work with the Mental Health Clinician, they become aware of risk to someone’s life, health, or wellbeing, your Mental Health Clinician is required by policy of the state and federal governments to report the matter to the appropriate agencies.
Mandatory Reporting
This practice adheres to a mandatory reporting policy and your Mental Health Clinician is required by law to report any disclosures of harm, including but not limited to, child sexual assault, physical abuse, or neglect, to the relevant authorities. Your Mental Health Clinician will notify you if they receive information relating to you that a child under 18 years of age within your care is at risk, and that the Mental Health Clinician must report such information to the state child protection agency / Police.
Supervision
Mental Health Clinicians in Australia are required to engage in continuing professional development, peer consultation, and supervision. At times it may be necessary for your Mental Health Clinician to discuss your presenting issues, case formulation, assessment results, treatment plan, and/or diagnostic report with their supervisor or peers to ensure ongoing quality assurance. Confidentiality is of utmost importance and all de-identifying details are removed before supervision is sought. The supervisor and professional peers are bound by the same confidentiality rules as your Mental Health Clinician. As a client of Lazy Therapy (or parent/carer/guardian), you are consenting to the possibility of your case being reviewed within a supervision capacity.
Abuse/damage to property. We respectfully advise you that any form of disrespectful or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated to any of our staff. Abusive or threatening behaviour (whether in person or via electronic means) will result in services being discontinued.
Evaluation
Assessment information may be utilised for research and service evaluation purposes, but this is only with your consent. All identifying information and names are removed prior to such usage. You have the right to withdraw participation in research at any time, even if you originally gave your consent.
Electronic Consent
We prefer to send all information and communication electronically, preferably by email and text message (SMS). You may remove your consent to receive electronic communication at any time by written notice. Lazy Therapy does not currently have provisions to send hard copy correspondence by mail.
Therapy Fees
The cost of a standard consultation with the Mental Health Clinician at Lazy Therapy is $160.00 (50 minute session). Your card details will be saved in a secure database (Halaxy) and payment will automatically be processed on the day of your session. You may be eligible for a Medicare rebate ($85.20) with an appropriate Mental Health Care Plan and referral, and this can be processed on your behalf. If you have any problems with Medicare sending you the rebate, you will have to follow up with Services Australia for yourself due to confidentiality limitations. Fees are subject to change and are reviewed each January and July. Please note that our software program charges a small 1.8% card fee for all transactions. You may be required to pay up front and organise a reimbursement from your funding body after the session. Lazy Therapy does not bill third parties directly for your consultation.
Any additional correspondence (face-to-face, phone, email) with other professionals, agencies and organisations (at the request of a client) or consultations with the Mental Health Clinician outside of the organised appointment, will be charged at the standard hourly rate per unit of 15 minutes of correspondence/communication. This includes treatment summary reports, letters of support, and/or request for accommodations for workplaces or educational institutions.
Bulk billing using a MHCP is offered at Lazy Therapy under certain financial difficulty circumstances, on a case-by-case scenario.
Cancellation fees for therapy clients are as follows:
More than 24 hours (1 business day) notice – No charge Between 1 and 24 hours notice - $50.00 feeNo show of appointment (DNA) – Full fee cancellation fee ($160.00)
Weekends and public holidays are not counted as business days. Using a secure payment system (via Halaxy), refunds and late cancellation penalties will be automatically processed.
Given the limited availability and wait list for Lazy Therapy, we reserve the right to terminate your agreement and any remaining consultations if you cancel or re-schedule numerous (e.g. 3) appointments and/or are otherwise experiencing significant difficulties engaging with your proposed treatment plan. The outcomes of therapy are often “dose-dependent”, meaning that your Mental Health Clinician will help you to understand the importance of the timing, consistency, and frequency of your sessions to make the most meaningful changes. Please discuss any barriers to attending regular therapy with your Mental Health Clinician as soon as difficulties arise.
Please note that if you arrive late to your therapy session, your session length will be reduced to ensure that the session is still completed in the scheduled time. For example, if you are 10 minutes late, your session will only be 40 minutes maximum. This is to ensure that appointments run to schedule and the following clients are not affected. We reserve the right to cancel the session and record it as a no-show if you are more than 30 minutes late without any communication with your Mental Health Clinician. In this instance, the no-show (DNA) cancellation fee will apply (full fee).
Fees must be paid prior to attending subsequent consultations. We reserve the right to cancel upcoming consultations if you have fees outstanding. We reserve the right to use debt collection services for failure to pay for services, including cancellation fees.
Using our secure payment system, late cancellation penalties will be automatically processed. Your Mental Health Clinician will have reserved this time for you, and it can be difficult to organise a new client to fill the spot with minimal notice. You may then reschedule the appointment. We reserve the right to cancel upcoming consultations.
Emergency
Lazy Therapy is NOT an emergency service. We are not able to respond to urgent or emergency matters and our communication channels. Email is not monitored outside of standard business hours.In case of emergency, please go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital or call 000.
Telehealth Psychology Services
Lazy Therapy offers telehealth sessions delivered via videoconferencing software. Mental Health Clinicians providing telehealth services apply the same ethical and professional standards of care and practice that are required when providing in-person mental health services. To participate in a telehealth service, clients will need to ensure they can log on the platform from a safe, private, comfortable environment. It is important that the person is free from distractions including children and pets. The Mental Health Clinician must have emergency contact details for each client and be aware of the client’s physical location (address) at the time of the session.Potential benefits of telehealth consultations
Telehealth might:
Improve access to servicesReduce your need for travelDecrease exposure to infectious diseasePotential risks of telehealth consultations
Telehealth might:
Be negatively impacted by technical problems, such as delays due to technology failures.Not offer the same visual and sound quality for observations and modellingRequire you to have a support person available to assist
Increased exposure to privacy and digital security risks. To help with this, the practitioner must maintain confidentiality and privacy standards during sessions, and in creating, keeping and transmitting records.
While the practitioner is obligated to meet standards to protect your privacy and security, telecommunication, including videoconference, may increase exposure to hacking and other online risks; as with all online activities, there is no guarantee of complete privacy and security protection. You may decrease the risk by using a secure internet connection, meeting with the practitioner from a private location, and only communicating using secure channels.
Court / Tribunal / Mediation / Advice Policy
Lazy Therapy does not provide any court reports/letters nor any legal advice regarding any legal matters. This includes Family Court matters regarding custody and parenting arrangements. Lazy Therapy does not provide competency assessments, or fitness for work assessments. Lazy Therapy does not provide assessments or reports for medico-legal purposes.