Privacy

Support House is committed to protect the confidentiality of YOUR personal health information (PHI) and YOUR privacy while facilitating the effective provision of the services and supports for you.

Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of YOUR personal health information is important to Support House. Support House staff is responsible for maintaining confidentiality and privacy of YOUR personal information and personal health information.

Support House maintains privacy in compliance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) 2004, which establishes rules for the collection, use and disclosure, retention, and disposal of YOUR personal health information. The purpose of this privacy policy is to describe Support House’s privacy practices that support YOUR right to privacy and ensure compliance with PHIPA 2004. This policy also reflects Support House’s compliance with fair information practices and applicable legislations and regulations.

Collection, Use and Disclosure of your Personal Health Information

For the purpose of delivering our services and programs, Support House collects YOUR personal health information either directly from you or from the agency acting on your behalf. We may collect YOUR personal health information from other sources if this information is needed by us to provide you with necessary services. Support House may collect “some or all” of the following personal health information, as appropriate, in the course of providing services:

• Demographic;
• Health card number;
• Information regarding previous hospitalization, residence and other background information;
• Cognitive, communication, vision, hearing and behaviour patterns;
• Information respecting social and physical functioning and informal support services;
• Medical information e.g. mental health and/or disease diagnoses, general health condition, and dental status;
• Prescribed medication information; Health Care and/or Life Plans detailing treatments, requirements for care and assistance with barriers that may be hindering those plans; and
• Functional Assessments detailing physical and emotional functioning, allergies and special needs.

Support House may share YOUR personal information and/or personal health information with other organizations that provide care to you as permitted by legislation and/or regulation via courier, fax or electronic sharing system such as Integrated Assessment Record and Novari. Specifically, Support House may share your information with:

• Healthcare service providers who provide health care to you;
• Community healthcare agencies in the circle of care of the client;
• Community service providers that provide support and service to the client;
• Agencies who provide support and/or services to you (e.g. Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works (OW)); and
• Third parties as permitted and/or required by applicable legislation and regulation (for example, Public Health to track infections).

The purposes for the collection, use and disclosure of YOUR personal health information include but are not limited to:

• Provide quality programs and services to you;
• Provide information to other people or organizations that are within the Circle of Care that is necessary and required for the facilitation of healthcare services.;
• Plan, evaluate or monitor our programs and services;
• Manage risk and error;
• Maintain or improve the quality of care;
• Provide information to other people or organization that provides supports and services to you; and
• Meet legal and regulatory requirements.

Protection of your Personal Health Information (PHI)

Support House has appointed a Chief Privacy Officer, and established an effective privacy program to protect the confidentiality and privacy of YOUR personal health information to support YOUR right to privacy while ensuring compliance with privacy legislations and regulations.

The information practices adopted by Support House and its staff is to protect the privacy and confidentiality of YOUR personal information and personal health information collected, used, or disclosed. Support House has appropriate security controls and safeguards in place to protect YOUR personal health information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification regardless of the format in which it is held, including the following safeguards:

• Support House stores your personal health information in a secure place.
• Your personal health information will only be viewed by authorized people who deliver services to you.
• All Support House staff members have signed contracts to keep your information confidential.
• Access to your personal health information is reviewed and audited on regular basis.
• Support House will inform you about any privacy breaches that have impact on your personal health information.
• We will investigate any suspected breach or unauthorized access to your personal health information in a timely manner.
• Support House takes reasonable steps to ensure that personal health information is accurate, complete and relevant as possible and as is necessary for the purpose for which it is intended in order to minimize the possibility that inappropriate information may be used.
• Support House makes available to you, information regarding Support House’s privacy practices relating to the management of YOUR personal health information

We respect YOUR right to:

• See your personal health information;
• Request copies of parts or all of your personal health information.
• Request correction to your personal health information
• Inquire or complain about Support House’s privacy practices

Please speak to your support provider or our Privacy Officer, if you want to:

• See your own personal file and assessment: You can also request a copy of your personal health information at any time.
• Correct your own information and assessments: You can ask to have information corrected or updated.
• Opt-Out: You may choose not to share your information with other health service providers. Note that this may hinder the effective coordination of your supports and your care plan.

If you would like to know more about how your personal health information is handled and shared with our partner organizations, feel free to contact our Privacy Officer for any question you might have.

Please contact:
Support House Privacy Officer
201-165 Cross Avenue
Suite 201
Oakville, ON L6J 0A9
P: 1-833-845-9355 E: [email protected]

Further questions and privacy concerns can be directed to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario at:

2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8,
Phone: 1 800 387 0073
Website: www.ipc.on.ca