Confidentiality

We are dedicated to providing high quality individual and family counseling and support services. Our policy of confidentiality is designed to respect your privacy. An important way of insuring confidentiality is to provide you with detailed information regarding our policy on confidentiality and understanding the nature of communications between you and our staff. Laws that govern how we deal with personal information are legislated by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (BC) and the Personal Information and Privacy Act (Federal).

No information of any kind is given to anyone outside of NARSF Programs Ltd. unless you specifically request it in writing. By law, however, a few exceptions to confidentiality are required and usually arise in the situations listed below:

a serious immediate threat to your life or welfare
a serious immediate threat to the life or welfare of another person
a suspicion of child abuse
a report of imminent danger to the community at large
a court subpoena that requests our files
a criminal investigation
quality assurance purposes

No one outside of NARSF Programs Ltd. staff may have access to your records and no one outside of NARSF Programs Ltd. may be given information without your written consent. Counseling records are maintained in locked cabinets and only staff who have a legitimate need to know, have access to records. Counseling records are available for your review with your counselor. If you have any questions on confidentiality or other procedures, please bring them to the attention of NARSF Programs Ltd. We encourage you to help us maintain high quality care through your active participation and management of your private information. Feel free to ask your counselor about our confidentiality policies.

Questions and/or complaints regarding privacy and confidentiality as they directly pertain to the programs and services delivered by NARSF Programs may be directed to the Privacy Officer, Agency Director

Contact Information for the NARSF Privacy Officer:

Privacy Officer

201-170 Wallace Street

Nanaimo, BC V9R5B1

Phone: 250-754-2773

Fax: 250-754-1605

Email: admin@narsf.org Attn Privacy Officer