Privacy Policy

At GreeneStone respect for the confidentiality and privacy of our clients is a cornerstone of our business. The confidentiality, privacy and security of personal information is assured through GreeneStone’s adherence to the Ten Privacy Principles as defined by the Canadian Standards Association and through compliance with applicable privacy laws including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)  and Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act. In addition, GreeneStone’s employees are bound by a Confidentiality Agreement as a condition of their employment.

We reserve the right to make changes to this privacy policy at any time and make the new privacy policy effective for all personal information.When we make changes, we will revise the date at the top of this policy. If we make any material changes to the policy, we will notify you by prominently posting a notice of such changes on our website or notifying you directly to the extent required under applicable.

Collection of your Personal Information

In this Privacy Policy, “personal information” means any information that can identify you and includes personal health information and “personal health information” means personal information that relates to your mental or physical health, your health history, or your eligibility for health care, and includes your health number.

GreeneStone collects your personal information directly from you, or from the person acting on your behalf. The personal information we collect may include, for example, your age, marital status, education, health card number, psychiatric and health history, and records of your interactions with the GreeneStone Admissions team. We only collect information we need to treat or provide service to you. Occasionally, we collect personal information about you from other health service providers, if we have obtained your consent to do so or if the law permits. We strive to keep your personal information as accurate, complete, and up to date as possible, considering its uses and your interests.

Uses and Disclosures of your Personal Information

GreeneStone may use and disclose your personal information to:

• Treat and provide service to you. This may include obtaining and sharing your personal information with other health service providers involved in your treatment so we or they may provide treatment to you;
• Ensure safety if it is reasonable to believe that you or others are at serious risk of harm (for example if there is a risk of suicide).
• Comply with regulatory requirements;
• Fulfill purposes permitted or required by law (i.e. subpoena, court order, search warrant, provincial Public Health Acts, Highway Traffic Acts, and Child and Family Service Acts). Should such a situation arise, reasonable efforts will be made to notify you;
• Receive payment for your treatment, care, and services (from your private insurer, guarantor, employer, provincial health insurance, etc.);
• Plan, administer, and manage our internal operations, including compiling statistics and conducting risk management activities; and
• Conduct quality improvement activities independently, or with a third party service provider(i.e. sending satisfaction surveys).

 

Consent – Conditions, Restrictions or Withdrawal

Except as otherwise permitted under applicable law, personal information is collected, used or disclosed based on your implied or express consent. While you may withdraw or place limits on your consent, doing so could prevent GreeneStone from accurately assessing your health or clinical status and may result in ineffective or insufficient treatment or service. Withdrawal of consent may also result in the funding for your treatment or other services being revoked. When disclosing information for healthcare purposes under these circumstances, we must inform the requesting health care provider or referral source that information that might impact your care has been withheld. We may not be able to fulfill your wishes if they impact GreeneStone’s ability to deliver health care services to you or if we are legislated to use or disclose the personal information to which you object.

Should this type of concern arise, we will discuss your objections with you. Please speak directly to your service provider, your treatment team or contact GreeneStone’s privacy representative by phone at (855)821-5010, or by email at Privacy@greenestone.net.

Security of your Personal Information

Personal information is kept secure and protected, and  can only be viewed or accessed by trained and authorized people involved in delivering your health care services.

GreeneStone take steps to protect your personal information from theft, loss, unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure, and disposal.

GreeneStone takes steps to ensure that everyone who performs services for us protects your privacy and only uses your personal information for the purposes to which you have consented or in accordance with applicable law. Where we use service providers who might have access to your personal information, we select them carefully and require them to have privacy and security standards that are comparable to ours. We use contracts and other measures with our service providers to maintain the confidentiality and security of your personal information and to prevent such information from being used for any other purpose.

Transfers outside Canada

Some third parties to whom we disclose your personal information as contemplated in, and in accordance with, this privacy policy may be located outside Canada. As a result, your personal information will be used, stored and/or accessed in countries outside of Canada, including the United States. However, all such information will be protected in accordance with this privacy policy. Please note that when your personal information is located outside of Canada it will be subject to the laws of the country in which it is situated.

For information on our use of service providers outside Canada, please contact GreeneStone’s privacy representative by phone at (855)821-5010, or by email at Privacy@greenestone.net.

Retention and Destruction of Information

Your personal information is kept by GreeneStone for as long as it remains necessary or relevant for identified purposes, or as required by law. Personal information that is no longer necessary or relevant for the identified purposes or required to be retained by law is destroyed according to GreeneStone policy.

Group Confidentiality

As a client, you may participate in therapy groups. You must not discuss group proceedings outside the group and/or program; to do so is considered a breach of confidentiality and may result in withdrawal from the program and/or discharge from GreeneStone.

Substitute Decision Makers, Trustees, Executors, Custody and Access

Patients and clients have the right to access their personal information which resides under the custody and control of GreeneStone. To make an access request please contact us using the contact information  specified under the heading “Request for Records Contact Information” below. If you are acting on behalf of another, documentation which supports your authority in this role is required prior to the release of personal information.

Electronic Privacy

Only authorized GreeneStone employees are able to access information to provide client care. GreeneStone’s Information Technology department upgrades the security capabilities of our information systems on an ongoing basis. Access controls to client records for our employees are based on each employee’s job title and granted on a need-to-know basis. The organization’s system uses passwords and encryption to protect the system and electronic devices from inappropriate access.

Website Privacy

We do not solicit or keep any information when you browse the public-access areas of our website. We use “cookies” and google analytics, only to rapidly display pages you have already consulted and to make our website more user-friendly for you.  We never use cookies to compile personal information about you without your knowledge.

Call and email follow-ups

You may receive an email or phone call follow-up from a GreeneStone staff member about the services that you inquired about.  The purpose of this follow-up is to help you make the right decision about substance use disorder treatment and/or for the sharing of admission documents. This communication  will be sent from an official GreeneStone.net email address.

Anti-spam and Email Privacy

GreeneStone will not send you commercial electronic messages without your consent and we will not share or provide third parties access to email addresses that have been collected from GreeneStone email opt-in pages. Users can unsubscribe from GreeneStone’s email program at any time. All email marketing sent by GreeneStone includes information and clear details on how to opt-out of email communication.We remind our Users that no collection or transmission of information such as email addresses over the Internet or other publicly accessible communications networks is guaranteed to be 100% secure, and therefore, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any such information.

Blog and Social:

Please note that our blog and social media comments are posted publicly. If users post a comment GreeneStone reserves the right the keep that information. Please be aware of what exactly you are posting and where you are posting it.

If you are concerned about a comment you posted on our blog or social media channels please email us at information@greenestone.net and we will be happy to speak with you about removing it if need be.

Children:

Please note that GreeneStone does not position its services, content, website, or communications to children under the age of 13. We discourage the use of this website by children under the age of 13. If we suspect, are told, or learn that there is a user submitting information who is under the age of 13, we will delete their information and/or user account immediately.

Requests for Records

Upon request, we will inform you of the existence, use and disclosure of your personal information. We will provide access to your personal information in accordance with applicable law. Access may not be provided when, for example, doing so would reveal personal information about a third party or could reasonably be expected to threaten the life or security of another individual.

Requesting Personal Information to be Sent to Others

Your personal information may be sent to others only if the request is accompanied by your written consent, or as directed by law. Your consent must direct GreeneStone specifically to release information, be recently signed by yourself and your signature be witnessed, and the consent must clearly identify to whom the information is to be released. To protect your privacy, GreeneStone will only release information sufficient to fulfill the request and you may limit or withdraw your consent at any time. Disclosures which have already occurred cannot be rescinded or limited. We may request that you confirm or renew your consent for subsequent requests in order to ensure that your circumstances have not changed.

Request for Records Contact Information

We are pleased to answer any questions you may have regarding requests for records. Please direct all requests or questions to:

Requests for Records

C/O GreeneStone Muskoka
PO Box 660,
Bala, ON
P0C 1A0
Telephone: (855)821-5010
Email at Privacy@greenestone.net