Terms and Conditions of Service
Psychology services are governed by many regulations and ethical guidelines under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). This is important to protect the welfare of clients. It also means many policies. This document summarises some of those policies and describes our Terms and Conditions of Service (T&Cs). It is important that you read and understand this information as it sets out our respective commitments to help us work together. By engaging in our services, you also agree to these T&Cs. We will notify you if these change at any time. You can also access this information anytime via the link in your appointment emails or from reception.
SERVICE PROVISION: The Psychology, Education, & Family Centre (PEFC) is a private psychology practice providing a broad range of psychology services to meet the diverse needs of Queenslanders, and Australians. In addition to registration, our psychologists have post-graduate training and practice endorsement (or are completing a registrar program towards endorsement) in the advanced areas of Clinical Psychology. We provide our services at PEFC’s psychology centre in Buderim or via telehealth /online workshops and may meet with clients at other suitable locations as agreed (travel fees apply). You have been booked with our most suitable psychologist for your needs. They look forward to meeting you and assisting you with your psychology service
APPOINTMENTS: You can book, reschedule, or cancel appointments by contacting us via phone, SMS or email; or by using our online booking service (access via our website 24/7). We send appointment emails and SMS reminders as a courtesy, but clients are ultimately responsible for remembering appointments. Your session cannot be extended if you are late and full fees will still apply. Late cancellations and missed appointments are also subject to cancellation fees (see below), so it’s best to avoid these.
CONSULTATIONS: When applicable, the aim of your initial consultation is to understand the reason for your referral; to obtain relevant information; and to collaborate on a plan for your psychology service. The type of service and number of sessions you may require will depend on the nature of your referral, needs and goals. These decisions will be discussed at your first consultation and reviewed regularly. Please discuss any change in your service needs with your psychologist as soon as possible.
COVID-19: Despite our robust health and safety measures, we cannot guarantee that clients or visitors will not be unknowingly exposed to coronavirus whilst at, or travelling to and from, our practice. By attending in-person services at PEFC, you accept such risk.
TELEHEALTH: If you are attending a telehealth session, please read our information on Telehealth Services and Preparing for Telehealth, before your appointment. By agreeing to a telehealth service, you indicate that you understood this information and accept the limitations and risks associated with telehealth.
PRIVACY & CONFIDENTIALITY: We maintain the privacy of client information in accordance with the Privacy Act (1988) and the PsyBA’s Code of Ethics (2007). The information we gather for the purpose of providing your psychology service is stored in a secure cloud-based practice management system and a secure filing cabinet and is only accessible by authorised employees. Your client file and personal information will remain strictly confidential and will not be shared without your consent, unless: 1) your file is subpoenaed by a court of law; or, 2) we have formed the opinion that you or others are at risk of serious harm. In these instances, we will inform you, where appropriate, of the information we are required to release in accordance with our legal and ethical obligations.
CONSENT TO SHARE INFORMATION: Information you provide to your psychologist may only be shared with a third party (e.g., GP, court, school or agency), with your informed consent or awareness. In some instances, your psychologist will be obligated to share information about your treatment with other professionals (e.g., Medicare referral – in which case there will be communication with the referring party). If you request or consent to your psychologist providing a letter or report to another party, they will need to include personal information about you that is relevant to the reporting purpose. Specifically in relation to organisational professional development services for which an organisation pays for an employee to attend, please note the client will be both the individual attending the workshop and the paying organisation. In this instance, only workshop attendance will be disclosed to the employer if requested, no other personal or confidential information discussed in workshop by individual employees will be provided to the employer. Please note that we cannot be responsible for preserving the confidentiality of any report or communication that has left PEFC’s control. More information on when and how your personal information may be shared with others is available in our Privacy Policy.
CHILD & YOUTH SERVICES: If the service you are attending is for a young person, please see our Policy on Working with Young People for important information about our obligations when providing psychology services to children and adolescents (<18yo).
REBATES & BENEFITS: Numerous Government benefit and compensation schemes are available for both adult and child clients who meet eligibility criteria (see our website FAQs). Most private health funds also provide benefits for psychology services (please check your policy). For your convenience, we process most medicare rebates on-site for you, at the time of payment. Private health rebates will need to be claimed by the client after full payment is made to PEFC. The amount of rebate you receive will depend on the scheme or benefit you qualify for, the type of service you receive, and any Medicare safety net qualifications. By law, you can only claim rebates through one scheme per consultation (e.g. Medicare or private health) and to receive your Medicare rebate, we must receive an eligible Medicare-lodged referral from your medical professional before your consultation. Please note that PEFC is not responsible for any problems claiming your rebate due to the actions or inactions of your medical professional. Your medical professional will need to remedy any such problems or consequences to you in accordance with their own policies and T&Cs.
FEES & PAYMENT TERMS: Fees vary depending on the nature and duration of your agreed service and any additional costs agreed by you (e.g., assessment materials, reports, or travel). In some cases, your fees may be fully or partially paid by a third party (e.g., NDIS or your employer), with prior agreement. Treatment services are GST-free, however other services may be subject to GST (per ATO laws). Your out-of-pocket costs will vary depending on these various factors and your eligibility for any rebates. Your standard service fee and out-of-pocket costs will be stated on your Service Agreement. Please speak to reception if you are unclear on these before signing. Fees are payable in full by credit card at the time of service. Third-party payers are invoiced directly. Please be aware that late payment fees apply to overdue invoices (5% per 14 days overdue), including cancellation fees. Future services may be suspended until outstanding invoices are paid or a payment plan is arranged. Please speak to your psychologist if you have any concerns about managing your payments and they will discuss available options with you (e.g., modifying the number or frequency of sessions, alternative formats, or other service providers, etc). For cognitive assessments, You will be requested to pay a non-refundable deposit of $214.41 at the time of booking, to secure your appointment. This will deducted from the cost of your services. Following your initial intake assessment, a quote will be provided for the total amount of hours chargeable for your full assessment. If you wish to proceed, a 50% non-refundable deposit will be charged prior to assessment. A final invoice for remaining payment will be issued following the assessment session(s) before receiving your report. Reports will not be provided until full payment is made.
CANCELLATIONS: No one likes cancellation fees, so please contact reception as soon as possible if you need to cancel/reschedule an appointment. We understand that circumstances can change and that you may need to vary your appointments, but as private practitioners we incur practice costs and time for each scheduled appointment, attended or missed. As a result, a cancellation fee of the full appointment amount will be charged for appointments that are cancelled/rescheduled within 24 hours of your appointment, or that are missed without notice. These fees are payable per our above payment terms. Please note that rebates are not available for cancelled appointments and third-party payers usually require clients to be responsible for any cancellation fees. Regarding professional development workshops, if you are unable to attend you must provide a minimum of 48 hours notice or full workshop fees will apply. In the event an individual attends any but not all workshop sessions, full workshop fees will apply.
SAFETY: The safety and welfare of our clients and staff is a key priority. We will not tolerate verbal abuse, harassment or aggression towards staff or clients under any circumstances. Any persons, including visitors, who threaten the welfare of our staff or clients will be removed immediately and may be refused further services. Please inform reception or your psychologist if you feel unsafe at any time. For their own safety, children <6 years old cannot be left unsupervised in our waiting room. Please make prior arrangements for their care or supervision during appointments.
OUT OF SESSION CONTACT: If you need to contact us between sessions, please email clinic reception. Please only do so under pressing circumstances. They will respond to you as soon as practicable during business hours on their next practice day (psychologists’ schedules vary). Please be aware that any communications between you and your psychologist, including via phone or email, will typically form part of your file and may, therefore, be disclosed under an authorised release of your file. Please also note that we are not a crisis service and are not able to receive or respond to messages outside of opening hours. If you have not received our crisis-call card, please ask reception for one at your next visit.
SOCIAL MEDIA: We are bound by AHPRA’s Social Media Policy and our professional Code of Ethics. This means we cannot accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site. We also cannot interact with clients via social media in any way that may compromise confidentiality, so we will usually be unable to respond to any messages on these forums. We are also prohibited from publishing or using client testimonials. Of course, you have the right to express yourself on any site you wish, though it is advisable that you not reveal (or at least limit) personal information about you or your psychology service in public forums and social media, to preserve your privacy.
COMPLAINTS: If you have any concerns about the service PEFC or your psychologist is providing you, please discuss these with your psychologist or our Business Manager as soon as possible. If you have concerns about the professional conduct of your psychologist, you may contact the Psychology Board of Australia (ph. 1300 419 495). Please inform us if you wish to prematurely terminate your service with PEFC and we will assist in referring you to another service.
If you have any questions about our T&Cs, please contact our helpful support staff. You can also request a hard copy of our T&Cs when you attend in person. Our T&Cs may change from time to time. When that occurs, the information provided here and on our website pages will be most current and will supersede any hard copies.
*PEFC psychologists are independent private practitioners and business entities who are responsible and liable for their own professional conduct and compliance with the laws and standards that apply to the practice of psychology in Australia. PEFC psychologists are also responsible for complying with PEFC’s policies and informing their clients and the Director immediately of any intended or incidental departure from those policies.
