S.T.E.P. PRIVACY POLICY

We understand the importance of our students' privacy and are committed to protecting it. Our Privacy Policy, reviewed below, is in accordance with the guidelines of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and our professional codes of ethics.

• We do not collect, use or disclose personal information about you without your consent , except in extenuating circumstances (e.g., medical emergencies) or when required by law. If provided services are being sponsored/overseen by a referring agency, your consent will be requested to allow relevant information to be shared with your case manager.
  
  
• With your consent, we collect and share only information that we believe is needed to provide you with our services, as well as to evaluate and improve those services. Should information be viewed by persons who are carrying out a review of our practice, your prior consent will be sought.
  

• The privacy of your information is protected through a set of established procedures. All staff members are required to follow these procedures, which include the following:
  
  • All private information is kept in a secure, locked area.
  • Staff members are allowed to access information only if they must do so to perform their jobs.
  • All electronic records are encrypted or password-protected, and security programs are kept up to date.
  • Information will only be retained as long as necessary and required by law.
  • Information will be destroyed in ways that prevent improper access (e.g., shredding of paper files, deletion of electronic records).
    
    
• When giving us permission to disclose information about you, you may limit what we disclose. If the information is clearly needed by the person requesting it to provide you with appropriate service, we are required to inform them of your wish to limit disclosure.
  
  
• You have the right to request, access and question information regarding your record of service, and to obtain copies of reports regarding that service. If there is any factual information in your record that is not accurate, you may request a correction. If you disagree with other information, a notice of disagreement will be recorded in your file.

We will speak with you directly to answer any questions you have regarding this Privacy Policy, and to provide you with any further privacy practices or limits to confidentiality that are specific to your particular situation.

If you would like more detailed information at any time, would like to access or ask for a correction of your record, have a concern about our Privacy Policy, or have a complaint about the way your privacy has been handled, please do not hesitate to speak with our Privacy Officer, Dr. Ruth Berman, at 416-961-7837. If you have a concern or complaint and are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Canada: www.privcom.gc.ca.

S.T.E.P. obtained written consent to take and use photographs included on this website.