Privacy Policy

The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic  is committed to protecting the rights and privacy of all of our clients, donors, volunteers, beneficiaries and employees. We value your trust and are committed to being transparent and accountable when dealing with all information shared with us.

 

This policy covers

  • Information you share with the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic directly
    • when you provide your phone number and name to our reception or intake staff
    • when you tell one of our counsellors your personal story
    • when you sign up for our e-bulletin
    • when you make a donation
    • when you request interpreter services
  • Information that is collected when you use this website

When a person visits a website, information is captured about that person’s computer, general location, Internet service provider and activities on the website.

We collect your information so that we can provide you with appropriate services, improve our services, share information about the Clinic and our activities, process your donation, or accept your application to volunteer or to take advantage of employment opportunities.

Our commitment to your privacy

The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is committed to protecting the privacy of its clients, donors, volunteers, staff and other individuals about or from whom we collect personal information.

The Schlifer Clinic embraces the principles of the Canadian Standards Association Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information to ensure that all personal information is properly collected, used only for the purposes for which it is collected and is disposed of in a safe and timely manner when no longer required.

The Schlifer Clinic is a vital non-profit organization dedicated to serving women and gender diverse people who have experienced violence. Because we deal with individuals and information about those individuals, it is essential that we protect the privacy of that information.

Although the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) does not apply to most of our activities, we always strive to embrace best practices, and are therefore following the principles of the CSA Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information upon which PIPEDA is based.

The Privacy Principles

The following principles reflect our pledge to our stakeholders’ personal information:

  1. We are accountable for your personal information We are responsible for all personal information in our possession. All employees, agents and authorized service providers of Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic are required to protect the confidentiality of your personal information.
  1. We will obtain your consent We use or disclose your personal information only with your permission or under the circumstances set out above.Your permission may be expressed in writing or be implied, and you may also give it to us verbally or electronically.You may withdraw your permission to us to collect, use and disclose your personal information at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions and reasonable notice.We will obtain your consent before making information available to third parties.
  1. We keep your personal information accurate and up to date We maintain appropriate procedures to ensure that personal information in our possession is accurate and up to date. You are entitled to seek a correction of your personal information if you believe that the information in our possession is not correct.If you believe any of the information we have collected about you is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to ask us to change it or delete it.If your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, we will make the necessary changes.
  1. We do not sell your personal information We do not sell your personal information.

Personal Health Information

Our Counselling Department strives to embrace best practices, and therefore follows the principles of the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPPA).

Any information you share with your counsellor will be held in the strictest confidence.  It will be shared only with your counsellor’s supervisor and, in order to be helpful to you, possibly with members of the counselling or legal team. Counsellors are required to consult on cases as part of individual and group supervision.  These processes have been put in place for your protection and safety as well as to ensure that you are provided with the highest quality of care and service.

All staff is ethically bound to keep information private and confidential.

When We Must Release Personal Information

No information will be released to anyone without your written consent in the form of a signed Consent to Disclosure Form, with the following exceptions which are required by law:

  • If a child under the age of 16 is in need of protection from physical or sexual abuse, serious emotional abuse, which may include exposure to violence in the home, or neglect,  the Clinic must contact the Children’s Aid Society. If a client tells us that she was abused as a child and there is a possibility that the person who was abusive to them may be a danger to children now, this may also be reported to the Children’s Aid Society.
  • In some cases, a judge can order the release of information during legal proceedings, files can be subpoenaed and counsellors may be required to testify in court.
  • Counsellors are required to report clearly imminent danger to you or someone else.
  • Under certain circumstances, counsellors are required to report sexual abuse by a professional who is a member of a profession that is regulated by the Regulated Health Professions Act (such as a medical doctor, psychologist, social worker etc.).
  • Employers may need to disclose a client’s personal health information in the event there is a risk of violence and/or harassment to an employee in the workplace.

Donor Privacy Policy

The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is committed to protecting the privacy of its donors and other individuals about or from whom we collect personal information.

The Privacy Principles

Our mandate is to maintain and enhance long-term relationships with our donors, and an important aspect of these relationships is knowing the donors. We also recognize that information is precious, and our donors trust us to treat that information appropriately; we are committed to protecting the confidentiality of this data. The following principles reflect our pledge to safeguard donors’ personal information:

 

We are accountable for your personal information

We are responsible for all personal information in our possession.

All employees, agents and authorized service providers of Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic are required to protect the confidentiality of your personal information. We take every precaution to ensure confidentiality of your information. The data you provide to us is used to assist in our processing of your receipt from your donation, and to respond to any of your requests.

We keep your personal information and the business you do with us in strict confidence.

Where we choose to have certain services, such as solicitation mailings, provided by third party providers, we select the service providers carefully. We take all reasonable precautions to ensure that the service provider protects your personal information. These service providers enter into confidentiality agreements and do not keep any personal information on file.

 

We collect, use or disclose personal information only to:

  • Help us in our fundraising campaign
  • Process and receipt your donation
  • Provide you with information about the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
  • Respond to any of your information requests
  • With your consent, recognize you publicly for your donation
  • Share the information with another charity with your consent
  • We obtain personal information about you lawfully and
  • Personal information collected will be limited to that required for the purposes identified by us

 

We will obtain your consent

We collect, use or disclose your personal information only with your permission.

Your permission may be expressed in writing or be implied, and you may give it to us verbally or electronically.

You may withdraw your permission to collect, use and disclose your personal information at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. We will obtain your consent before making information available to third parties.

 

We keep your personal information accurate and up to date

We maintain appropriate procedures to ensure that personal information in our possession is accurate and up to date. You are entitled to seek a correction of your personal information if you believe that the information in our possession is not correct.

If you believe any of the information, we have collected about you is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to ask us to change or delete it.

If your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, we will make the necessary changes.

 

We do not sell your personal information

We share your personal information with other organizations only in the following circumstance:

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic may share name and address information of Direct Mail Donors with like-minded organizations, only after you have had an opportunity to decline. This permission is rechecked regularly, and donors can opt out at any time.

 

 We will limit how long we keep information

We will keep your personal information only as long as it is necessary to satisfy the purposes for which it was obtained, or as required by law.

When we destroy personal information, we will use safeguards to prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to that information during the process.

 

We safeguard your personal information

The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic will protect your personal information by safeguards that are appropriate to the sensitivity of that information.

Access to your personal information is restricted to Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic employees, agents and authorized service providers who need it to do their jobs.

We maintain appropriate technical and organizational safeguards to protect your personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.

We have developed security procedures to safeguard and protect personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized disclosure, copying, and unauthorized use or modification. We will maintain appropriate safeguards and security procedures that reflect the types of documents, including electronic or paper records, organizational measures including security clearances and limiting access on a “need-to-know” basis, and technological measures such as the use of passwords and encryption.

 

We will be open about our privacy practices

The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic will make readily available to you specific information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.

 

We allow you to access your personal information

You may ask whether we hold any personal information about you, ensure that it’s accurate and to see that information, as provided by law.

You also have the right to know:

  • how we collected your personal
  • how we are using

 

You may register a complaint

You may register a privacy-related complaint by contacting the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic at 416-323-9149 or by email at [email protected]. We will explain our procedure and inform you about other complaint procedures available. We will investigate all complaints. If an objection is justified, we will take all appropriate steps to repair the situation, including changing our policies and practices if  necessary.

For More Information

If you would like more information on our privacy policies and procedures, or if you would like to inquire about your personal information, please Contact Us.

We need your support

To continue providing the breadth of services to our clients and doing the important advocacy work, we need your support.

Please join us on our mission.