Consent Policy

This Consent Policy This policy outlines the procedures for obtaining and documenting consent for psychological services. Please note the official Consent Policy will be delivered upon client registration and will be a form for the parent/guardian to complete prior to receiving treatment.

1. In order to determine an appropriate way to assist the student, a referral to a psychologist and/or educational consultant is suggested for specialized assessment and/or consultation. Depending on the  reason for the referral, this may include:  

1. a) observation of the student at school;  

2. b) review of your child’s student file and other documentation;  

3. c) consultation with other professionals providing services to the student and school staff;  4. d) administration of testing, checklists, and measures with the student (only for assessments);  5. e) recommendation of goals and program ideas for the student.  

2. The assessment and/or consultation documents will become the property of the Parent/Guardian of the student, and the information contained within them is considered confidential. The information collected will not be released to any persons or agencies other than authorized Division employees or contractors without parent/guardian’s specific and written consent. Parents/ guardians will receive a copy of the assessment report after their child's assessment debrief.  

*Limits to Confidentiality: If the psychologist or consultant perceives a clear risk of harm then confidentiality will be revoked and the appropriate agency will be contacted. Risks include:  

1. a) if the student presents an imminent danger to themselves or others;  

2. b) if the student is in need of protection and a report must be filed with the appropriate agency;  3. c) if a court orders the disclosure of records.  

3. Prior to the assessment or consultation, your written permission is required.  

By signing this consent form, I acknowledge that I have been informed of the nature and intent of these services, the potential risks and benefits of the services, and the limits to confidentiality. This consent is  valid for the school year in which it is signed. A photocopy shall be considered as valid as the original. I  understand that I may revoke my consent in writing at any time.  

The Limits of Confidentiality

Under most circumstances, information obtained during sessions will be kept in confidence by the psychologist. However, psychologists are required to break this confidence in certain situations. Psychologists will release information about my child to other individuals only: a) With my written permission, or 

b) If required to do so by a judge or court, or by law. 

The law requires psychologists to report certain matters even without my written permission.  Specifically, psychologists are required to: 

a) Report cases of known or suspected child abuse 

b) Report if a child needs protection, or is likely to be physically harmed, sexually abused,  or sexually exploited  

c) Report if a person is presenting imminent harm to another person d) Report if a person is presenting probable harm to themselves 

The Ongoing Right to Refuse Consent 

The parent or guardian has the option to refuse testing or withdraw consent at any time during the assessment for any reason. If a parent or guardian would like to withdraw their consent, they can contact the psychologist at any time and ask that the assessment process be stopped.  

Results of Assessment  

During this assessment the treating psychologist will usually gather information from multiple informants (i.e., parents, teachers, child), and through a variety of assessment techniques (i.e.,  direct assessment, observation, questionnaires). The psychologist will be relying on this information as well as their clinical expertise to make clinical decisions. It is important to note that this assessment may or may not result in a diagnosis, and the psychologist will talk with you about possibilities for diagnosis in the initial interview. Diagnoses (or, the lack of a diagnosis) can have an implication for funding or other community resources, so you have the right to share this information/report as you see fit as a parent. Ultimately, the decision to make a diagnosis will be at the discretion of the treating psychologist. The results of the assessment will be discussed with you during the family debrief meeting, and you will get a copy of the report with the decision about diagnosis at or near that time. 

Fees 

The fee for an assessment includes interviews with the family, child, and/or teacher, testing directly with your child, test scoring and interpretation, questionnaires completed by the family,  child, and/or teacher, file review, report writing, and debriefing with you. You will get a copy of the report at the debriefing meeting. Some of the work completed in an assessment is directly with the parent or child, and some is done in preparing the final report. In the unlikely event that the assessment cannot be completed for any reason, you will only be billed the hourly rate for work completed up to that time. In making payment, you can pay half at the initial meeting, and half at the final debriefing meeting, or simply pay the full amount at the initial meeting. We accept cash, cheques, credit cards, or e-transfers (note that e-transfers must be completed the day before the initial meeting).  

Information Protection Considerations:

1. Email: I can share information by email with you, but as it is not encrypted, this may not  be as safe as other methods. Please provide your email address only if you would like to  share information in this way. 

2. Consultation among colleagues: To ensure best practice for clients, it is common practice  to consult with other professional psychologists. I take steps to assure that client  confidentiality is maintained (e.g., I do not share names). But, if you are not comfortable  with this, please let me know. 

3. iCloud Storage: I use computers that may automatically back-up all documents on the computer to iCloud or to an external hard drive. 

4. Online Scoring: Many psychology assessment tools are now either administered online or  scored online. Some identifying information (e.g., initials, date of birth) may be used to  administer and score these tests. Please note that our psychologists have not created  these programs, and your test data may be stored in these programs. 

By agreeing to the consent policy, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this form and have the legal authority to consent to the assessment of this child. If there is legal documentation mandating joint decision-making/consent for parents who do not reside together, you are obligated to advise the psychologist to gain consent from both parents.