Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
OPA Privacy of Information Policy
The Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) protects the security of information in its possession. OPA (Board of Directors, sections, volunteers, employees) adheres to the OPA Privacy of Information Policy.
The Policy is based on the protection of privacy issues that face psychologists as scientists and practitioners, the provincial/territorial regulatory requirements, the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
According to PIPEDA, personal information includes "any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an individual. This includes information in any form, such as
- age, name, I.D. numbers, income, ethnic origin, or blood type
- opinions, evaluations, comments, social status, or disciplinary actions
- employee files, credit records, loan records, medical records, existence of a dispute between a consumer and a merchant, intentions (for example, to acquire goods and services, or change jobs)
OPA's Privacy of Information Policy is based on the ten principles set out in the PIPEDA.
- OPA gives individuals access to their personal information in order to ensure accuracy and that the information is being used for the purposes for which it was intended.
- OPA has developed a Privacy of Information Policy and appointed a Privacy Officer.
- OPA makes every effort to ensure the personal information collected is accurate.
- The Association gives individuals reasonable opportunity to review and correct personal information in its possession.
- Implied and express consent is sought before information is shared. Members can withdraw consent in general or as it relates to a specific activity at any time.
- There may be situations in which information can and must be shared without express or implied consent. These situations include, for example, where required by law, where consent can't be reasonably obtained, where there exists a danger to others or where the information is publicly available.
- OPA collects and maintains membership information for internal use.
- The Association sells the membership mailing list to specific companies for commercial purposes for example, for member benefit programs or for advertisement of continuing education programs. Members are informed of this activity and given an opportunity to remove themselves from this activity.
- Information is shared in relation to some of OPA's ongoing activities, such as the referral service, convention, media responses and advocacy.
- OPA limits the collection of personal information to that information specifically needed for identified purposes that fall within the mandate and operation of the Association as set by the Board of Directors on behalf of the OPA membership.
- Information is used and/or disclosed for the purposes it is collected.
- Information is retained for a reasonable amount of time and destroyed when no longer of use for the purposes it is collected.
- OPA makes personal information open for inspection by the person who owns the information.
- Requests to review personal information, change/correct personal information, or make a complaint to OPA about the collection and/or use of personal information are directed to the OPA Privacy Officer.
- All complaints about the collection and use of private information by OPA are directed to the OPA Privacy Officer.
- All complaints will be discussed with the complainant, investigated thoroughly and a timely response given to the complainant.
- Every effort will be made to address the issues that constitute the complaint.
- Individuals will be informed of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
- Personal information is managed and stored in a secure fashion.
- OPA employees are aware of and follow the OPA Privacy of Information Policy.