Records of services to persons seeking psychotherapy and counselling.
This records class is a Personal Information Bank.
Responsible Unit | Information Steward | Information Confidentiality Classification | Retention | Disposition | Authority | Retention Rationale | Version Information
Content & Scope
The records include a description of any presenting problem and of any history relevant to the problem, psychological assessment records, diagnoses; goals and treatment plans; notes on counselling sessions; referrals; correspondence; reports; information related to crisis or critical incidents; and payment records.
Responsible Unit
- Counselling Services
- Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment.
Information Steward
- Associate Provost, Students, for Counselling Services records.
- Dean of the Faculty of Arts, for Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment records.
Information Confidentiality Classification
Highly Restricted.
Retention
Unless otherwise required by law, 10 years after last contact or or 10 years after 18th birthday for clients under 18 at the time of last contact
Note: Audio or video recordings of counselling sessions are securely destroyed as soon as requirements related to supervision of interns and other trainees have been satisfied.
Disposition
Secure Destruction.
Note
Responsible Units should document the disposal/destruction of official records using the University records destruction form or equivalent documentation, to verify that we are following our records retention rules.
Authority
- University of Waterloo Act, 1972.
- Psychology Act.
- Regulated Health Professions Act.
- College of Psychologists of Ontario Standards of Professional Conduct, section 9.
Retention Rationale
The retention period is based on The College of Psychologists of Ontario Standards of Professional Conduct, Section 9.4.
Approval Date
19 December 2011