Accessibility

CFSD is committed to providing a community-based service that is accessible to everyone, and that addresses the needs of the Region within our mandate. This is done with regard for the inherent dignity, freedom and equality of all persons. CFSD has a special mission to those experiencing difficulties, to be in affiliation and solidarity with them and to collaborate with them in order to facilitate personal growth and well-being. We are committed to serve in the spirit of our mission statement, reflecting our dedication to the promotion of peace, the protection of human rights, working to ensure equity for all, and working towards the advancement of the common good. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 is now the law. You can view our Accessible Customer Service Plan (PDF) and Accessible Customer Service Policy (PDF) to learn more about our support services.

We are committed to providing quality service to all persons. If you would like to share your opinion or offer some advice on ways we can improve our service to you, please fill out our Customer Service Feedback Form (PDF), or speak with any member of our staff.

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Complaints and concerns

It is our intent to provide you with a high quality, ethical, professional service. If you have a complaint or concern about your service, please talk to your therapist/counsellor or follow the complaints procedure outlined below.

CFSD is open to receiving complaints from clients or the community about the service provided by the agency. Complaints must be brought to the attention of the Executive Director or the direct supervisor. To facilitate communication re: client complaints, the following procedure should be followed:

1. The client may speak to their therapist/counsellor and/or put the complaint in writing. If necessary and appropriate, the therapist/counsellor and/or client will arrange a meeting with the direct supervisor or the Executive Director.
2. If the matter is not resolved between the client and the therapist/counsellor and/or the direct supervisor, the client should be encouraged to put the complaint in writing and direct it to the Executive Director.
3. Should the matter not be resolved with the Executive Director, the client may write to the Chair of the Board of Directors to seek a resolution. Agency acknowledgement of the receipt of the client’s complaint should be made within three working days and the resolution of the complaint within a month.
4. Complaints involving French Language Services will follow the same procedures, however, the French Language Services Committee of the Board will also be made aware of the complaint and resulting resolution process (should it escalate to Step 2 and 3) and at least one bilingual Board member will work in tandem with the Executive Director (for steps 2 and 3) to ensure proper representation of and respect for the unique culture of the French-speaking community being served. An interpreter will also be offered to the French-speaking client making the complaint.
5. Complaints will be documented in the client’s file, including the handling of the complaint process and resolution. Any human resource issues will be documented by the manager in the employee’s file, and any trends noted and monitored.
6. Managers are to make all complaints known to the Executive Director, and these are reported to the Board on a monthly basis.

Notice of this procedure will be available on request in each office location and both Board and Staff will be trained and privy to this process.

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Privacy compliance program

It is the policy of CFSD (Catholic Family Services of Durham) to fully comply with provincial and/or federal legislation pertaining to the protection of personal health information through the implementation and maintenance of a privacy compliance program.

Standard

A chief privacy officer shall be appointed and shall be responsible for overseeing the agency’s privacy compliance program and ensuring the organization’s compliance with its privacy obligations in accordance with the act.

Guidelines and Procedures

The Chief Privacy Officer shall be the Executive Director or designate and be responsible for:

1. Ensuring that the organization has policies and procedures which address the requirements as regulated in the Ontario Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA, 2004), and any applicable regulations that may serve as best practices in the Personal Information Protection and Electronics Documents Act (PIPEDA, 2004);
2. Conducting an audit at least every four years, or more often if required, of the personal information policies and practices of the Agency;
3. Reviewing and analyzing the organization’s policies and practices for collecting, using and disclosing personal information regarding staff, volunteers, clients, and donors;
4. Implementing procedures to safeguard personal information;
5. Taking appropriate action in response to any breach of privacy, in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Action (PIPA) 2004, as outlined in detail in the Board Policy on Secure Storage of Client Records;
6. Ensuring individuals have the right to access and correct any personal information about themselves held by the Agency;
7. Implementing a retention and destruction of information policy;
8. Acting as a contact person for inquiries from the public or clients and ensuring that public access obligations are met regarding privacy (confidentiality) policies;
9. Ensuring that there is an established process of handling complaints about the organization’s information practices and/or alleged violations;
10. Training the organization’s staff, students on field placement and volunteers.

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Use of email

Due to the many ways in which the use of email communication can compromise your confidentiality (and in some cases, your safety), CFSD does not recommend the use of email as a means through which to contact your therapist/counsellor or share information with them.

However, CFSD also recognizes that there may be exceptional circumstances that might necessitate the use of email for communication. In such circumstances, please keep the following in mind:

• Email should never be used as a way to handle a crisis
• If you are in crisis, it is important that you reach out to a dedicated crisis service. 911 is always the best option when your safety is an issue.
• You may fax information to our office at 905-725-8377 if you need to send written communication to your therapist/counsellor, or if you cannot speak on the phone (905-725-3513).
• Therapists/counsellors cannot guarantee the same response time to email as they would be able to offer in returning a phone call. Please allow 2 – 4 business days for an email response unless informed otherwise by your therapist/counsellor.
• If you are going to send information via email, please do not include personal information in the email in order to protect your confidentiality. Always start a fresh email, versus replying to an existing email. Use expressions like “the issue we discussed” or “my situation” instead of giving specifics, in order to reduce the exposure to your personal issues on the web.
• Please note that any email correspondence is considered part of your client record.