Clients Rights and Responsibilities
Your Rights and Responsibilities at Centrecare
Centrecare Incorporated strives to provide excellent, respectful and caring services, which facilitate healing and encourages all persons to develop to their fullest potential.
In providing these services we always seek to enhance wellbeing that is inspired by compassion and recognition for human dignity and worth.
Understanding your rights and responsibilities as a client of Centrecare is central to our agency.
As a client of Centrecare you have a right to:
- be treated in a professional, courteous, and caring manner that respects and appreciates differences related to race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, personal values, age, disability, and economic or veteran status.
- to expect that your personal privacy will be respected, and confidentiality protected to the greatest extent permitted by law.
- be provided with a safe environment to conduct your session in.
- choose to use or not to use our services.
- a prompt service. Our goal is to provide the best possible service. If a session time needs to be changed every attempt will be made to contact you before the session time.
- have the complete attention of your counsellor/Centrecare worker and avoid interruptions during a session.
- receive accurate and relevant information in a timely manner.
- request a transfer to another staff member.
- make a complaint about the service received from Centrecare and expect that this complaint will be investigated appropriately and in confidence.
- read your records with a Centrecare Manager in attendance.
As a client of Centrecare you have a responsibility to:
- be respectful of others, including Centrecare staff and other clients.
- be respectful of Centrecare’s property.
- attend the service in a fit state (not under the influence of drugs or alcohol).
- participate in the service to maximise your benefits (turn off mobile phones).
- maintain confidentiality regarding information about other clients or participants in groups or programs conducted by Centrecare.
- provide accurate information about yourself in order to receive the best care.
- keep your scheduled appointment counselling time. If you need to cancel an appointment, please contact the Client Services Officer 24 hours before the appointment. Cancellations for counselling sessions within 24 hours of the appointment attract the full fee as per Centrecare’s Client Fee Schedule.
- where applicable, pay your bill at the time of attendance of one of Centrecare’s services. Please discuss with the Client Services Officer if you are financially compromised.
- follow strategies which have been chosen in consultation with the service provider.
Limits of disclosure when participating in Family Counselling and Family Dispute Resolution, as prescribed under the Family Law Act.
Centrecare is designated by the Attorney-General’s Department as a Family Counselling Organisation, as defined under paragraph 10C(1)(b) of the Family Law Act.
Staff providing counselling to individuals, couples, and families who are affected, or likely to be affected, by separation or divorce to deal with personal and interpersonal issues, or issues relating to the care of children are defined as Family Counsellors.
Centrecare and staff must not disclose a communication made in family counselling unless the disclosure is required or authorised under the Family Law Act. Section 10E of the Family Law Act provides that a communication made in family counselling is not admissible in any court or proceedings, in any jurisdiction. Section 10D of the Family Law Act sets out how, under certain circumstances, communications made in family counselling must or may be disclosed.
Any communication made as part of a referral to another service from a Family Counsellor is also inadmissible in any court or proceedings, in any jurisdiction.
Counselling that does not meet the definition of Family Counselling, as defined under paragraph 10C(1)(b) of the Family Law Act, may be subject to the normal disclosure requirements of an Australian court.
(updated May 2024)