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Acceptable Behaviour Policy
Thank you for reading Stemm Psychology's Acceptable Behaviour Policy. If you choose to engage the services of Stemm Psychology, or interact with Stemm Psychology in any capacity, this will be considered implied agreement with the standards and terms within this Acceptable Behaviour Policy. For the purposes of this policy, "we" "us" and "our" refers to Stemm Psychology, and "you" and "your" refers to you, the client, visitor, stakeholder or person interacting with Stemm Psychology.
Amendment of Policy
We reserve the right to change, modify, add or remove portions of this Acceptable Behaviour Policy at any time. Please check the terms of this policy prior to engaging with us, to ensure you are aware of any changes. This policy can always be accessed via our website at www.stemmpsychology.com. We will endeavour to highlight any significant or substantive changes where possible via notifications on our website, or by way of email.
Policy Terms and Definitions
All persons and parties who engage with Stemm Psychology deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, kindness and professionalism. This includes Dr Brooke Stemm, as well as clients, staff and all stakeholders of Stemm Psychology. Stemm Psychology takes the safety of all staff, clients, and stakeholders very seriously and we see it as our duty of care to take all reasonable steps (as far as reasonably practicable) to provide a safe environment by eliminating or minimising all risks to health and safety. Thus, Stemm Psychology has developed this Acceptable Behaviour Policy to stipulate the terms and expectations for the behaviour of all persons and parties who engage with Stemm Psychology in any capacity.
Please take note of the following policy terms to ensure that you comply with them at all times. This Acceptable Behaviour Policy applies to all staff, clinicians, third parties, clients and client associates, stakeholders, and members of the public who engage with Stemm Psychology. All interactions with Stemm Psychology for any purpose and in any capacity (including in-person, email, written communication, phone, and social media contact etc.) are covered under this Acceptable Behaviour Policy.
At Stemm Psychology, we aim to foster an environment that is culturally safe and respectful, and one that is free of bias, racism, discrimination, harassment or prejudice, or any behaviour which would be considered threatening, intimidating, abusive, or bullying. We also aim to foster culturally safe spaces for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and other diverse cultures represented in our society, so that people of all cultures can safely and comfortably access quality care. We adopt a zero-tolerance policy for any behaviour that may be considered antisocial, aggressive, or hostile, and this also includes microaggressions.
We consider antisocial behaviour to include:
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Physical or verbal threats and intimidation.
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Verbal, physical or sexual abuse.
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Behaviour which elicits fear in others.
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Bullying and harrassment.
We consider Microaggressions to involve:
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The communication of negative or hostile messages to individuals based on their race, or membership of a marginalised/under-represented group. This communication may be overt or subtle.
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These behaviours may occur in relation to factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, disability or other characteristics.
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These behaviours create a hostile or unwelcoming environment.
If you interact with Stemm Psychology in any capacity, you agree to act in a manner that is:
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Respectful
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Safe and absent of antisocial behaviour or microaggressions (as defined above)
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Honest and not fraudulent, including communicating with integrity and respect.
Stemm Psychology will always endeavour to comply with these principles as well.
Breach of Terms
In the event that any person or party does not comply with the terms outlined in the Acceptable Behaviour Policy, Stemm Psychology reserves the right, at their discretion, to deny or cease services or communication with that individual or party,
In most cases, we will endeavour to provide verbal or written communication of plans to cease services or communication.
In the event that a client’s treatment is ceased prematurely as a result of a breach of this policy, their care will be handed back to their referring practitioner.
In the event that any staff, clients or associates of Stemm Psychology feel an immediate or ongoing sense of fear or threat, emergency services may be notified.
Our Responsibility To You
At Stemm Psychology, we take the terms and conditions of this acceptable behaviour policy seriously, and see it as our duty to provide a service to you that is inclusive, safe and respectful. In the event that you feel Stemm Psychology has breached this agreement, we encourage your feedback and will endeavour to resolve any grievance or complaint to the best of our ability.
In the event that you would like to raise feedback or a complaint, we encourage you, in the first instance, to please email hello@stemmpsychology.com and we will prioritise response to your concerns, with the view to providing a reasonable outcome that is to your satisfaction.
In the event that you feel the matter has not been reasonably dealt with by Stemm Psychology, you can contact the Office of the Health Ombudsman. The Health Ombudsman of Queensland is a statutory position that oversees the Office of the Health Ombudsman and acts independently, impartially, and in the public interest. The Health Ombudsman is responsible for:
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Receiving health service complaints and deciding on the relevant action to deal with them.,
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Identifying and dealing with health service issues by taking relevant action, such as undertaking investigations or inquiries.
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Identifying and reporting on systemic issues in the way health services are provided, including their quality.
Contact details of the health Ombudsman of Queensland can be found at: https://www.oho.qld.gov.au/contact-us
By engaging with Stemm Psychology, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to abide by the principles outlined in this Acceptable Behaviour Policy, and understand that any violation of these terms may result in cessation of treatment or communications between yourself and Stemm Psychology.