Privacy Policy

The Online Therapy Unit is a free mental health and research clinic at the University of Regina, in Saskatchewan. We provide education and conduct research on how to deliver Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy.

Your privacy is our priority. The following policies outline what we do, and what you can do to protect your personal information. By accessing the Online Therapy Unit services, you agree to this Privacy Statement and the Online Therapy Unit’s Terms of Use.

Your information

When you participate in an Online Therapy Unit course, you will fill out forms and questionnaires asking for your name, date of birth, address, health history, and any other details relevant to your treatment. This information, which we collect from you for the purpose of providing you service, is also protected for safekeeping.

How we collect your information

The Online Therapy Unit services occur via the Internet, and sometimes the telephone. There are several points at which information is gathered from you:

  • When you first apply, you fill out a basic eligibility form which asks for your consent to participate in our research and confirms your eligibility for the Online Therapy Unit services.
  • Then, in the Full Online Screening, your basic personal information and health information are submitted.
  • During the Telephone Screening we collect further health details which may include your physician’s name.
  • Throughout the Online Therapy Unit treatment, you will fill out health questionnaires and submit them over an encrypted connection to our secure server.

Why we collect your information and how we use it

When you provide your personal information to the staff and therapists of the Online Therapy Unit, we use your personal information to provide treatment services and monitor your treatment progress. In certain instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information. 

  • If you, a child, or someone else is at risk of harm. Or, 
  • If a subpoena or other legal or legislative order obligates the Online Therapy Unit to provide information.

The Online Therapy Unit is a research facility. As such, when your information is used for research and scholarly purposes, all reasonable efforts are made to de-identify the information used for these purposes. This means that your information will be analyzed and presented in a way that you are not identifiable.

How we protect your information

Your personal information is collected and stored on our secure server within the University of Regina’s firewall-protected environment.  All of the Online Therapy Unit therapists are bound by formal codes of conduct (i.e. College of Psychologists, Association of Social Workers). All of our staff are educated and supervised to handle your personal information with respect and care, as well as strict confidentiality in accordance with this Privacy Statement and privacy laws.

What you can do to protect your information

There are many ways that you can keep your personal information private. 

  • Use your home computer instead of a computer in a shared space, such as a library or office.
  • Avoid using unsecured networks such as free wi-fi in shared spaces and networks that do not require a password to access. The information accessed in these networks is not encrypted and can be easily monitored. 
  • Make sure the computer you are sending emails from is secure and is kept up to date with security updates.
  • Do not share your login information with anyone. Online Therapy staff will never ask you for your password. If you were contacted and asked for your password, please contact the team to report the issue.
  • Do not use a password that is easily guessed by others, or a password that you have used before.
  • When you leave your computer or are done working with the web application, ensure you have logged out.
  • Since your internet browser stores information in its cache, clean the cache after you use the computer. Certain browsers have “Privacy” or “Incognito” modes that can be enabled and do not save interactions to browser history or cache. Firefox has this feature,  and is highly recommended for use with the Online Therapy system. If you do not have a browser with ‘privacy’ or ‘incognito’ mode, manually purge your browser history and cache to prevent interactions from being saved and accessed by others.
  • Enable either the firewall feature that came with your operating system (e.g. Windows Firewall, Firewall on Macs), or install a reputable third party firewall program. Firewalls protect your computer and information from network attacks and threats.
  • Use anti-virus software to both prevent and recover from virus programs. While most anti-virus software is for purchase, there are free software options available to download. However, be cautious to avoid downloading and installing malicious software that appears to be legitimate.

How can you contact us?

If you have questions about our privacy policy, or the courses we offer, please contact us between 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday, at 306.337.3331 or OTU@uregina.ca.