Privacy Policy (2025)

The Mental Health Society of Greater Victoria (MHS) is committed to protecting your personal information in compliance with British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Below is a summary of our key privacy practices:

Accountability
● MHS is responsible for protecting all personal information under its control.
● A designated Data and Security Lead oversees compliance with privacy laws and MHS’ privacy policy.
● Third parties handling your personal information on our behalf must meet our privacy standards.

Scope of the Privacy Policy
● Our policy applies to all personal information collected through MHS services, websites, mobile applications, and other platforms.
● By utilizing our services, you agree to the terms of this policy. Collection of Personal Information
● We collect personal information such as your first and last name, phone number, age, pronouns, language preferences, geographic location, address, health information, insurance coverage, demographics, and any other information voluntarily shared.
● Information may be collected directly, a referring individual, or through your interactions with our services.
● This information is stored for a minimum of one year after the last contact date in a combination of locations such as cloud storage servers, CRM platforms, and internal documentation. After this period, it shall be destroyed, returned or anonymized unless otherwise required by legal or regulatory obligations.

Use of Personal Information
● Your information is used to:
○ Provide services and respond to inquiries.
○ Improve our operations and communications.
○ Comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
● We do not use your information for purposes beyond what was disclosed at the time of collection without your consent.

Consent

● We require your consent to collect, use, or disclose your personal information, except where permitted by law.
● Consent may be provided in writing, verbally, or electronically.
● You can withdraw your consent as long as laws permit at any time by contacting us. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention
● We use and disclose your information only for the purposes stated at the time of collection or as required by law.
● Personal information is retained only as long as necessary and securely destroyed when no longer needed.

Accuracy
● We ensure your personal information is accurate and up-to-date.
● You can request corrections to your information by contacting us.

Safeguards
● We protect your information using:
○ Physical measures: Locked filing cabinets and restricted office access.
○ Organizational measures: Limiting access and stringent training.
○ Technological measures: Passwords, encryption, and multi-factor authentication.
● While we strive to ensure security, no system is completely foolproof, if you believe your data is not being kept secure, please contact us.

Openness
● We are transparent about our privacy practices and are happy to answer any questions regarding them.
● You can request a copy of this Privacy Policy or ask questions by contacting our Data and Security Lead.

Individual Access
● You have the right to access your personal information and request corrections.
● Requests must be made in writing, and we will respond within 30 days with some exceptions.

Challenging Compliance

● If you have concerns about our privacy practices, you can contact our Data and Security Lead.
○ Email: privacy@mhsvictoria.org
● We will investigate all complaints and take corrective action if necessary.