Privacy Policy

Autism Services is committed to protecting personal information relating to clients, residents, members, donors, volunteers, customers, staff and other individuals about or from whom we collect personal information. At Autism Services we strive to embrace best practices and therefore follow the CSA Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information. We strive to ensure that all personal information is properly collected, used only for the purposes for which it is collected, and is disposed of in a safe and timely manner when no longer required.

PRIVACY POLICY

Autism Services has implemented the following policy for dealing with any personal information:

1. We are accountable for your personal Information.
We are responsible for all personal information in our possession. All employees, agents and authorized service providers of Autism Services take every precaution to ensure confidentiality of all personal information.

2. We collect, use and disclose personal information only for certain purposes that we identify to you.

Autism Services will collect personal information from the following categories of people for the following purposes:

a. Program Participants

– Autism Services requires details to determine program eligibility.

– Autism Services requires details to determine program applicability.

– Autism Services requires details in order to determine appropriate groupings in programs.

– Autism Services requires information for Autism Services and funding partner statistics.

– Autism Services requires emergency contacts.

– Autism Services requires history, medical details for safety purposes.

– Autism Services requires diagnostic, behavioral and school information for program purposes.

– Autism Services requires details to meet requirements of funding agents.

– Information may be shared with government departments (Health); funding partners; Board of Directors; Volunteers; and Board committees.

b. Group Home residents

– Autism Services, as primary caregiver and trustee, requires medical and personal history to provide appropriate care. This includes names of health-care providers (dentists, doctors, specialists, etc.).

– Autism Services requires family contact information in case of emergency.

– Autism Services requires names of employers and day program contacts.

– Information may be shared with government agencies (Social Services), health professionals, and day program contacts.

c. Members

– Autism Services requires details, provided on membership application to:
i. make contact for purposes including solicitation of volunteers & donations, and advising of Autism Services events, and

ii. send invoices, receipts, newsletter & program information.

– Information may be shared with Committee members and Board members.

d. Volunteers

– Autism Services requires details to make contact.

– Autism Services requires completion of Police Checks.

– Autism Services requires a resume, including a personal history from prospective volunteers.

– Information may be shared with Committee members, Program Coordinators and Board members.

e. Board & Committee Members

– Autism Services requires business and or home address information in order to make contact respecting Autism Services matters.

– Autism Services requires Police Checks.

– Autism Services requires completion of confidentiality agreements.

– Autism Services requires background information in order to establish varied Board or Committee composition, and may request a resume to this end.

– Autism Services may require a POSSIBLE LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING (to be produced by Autism Services if necessary)

– Information may be shared with funding partners, potential funding partners, and Corporations Branch, pursuant to annual reporting requirements.

f. Donors

– Autism Services requires details to make contact to send tax receipts.

– Autism Services requires details to contact for donations.

– Information may be shared with Board members and Committee members.

g. Staff

– Autism Services requires details for income tax and related government reporting purposes.

– salary information & payroll records.

– Autism Services requires details for Benefit Plan eligibility.

– Autism Services requires Police Checks.

– Autism Services collects resumes and personal employment history of staff and job applicants.

– Information may be shared with government agencies (CCRA, CLD); Board Members; Benefit providers; and with related agencies at which applications are made for job positions.

h. Customers (vest purchasers, tickets for events, etc.)

– Autism Services requires details to make contact, to forward products and information, invoices, receipts, tickets, etc.

– Autism Services requires credit card information.

– Information may be shared with a collection agency (in the event of overdue accounts), and project partners (for example, Saskatchewan Abilities Council).

3. We will obtain your consent
We collect, use, or disclose your personal information with your permission. Your permission may be expressed in writing or be implied, and you may give it to us verbally or electronically. Consent shall be obtained by: completion of application forms, agreements, purchase orders, contracts, printed notification of our collection, use and disclosure practices on the AUTISM SERVICES website, in the AUTISM SERVICES newsletter, on tickets and invitations, or on other documents, depending upon the nature of AUTISM SERVICES relationship with the individual.

We will not disclose your personal information to third parties unless:

– You authorize us to share the information;

– Sharing the information is necessary to process a payment or donation, for example to process a credit card; or

– We are required to by law.

We do not sell or trade membership or donor information.

4. We will limit how long we keep information.
We will keep your personal information for only as long as it is necessary to satisfy the purposes for which it was obtained, or as required by law. When we destroy personal information, we will use safeguards to prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to that information during the process.

5. We will safeguard your personal information
AUTISM SERVICES will protect your personal information by safeguards that are appropriate to the sensitivity of that information. We have developed internal security procedures that reflect the type of documents being protected including electronic or paper records. Internal procedures include; locking cabinets, restricting access to a need-to-know basis, and use of network and computer passwords. Access to your personal information is restricted to AUTISM SERVICES employees, agents, and authorized service providers who need the information in order to do their jobs.

6. We allow you access to your personal information
All people whose information AUTISM SERVICES holds will always have the opportunity to request particulars of their personal information, which AUTISM SERVICES maintains, and to correct any errors or omissions.
AUTISM SERVICES will strive to maintain the accuracy of any information retained, but we require notification of any changes in order to do so.

7. We will be open about our privacy practices
AUTISM SERVICES will strive to make this policy available to all those whose personal information we possess. Unless we are specifically advised in writing that the policy or any aspect of the policy is not accepted, we will imply acceptance of the policy. If you have any questions about protecting your personal privacy, please contact Shannon Friesen, Executive Director. She may be reached at:
Autism Services
609 25th Street East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7K 0L7
Phone: (306) 665-7013 Fax: (306) 665-7011 E-mail: admin [at] autismservices.ca