Online Counselling on Family Assist (OCFA) - Privacy Policy

The following paragraphs explain how your personal data will be treated. This policy may be updated from time to time.

Your privacy is important. MSF and OCFA counsellors will make efforts to safeguard and protect your privacy. This section is intended to inform you of the policies, procedures, and practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of any information that you provide through the OCFA platform.

Confidentiality 

1. Protecting your personal information is a priority. MSF and OCFA counsellors will not provide your personal information or furnish documents held on the OCFA platform to any governmental agency, healthcare professional, or organisation without your consent, except when (i) required by the law, (ii) complying with internal governmental rules and guidelines, (iii) it is assessed that you are at serious risk of harming yourself or someone else, (iv) it is assessed that you are in danger, or (v) it is assessed that there is a clear child protection issue. In such situations, MSF and OCFA counsellors may also be duty bound or compelled by the law to provide the necessary information to the relevant bodies.
2. Where you provide any personal data of third parties, you confirm that you are authorised or have obtained the necessary consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of such personal data in accordance with any guidelines required for compliance.
3. You also consent, where appropriate, to disclose such personal data to MSF and OCFA counsellors, for the following purposes:

   (a) To provide you with OCFA;

   (b) To improve the delivery and ensure continuity in the provision of OCFA;

   (c) To serve you in the most efficient and effective way; 

   (d) For data analysis, evaluation, and policy-making relating to OCFA to the extent permitted by law; and

   (e) For OCFA counsellors to disclose the information to their professional indemnity insurers or advisers (if any) for insurance purposes.

4. To ensure quality counselling services, MSF and OCFA counsellors may keep transcripts and recordings of the online chat and audio sessions for supervision and training purposes. In the event that the transcripts are used for supervision and training purposes, MSF and OCFA counsellors will not disclose your identity in those transcripts.

What information will be collected:

1. OCFA counsellors may collect your phone number when they deem that your safety is at risk.
2. For the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of OCFA, personal information such as your demographic details, your feedback about OCFA, information on pages that you visit on our platform, duration that you spend talking to OCFA counsellors on the OCFA platform, the number of exchanges (e.g. live chats, emails) between you and OCFA counsellors, and any information that you share with OCFA counsellors over the OCFA platform will be collected. However, you will not be identifiable in any of our data reporting and evaluation processes.
3. You have the right to terminate OCFA at any time. However, MSF reserves the right to retain the information you have provided during the course of your counselling. The privacy policy will still apply even if you terminate your counselling sessions.

How your information will be stored:

To safeguard your personal data, all electronic storage and transmission of personal data are secured with appropriate security technologies in accordance with prevailing data protection standards.

How long will MSF keep the information about you:

Any of the information collected will be kept by MSF in accordance with prevailing data storage guidelines from the initial point of contact, regardless of whether you proceed to use OCFA.

Privacy Policy for Referrals

Should you consent to be referred to other organisation(s) that can best support you on the recommendation of the OCFA counsellors, you also consent to share your case information and contact details with the organisation(s) for them to follow up with you on the referral(s).