Collecting Information

Case study continued:

I recorded the information about Melanie’s drug use thinking it might somehow be important or useful for understanding Gerry’s life circumstances. A few months later Melanie found out. She was extremely angry and demanded I apologize and erase that record. I quickly realized that information was private, and I had no right to record it.

FOIPPA states that information should be collected directly from the individual or their legal representative.Legal representative can be: the representative from a Rep 7 agreement, the court appointed adult guardian or committeeship, or the person named by the individual in a written consent. Always receive a copy of the documents for legal representation before proceeding. CLBC may provide service providers with some of the information necessary for the contracted service.

As a service provider, collect only the information that is needed to provide the contracted service.

When collecting information, it is your responsibility to ensure the person providing the information understands the:

• Purpose of collecting the information
• Legal authorityFor CLBC contracted services the legal authority is usually FOIPPA S.26 - the information relates directly to and is necessary for a program or activity of the public body for collecting the information
• Name of a person in your organization who can answer questions about personal information concerns

Information that is collected verbally should be transferred to a written record. Be professional when recording collected information. Records may be reviewed by your colleagues, CLBC, other government agencies, the individual, and the individual’s family.