Privacy Policy – PSP NET

Privacy Policy

The PSPNET team is based at the University of Regina as part of the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) in Saskatchewan. 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 PSPNET services, you agree to this Privacy Statement and the PSPNET Terms of Use.

Your information

When you participate in the PSP Wellbeing 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 is collected from you for the purpose of providing you service and is stored securely.

How we collect your information

The PSPNET services occur via the Internet and sometimes the telephone. There are certain points where we gather information from you.

  • When you first apply, you will complete an Online Screening that asks you for your personal background information as well as information about your symptoms, functioning, health care history and use.
  • Following the completion of the Online Screening, you will schedule a time for a staff member to contact you by phone to discuss the results of the Online Screening. During the Telephone Screening, PSPNET Staff may ask you some brief clarifying questions if more information is needed regarding your responses.
  • Throughout the PSPNET treatment, you will fill out health questionnaires, and submit them over our secure server.

Why we collect your information and how we use it

When you provide your personal information to the PSPNET staff and therapists, we use your personal information to provide treatment services and monitor your treatment progress. In certain rare instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information, such as when there is:

  • potential, imminent harm to yourself or others;
  • suspected neglect or harm to a child, including the witnessing of violence;
  • a court order to release client information; or
  • a required release of information by legislation.

Information gathered is used for research and scholarly purposes:

  1. To determine your eligibility for participation in the PSP Wellbeing Course:
    1. If in the process of the follow-up telephone discussion of your Online Screening with PSPNET staff, it is determined that participation in the PSP Wellbeing Course would be appropriate for you, your screening will become part of your file. This file will be provided to the designated therapist or support person who will work with you.
    2. If in the process of the follow-up telephone discussion of your Online Screening with PSPNET staff, it is determined that you do not meet criteria for the course, PSPNET Staff will attempt to provide you with options available to you in your community.
  2. To better assist with the treatment you receive with the PSP Wellbeing Course.
  3. The researchers remove your identity and use the anonymized data to evaluate the Online Screening process and PSP Wellbeing Course in order to guide the development of future screening methods and online treatment programs. The research will be published and presented to diverse stakeholders, such as to PSP, researchers, providers, healthcare managers, and government in order to advance understanding of how to use ICBT to assist PSP. Any publications and presentations stemming from the evaluation of this information will examine respondents as a whole and you will not be personally identified.

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 PSPNET staff are educated and supervised to handle your personal information with respect and care, as well as to strictly maintain confidentiality in accordance with this privacy statement.

What you can do to protect your information

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

  • You could use your home computer instead of a computer in a shared space, such as a library or office. 
  • Make sure the computer you are sending emails from is secure.
  • Do not share your login information with anyone. Do not use a password that is easily guessed by others. PSPNET Staff will never ask you for your password. In the event you were contacted and asked for your password, please contact the PSPNET team directly to report what happened.
  • Log out of the PSPNET website when you are done working with the PSPNET website or if you are stepping away from your computer.
  • Enable your firewall, anti-virus, and/or malware-detection software to protect your computer and information from network attacks, viruses, and threats.

Who is the PSPNET Team and how can you contact us?

The PSPNET team is based at the University of Regina as part of the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) in Saskatchewan. We developed an Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) program for Public Safety Personnel (PSP), including First Responders called the PSP Wellbeing Course. You can learn more here.

If you have questions about our privacy policy we offer, please contact us between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, at 306.337.7233 (SAFE) or pspnet@uregina.ca.