Consent and Information Sharing
We believe we can provide better, more coordinated services to children, youth and their families if the different service providers can talk and share information about a child.
When we talk about sharing information, important and valid concerns are raised with respect to protection of privacy.
To ensure that the necessary sharing of information is done in compliance with all relevant legislation, the service providers participating in SchoolsPlus have developed a common Consent Form.
- The form permits service providers to share personal information about clients with other service providers that are also serving the youth.
- This common Consent Form is the product of a lot of careful work.
- It was reviewed for compliance with all applicable legislation and approved by the privacy leads at the Department of Health and Wellness, Department of Community Services, Department of Justice, and District Health Authorities.
- It was also sent to FOIPOP/information access and privacy administrator in the school boards.
- The SchoolsPlus Consent Form is the form that we need to use for clients of SchoolsPlus and replaces the individual agency consent forms.
- The common Consent Form has streamlined the administration of consent.
- SchoolsPlus staff will administer the one common Consent Form directly to youth or their families, and will share copies of the form to reassure our partners and service providers that they may share personal information as necessary and beneficial to the youth.
- A Consent Form has tailored to each of the school boards, featuring the individual school board logo.
- The common Consent Form is only to be used for the SchoolsPlus program and will not replace the consent forms that organizations complete if the student is not involved with SchoolsPlus.
- The Consent Form includes:
- FAQs (one written for students and one written for parents), which provide information about SchoolsPlus,
- the consent form, what we will do with the personal information we collect, and our commitment to protecting personal information in SchoolsPlus,
- a form that documents the SchoolsPlus staff’s assessment on the student’s capacity to provide consent and sign their own consent form, rather than have the parent sign it.
An Information Sharing Quick Reference Guide provides guidance for staff involved with SchoolsPlus on how and when to share information about children, youth, and families.
