Our commitment to our clients

Touchstone Family Association will conform to governmental laws and regulations regarding the rights of persons receiving services and will inform each client of these rights as part of your orientation.

Included in these rights are freedom from:

• Abuse
• Financial or other exploitation
• Retaliation
• Humiliation
• Neglect

Client Bill of Rights

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE IN OUR PROGRAMS.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROGRESS THROUGH OUR PROGRAM AT YOUR OWN LEVEL OF COMFORT AND UNDERSTANDNG.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT REGARDLESS OF YOUR RACE, STATUS, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AGE, RELIGION, OR BELIEFS.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED OF YOUR HUMAN, LEGAL, AND CIVIL RIGHTS AND TO SPEAK UP WHEN YOU FEEL THEY HAVE BEEN VIOLATED.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE POLICIES OF THIS ASSOCIATION THAT HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON YOU.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED AND INCLUDED IN DECISIONS MADE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SHARE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SERVICE YOU ARE RECEIVING.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED ABOUT OTHER RESOURCES SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE THE PROGRAM.

During orientation and throughout service, Touchstone clients are encouraged to provide feedback to their counsellor around their individualized needs.

Throughout service, if the opportunity arises, counsellors will encourage clients to give input to the services being provided, which could include giving input to their counselor’s training.

At Touchstone Family Association, we are committed to safeguarding the personal information you provide to us. When you consent to us, or professionals acting on our behalf, collecting, using or disclosing your personal information, including that previously collected will only be done with your consent and knowledge and limited to service requirements or as required/ authorized by law.

Touchstone will respect your privacy when using technology such as text messaging, email or social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). If you prefer/choose to communicate with your counsellor through these various types of media, your counsellor will limit his/her response to you in an effort to maintain your privacy. This will minimize the use of personal information through electronic communication as it is not always a secure or private means to communicate. You will be redirected to phone your counsellor directly or set up an appointment to meet in person.

You may at any time withdraw your consent, but doing so may prevent us from providing you with the services.
For more information about common risks you should be aware of when communicating through technology, please click here.

If you would like to receive additional information regarding our policies and procedures, contact Judy Valsonis, Privacy Officer:

By Phone: 604.207.5040

By Mail:
Touchstone Family Association
210-3031 Viking Way
Richmond, BC V6V 1W1

Attention: Judy Valsonis, Executive Director

For all other inquires, please contact your counsellor.

We look forward to continuing to service your needs.

You will be informed as you are oriented to the program that you have rights and responsibilities, while participating in the program, including the right to file a complaint without fear of harassment, financial or personal retribution.

Clients will be supported to feel safe in reporting their concerns and/or complaints, and are encouraged to bring them forward as soon as possible to ensure a timely response and resolution.

Concerns or complaints can be expressed by:

• talking directly to the person you have concerns or complaints about;

• speaking to any Touchstone staff member;

• speaking to the Program Director;

• speaking to the Director of Services, then if applicable,

• requesting a meeting with the Executive Director

Concerns or complaints may be expressed either verbally or in writing, and you can appoint an advocate to assist you in expressing the concern. Where you prefer not to put your complaint in writing, a Touchstone staff member can document the details for you and can submit a TFA Complaint Form on your behalf.

You may also contact your Social Worker to request their support in resolving the issue. You also have recourse to contact the provincial Office of Children and Youth (1.800.476.3933) to file a complaint and seek the Representative’s support to resolve the issue. You can also seek support by contacting the Family Advocate at the Ombudsman office.

Staff will immediatley report any complaints by you to the Program Director, who will report to the Director of Services and Executive Director, whether the concern is resolved or not.

If your complaint has been reported as being already resolved, the Program Director, Director of Services and/or the Executive Director will review the matter to discern if any further action is needed. Such action may include an interview with or an apology to you, an interview with any staff involved, a review of program policy or practises and/or a review with the Association’s management team.

If your complaint has not been resolved, the Program Director, Director of Services and/or the Exectuive Director will intervene to seek resolution to the issue within fifteen business days (after the complaint has been filed).

In the event that a program policy or practice conflicts with the resolution of the issue, the Executive Director can make an exception to practice to accommodate a special need or circumstance.

Where policy is inconsistent with the program objective or the Association’s principles and philosophy of service delivery, or is deemed to be outdated or unjust, the Management team will review and revise the policy or practice, and make recommendations to the Board of Directors.

Touchstone will communicate any complaints made by you against our programs and/or staff to the Ministry of Children and Family Development (where appropriate) and the Board of Directors. This will inlcude the outcome of the attempt at resolution of said complaints. The Ministry of Children and Family Development (where appropriate) and Board of Directors shall also be informed of any failure to resolve complaints, to your satisfaction and within the Association’s parameters.

All complaints will be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties within thirty (30) business days, or by a mutually agreed upon time frame (dependent on the scope of the complaint/concern).

The following information is provided for you to understand what is done with the information we receive or accumulate about you.  Touchstone Family Association does its very best to ensure any information about you is kept confidential and private.  TFA also wishes to respect and uphold your basic needs and rights.

All information pertaining to you, the client will be held in the strictest of confidence, and TFA affirms the right to privacy for all Association clients.  That is, the TFA staff will keep all matters that deal with you private.  We will only share information with other people such as schools or probation officers if you give us permission to do so.  There are a few exceptions to this rule.  For instance, we share information and report to your social worker/guardian based on your goals of service on a regular basis (if applicable).  Also, all staffs are legally required to report/respond to any suspected incidents of abuse.  Further, if your safety or the safety of others is a concern, we must notify the appropriate authorities.

During the orientation process, you will be asked to sign some consent forms.  These forms are necessary to assist in keeping your information private.  You may be asked to sign a “Release of Information” form; this form will tell you what information we are sharing, and to whom we are sharing it with.  Another form you will be asked to sign is a “Consent to Service” form.  This form simply states that you agree to receive services from the Association.  This form will also indicate that we gather information to collect data and statistics.  This data helps us make Touchstone Family Association a better place for you to receive services.

Touchstone Family Association employees will not knowingly enter into a situation which could lead to a perception of a conflict of interest. That is, the staffs will not be seen to have personally or financially benefited from a relationship with a Touchstone Family Association client, contractor, individual or organization doing or seeking business with Touchstone Family Association. i.e. a staff member shall not receive any gifts or money from a client, contractor or organization for service provided.

Additionally, Touchstone Family Association staff will not enter into a contracted arrangement with a Ministry that funds Touchstone Family Association’s services, without the written permission of the Executive Director. Touchstone Family Association staff will not provide any service similar to services provided by Touchstone Family Association, outside of their employment with Touchstone Family Association, without the written permission of the Executive Director.

Touchstone Family Association employees who feel that a perception of conflict of interest may arise, due to particular circumstances, are required to report the situation to their Program Director or to the Executive Director.