Step Together Online chat Terms of Service

Eligibility for Service

To access Step Together online counselling service, you will need to be a resident of New South Wales, Australia

Step Together is operated by On the Line Australia, Australia’s leading telephone and online social health counselling business. For more information about On the Line, visit https://ontheline.org.au/

Please note that Step Together is not a crisis service.

If you need to contact someone urgently, please call:

Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467

If your situation is life threatening, please call:

Triple Zero 000 to access emergency services.

Privacy and Security

Step Together maintains confidentiality of all client telephone and online counselling services, except under specific circumstances where we are mandated to disclose information:

• it is evident that you, an identifiable third party (another person) or the general public may be at imminent or immediate risk of serious harm or injury;
• it is revealed that a criminal act under the Commonwealth or State law has been committed; and
• we have a legal obligation to disclose information, such as a court order.

To read our privacy policy in full, please click here.

On the Line complies with Privacy Law relating to the management of personal information. On the Line protects personal information during transmission by using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. All data is stored on a secure server. Despite these safeguards, the internet is not a completely secure or private environment and, while unlikely, it is possible for online security to be breached. For further information about protecting yourself online, please see the Stay Smart Online website.

Technical issues

Step Together is not able to answer any of your technical IT questions. On the Line cannot guarantee that the technology used to deliver the Online Counselling (online chat or video) Service will always be available, function as intended or operate without interruption. In the event of a technical failure, the counsellor will work with you to try and maintain the continuity of the video chat counselling session as much as possible given the limitations.

Use of Electronic Communications

You must not forward email messages or other electronic communications from Step Together online counselling service and/or its counsellors to other persons, except in situations where this has been agreed in advance by Step Together, and is done with written permission. You may not use advice or information provided by Step Together out of context, or pass on the advice to another person or organisation.

Prohibition against recording counselling sessions

The counselling session is for the benefit of the registered user only. You must not record the counselling session, copy it, distribute it or make any part of it available to any to other person.

Important notice

Online counselling is only one form of counselling and may not be appropriate for all people. You should consider other options which might suit your personal needs, such as face to face, or telephone counselling.

You may consider options other than online counselling if:

• you are at risk of self-harm;
• you may be at risk of harm from another if the details of the counselling conversation became known;
• you have a diagnosed mental health issue; or
• you do not feel comfortable using written words to express yourself.

Any decisions you make, and any action you take, as a consequence online counselling is at your own risk and is your responsibility. Step Together does not accept any liability or responsibility for any loss, damage, and/or injury suffered, nor for any action or inaction taken by you.

Safety

If your counsellor identifies concerns that you are at risk of harming yourself or others, they or other Step Together counsellors will speak with you about this. In most circumstances, Step Together will follow the process below:

• Request details such as your location and telephone number so that a counsellor may provide support and/or practical assistance.
• Step Together may also utilise the contact details collated once an online counselling session has started to call you to provide this support (IP address and name)
• If Step Together is unable to contact you via phone, the counsellor will continue to work with you online and attempt to obtain as much relevant information as possible. They will work with you to help keep you safe, and provide referrals for face-to face, and local services.
• If you chose not to provide Step Together with information, we may be unable to follow up in the event of an emergency, and will be limited in the amount of practical assistance we can provide.
• In the event that your safety cannot be assured, Step Together may choose to alert local emergency services in efforts to protect your safety, or the safety of others.

Please note that if you attempt to harm yourself during the course of your counselling session, your counsellor will terminate the session and contact emergency services.

Your physical surroundings

Your physical surroundings are important when participating in counselling. Please ensure that at the time of your counselling session:

• You are alone in a setting that affords privacy, preferably a room with the door closed.
• If applicable, you have made child-care arrangements for the duration of your counselling session.
• Others who may be around you at the time are aware that you require privacy and are not to be disturbed.

Comments, complaints and feedback

If you wish to give a compliment, make a complaint or comment about On the Line’s online counselling, please email: steptogether@dcj.nsw.gov.au