16 Sessions Funded For Sexual Abuse Counselling

Survivors of sexual abuse can access now 16 sessions of counselling funded by ACC when they either lodge a new claim or have lodged a claim recently and are still waiting for a decision from ACC.

This funding was made available after the independent review panel has sharply criticised ACC's handling of sexual abuse claims.

Survivors who have felt discouraged to lodge a claim will now be able to contact a therapist and start a course of 16 sessions. For many survivors that will be all they need. Those who need further sessions will need to go through some assessment procedure. How that procedure will look like is currently unclear, because the review panel has instructed ACC to devise a process that guarantees client safety.

If you are thinking of starting sexual abuse counselling funded through ACC and you live in the proximity of Takapuna, you can follow the link or contact me on 027-486.3770

ACC: The Modern Brothers Grimm

 Has anyone seen today's article in the New Zealand Herald about ACC failing to help most sexual abuse survivors? Follow the link to read the whole thing – or get the paper out, it's on page 4. It mentions that we are having the survivor summit this coming Sunday, which is a good thing! It's hard enough to get supportive media coverage for the plight of survivors. What did irk me off was Denise Cosgrosve's (ACC General Manager of Claims Management) comment: 

ACC: The Modern Brothers Grimm

 Has anyone seen today's article in the New Zealand Herald about ACC failing to help most sexual abuse survivors? Follow the link to read the whole thing – or get the paper out, it's on page 4. It mentions that we are having the survivor summit this coming Sunday, which is a good thing! It's hard enough to get supportive media coverage for the plight of survivors. What did irk me off was Denise Cosgrosve's (ACC General Manager of Claims Management) comment: 

Survivors Experience with the new ACC Pathway

 

 Survivors have spoken out about their experiences with the new clinical pathway introduced by ACC in October 2009. We are still collecting responses, so if you haven't taken the survey yet, go to the survey page and fill it out. The results from this survey will be presented to the Review Panel appointed by the Minister for ACC, Nick Smith. In total 103 survivors have filled out the survey. In the following you can read their answers to the question "Comment on your overall experience with the New ACC pathway": 

Read more here

 

Denied Help For Sexual Abuse, Dead Days Later

Today’s NZ Herald brings this tragic story. The minister of ACC, Nick Smith, and ACC have been warned by counsellors and support services for over 6 months now that the new clinical pathway will cost lives. Sadly, it was not an empty warning!

“A review of new rules for sexual abuse counselling has come too late to save a South Auckland mother who died four days after her claim for ACC-funded counselling was rejected.

Counselling Services Centre manager Emma Castle said the mother-of-three’s claim for counselling for sexual abuse she had suffered as a child was rejected by ACC two months ago on the grounds that she had not suffered “a significant mental injury”.

Read on here

ACC And Monkey Business

If you want to have another little ACC injection, read up on my last post on some crazy monkey business!

ACC’s Wall of Shame

Psychotherapists and counsellors have collected stories of mishandling of claims since the implementation of the new clinical pathway. It's a long long list which is published on my blogs in two installments. It would be good if people would reach inside themselves and find a fighting spirit. It's not right, it's not OK, and survivors have the right to demand that they get a fair treatment.

You'll find part I of the list HERE , covering incidences 1-52,  and part II of the list of mishandlings HERE covering incidences 53-90.

Nick Smith’s Mismanagement Hurts CSA Survivors

Read the latest media release from Labour MP Lynne Pillay about the trauma survivors of sexual abuse have to deal with in the aftermath of the implimentation of ACC's New Clinical Pathway.

Parotting over and over again that this new pathway is designed to improve services for CSA, Peter Jensen from ACC has yet (6 month after introducing the new clinical pathway) to provide a clear-cut statement how ACC is going to achieve that. Obviously, the 'media advisors' from the government and ACC have not managed to identify HOW the new pathway is going to benefit survivors.

Action Against ACC Funding Cuts For Counselling

Nick Smith, Minister for ACC, has promised an independent review after 6 months from implementation of the new clinical pathway ACC has pushed through inspite of wideranging protest from survivors and clinicians working with survivors alike. Sofar nothing seems to have been organised and the action group (therapists, counsellors, psychologists, doctors, psychiatrists, social workers and more) is still waiting for information about how the review will be conducted, who will conduct it, and what will be the reference points.

Those who have followed my reports about ACC will have cottoned on that I am mighty frustrated with the whole thing. I certainly don't think that we have been told the ugly truth yet about the scheming and hidden agenda that drove the government and ACC to act as they have. One thing is certain, it has nothing to do with improving services for survivors.

We Take Away Your Recovery But Give You Money To Buy New Knickers

The government plans to introduce new legislation in November that enables victims to access financial support through a scheme financed by the offender levy. Although Victim Support, Sensible Sentencing Trust, and Rethinking Crime and Punishment welcome the initiative, service providers for sexual abuse recovery are dumbfounded by yet another absurd policy recently presented.

“Another piece-meal of legislation poorly thought through. Full of good intentions but lacking the guts to resolve a problem comprehensively”.

Victims of sexual crimes will be eligible for a grant of $250 to replace items of clothing after a sexual assault. An insulting and bizarre idea considering that ACC will stop funding sexual abuse counselling for these victims unless the assault has driven them over the edge and into mental illness.