Nicholas: ACC Sensitive Claims Unit Insensitive To Survivors

An article from Voxy

Louise Nicholas, Survivor Advocate for Rape Prevention Education, is absolutely disgusted with ACC Sensitive Claim Unit's (SCU) proposed changes that will make it harder for survivors of rape and sexual abuse to access therapy.
Currently survivors have 4 sessions with a counsellor to disclose their abuse experiences before their claim is assessed for ongoing therapy. Often survivors will choose to have ongoing therapy with the counsellor that they have already built a relationship with.
The new Clinical Pathway which is proposed to come into effect 14th September 2009, will make the survivor tell their "story" three times to three different professionals and they can be declined help at any stage in this process; they have to 'prove' they have a mental injury which fits the criteria for a psychiatric problem.
A person who has been affected by rape or sexual abuse can take many years to disclose their trauma.
Finding someone who they can trust to disclose to is often a major issue as there are many barriers that need to be dealt with before they even get to the stage of being able to talk about the actual abuse incident.
Many survivors, especially children, are threatened by the perpetrator with loss of their lives or whanau and friends lives if they tell, or "no-one will believe you if you tell, you will be called a liar".
The importance of being able to heal and move on with your life often literally lies in the hands of the counsellor that you have come to trust.
I am shocked to see that ACC state that "shorter term therapy is more beneficial for clients than longer term therapy".
Many survivors, including myself, speak about the difficulty in being able to open up and talk about their experiences which needs to be at their own pace and with someone they trust which is vital in their healing process.
The ACC Draft Clinical Pathways Provider Workshop that I attended in Auckland this month, was not about seeking "better services" for survivors; in my opinion it was obviously about cutting costs.
I viewed it as taking vital resources away from counsellors and specialist service providers and putting them into the costs of assessments by clinical psychologists.
In 2004/2005 I had to give up my full time employment due to the stress of the Police investigation into the rapes I endured by members of the NZ Police. I wanted to return to ACC subsidised counselling and seek an increase to my Independence Allowance (of $7.00 per week) from ACC. To have this happen I was offered a return flight to Auckland and a couple of hours with a psychologist who would determine whether or not I had a mental injury. ACC were prepared to pay $3,000.00 for this assessment. I had to decline the assessment as the ACC reviewing psychologist would be required to use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMIV) to diagnose a mental injury. Once I was labelled with a DSMIV (psychiatric) diagnosis defence counsel could use this diagnosis against me in court.
Rape and sexual abuse is a crime that is committed upon a person by another person deliberately causing harm. It is not like a self inflicted recreational or sporting injury.
The effect of this new Clinical Pathway is likely to be detrimental to not only survivors of rape and sexual abuse but also to agencies, mental health services and other specialist service providers who will have to take on many more survivors who are likely to be declined for subsidised counselling through ACC.
These agencies are also likely to be weighed down by the extra workloads that will inevitably see even more specialist services crumble under the weight of inadequate funding and resources.
I ask that ACC not proceed with the new Clinical Pathways on the 14th September and that ACC truly consult with the counsellors who work on a day to day basis with survivors of sexual violence - not those ACC paid professionals who are removed from the day to day realities that survivors face when trying to access the services they need to keep themselves alive and functioning in the world.
If any survivors would like to contact me about this issue my email address is louise@rapecrisis.org.nz
I am about to begin a tour of the country in the next few months visiting most of the agencies (depending on how far my travel budget can stretch) that work to support survivors of sexual violence. I would like to hear from survivors and those who work with them about the supports you need in your area. I look forward to hearing from agencies and survivors that would like me to visit them.

http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/nicholas-acc-sensitive-claims-unit-insensitive-survivors/5/21767