ACC and sexual abuse victims

A blog entry from Red Alert by Grant Robertson

Last night I hosted a public meeting on changes to ACC. One of the speakers was Eric Medcalf from the NZ Association of Psychotherapists. He gave an impassioned speech that showed how the changes are not only contrary to the principles of ACC but also risk re-victimising survivors of sexual abuse. The changes include requiring a full psychiatric diagnosis of mental illness and reducing treatment hours. As Eric said:
When ACC insist that all new claimants must have a full psychiatric assessment and a diagnosis of mental illness they are raising the bar to help for many thousands of people, women, children and men, who have suffered sexual abuse as children, or been sexually assaulted as adults. They are saying “prove to us you are mentally ill before we will give you any help”. This is insulting to victims of sex crimes.
If you want to read the full text of Eric’s speech, here it is.

http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2009/12/01/acc-and-sexual-abuse-victims/