ACC fully funded counselling 'outside evidence'

A press release from 24-7 by Steve Taylor

ACC decision to fully fund counselling therapy “way outside the scope of the outcome evidence” says Counsellor and Social Services Outcomes Researcher.
The decision by the ACC to fully fund counselling for victims of sexual assault is a “good intentions decision absent of any cogent wisdom or evidence as to what works in therapy” says Steve Taylor, Director of 24-7 Ltd, and a Social Service Outcomes Researcher.
“While we know that 80% of people who seek therapy will make much better progress with their presenting issue than 80% of people who may need therapy but don’t seek it, we also know that the most significant period of clinically significant change for clients occurs within the first 5 – 7 sessions of therapy”.
ACC’s own reported uptake figures bear this out, with claimants session uptake averaging 7.8 sessions per person”.
Once again, just like with the NZ Family Court before it, the Government is going to throw money in the general direction of what it thinks might work, not ask for any outcomes measures of service provision from the therapists providing the service, and then cross it’s fingers that someone, somewhere, might be helped”.
Based on the international client outcome evidence, for ACC to adopt such a cavalier attitude with taxpayer-funded levies by stating “here’s 12 months of funding, help yourself”, would strongly indicate that the organisation has absolutely no idea of the importance of securing outcome data for funds disbursed, or service efficiency economies of scale".
Funding 48 therapy sessions over a 12 month period is gross and irresponsible waste of taxpayers’ money, when most of the time, clinically significant change can occur with many fewer sessions, provided that the results of the counselling intervention is being measured, and adjusted to suit specific client needs accordingly” said Mr Taylor.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1404/S00094/acc-fully-funded-counselling-outside-evidence.htm