Sexual violence services – the real story

A blog post by Jan Logie

What has really led to the Government’s changing stance on funding for sexual violence services?
People have been congratulating me on this news yesterday and I have to admit working with the sector through this process has given meaning to my time in Parliament and I am proud of the work we have done on this.  I am a bit embarrassed by the congratulations in the context of the thousands of submissions and years and years of work by incredible advocates which really got the result.
While I’ll need to see the dollars in the budget, and hear that the Government is working closely with the specialist providers, especially Nga Kaitiaki Mauri, to design the new model before I relax, I do want to reflect on the journey to this point.
The 70s and 80s saw women coming together to voluntarily support women who had experienced sexual violence. The Government provided some funding from the mid 80s. There was a period of new general services, the Pacific Island Women’s Project, and kaupapa Maori services being set up to respond to the growing need. These groups were advocating for the prevention of sexual violence – law reform and social change as well as supporting victim/survivors. It wasn’t until the mid 90s that we had the first ethnic women’s organisation, Shakti and in the late 90s the Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust set up. There are still obvious gaps.
ACC alongside MSD were the major funders for sexual violence support services. The services were always under-valued and certainly not recognised for the amazing life-saving and at times world leading responses to sexual violence that they were and are. Sexual violence has been one of those very difficult topics to talk about in any context so that always made the services a bit of an easy target for funding cuts.
Despite Maori women being more likely to experience sexual violence in New Zealand and kaupapa Maori approaches being far more successful we have lost almost all of our specialist kaupapa Maori sexual violence services. There was a time when there were over twenty services but now there are fewer than five.
The Taskforce for Action was initiated by Labour in the wake of public horror about Louise Nicholas’s experiences. Louise did not have access to the right help, from our justice system or social services, when she needed it and that is one of the reasons she has been so actively advocating for increased funding for years.
The Taskforce for Action came out in 2009 calling for a national prevention plan and proper resourcing of the sexual violence sectors, basically all the same things that the select committee has recommended again 6 years later.
Maori and non-Maori specialists gave hundreds of hours of their time, voluntarily, in the Taskforce for Action on Sexual Violence. They spent hours and hours strategizing and organising and lobbying to try and ensure that victim/survivors had access to the services they needed. If this had been implemented there would have been no need for the select committee inquiry.
But even while the National party Minister for Justice called the Taskforce for Action the best road map the country had ever had for addressing sexual violence, the Government was in the process of gutting ACC support for victim/survivors. The Government told ACC that they had to make savings. In 2009 they saved $3.2billion dollars by going after, amongst other things, the “low hanging fruit” of sensitive claims. These changes resulted in a 36% decline the number of claims being lodged and even more shockingly the number of accepted claims going from 60% to 3.6% in just two years. Specialist agencies stopped using ACC because they thought it was unsafe for survivors and the number of ACC counsellors halved. During the inquiry into sexual violence funding we heard from a man whose partner had killed herself because she couldn’t get the support she needed over this time.
Many therapists and counsellors and volunteers just kept going, under increasing strain themselves, because they knew that people were depending on them. This was a truly awful time in New Zealand’s history.
Public concern over these changes forced Minister Nick Smith to initiate a review in 2010.The Disley report in 2010 made fourteen recommendations to fix the mess. Considerable effort has been made since then by ACC, the community and others to try and restore ACC. In the select committee report much has been made of the improvements to ACC. A new model is in place and it is much better but we are still not there yet.
Ahead of the budget and future work, I just want to celebrate the bloody minded tenacity of survivors and advocates who have kept going through this very dismal time. I genuinely and wholeheartedly hope the Government doesn’t let us all down again.

© 1996-2015 The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

https://blog.greens.org.nz/2016/04/01/sexual-violence-services-the-real-story/

National must stop meddling with ACC before the election

A press release from the Green Party by Kevin Hague

The redesign currently occurring at the Accident Claims Corporation (ACC) for sensitive claims needs to be put on hold immediately, said the Green Party today.
The Green Party is concerned about work currently underway at ACC involving the sensitive claims service that could impact on the availability of clinical psychology treatment for victims of rape and sexual abuse as well as their privacy. The Green Party believes that ACC is instituting a new level of bureaucracy in order to farm out sensitive claims to private providers.
“Instituting major structural change into the way ACC delivers services to New Zealanders a few weeks out from a general election is unacceptable,” Green Party ACC spokesperson Kevin Hague said today.
“The new corporate insurance model that ACC is moving towards creates a new layer of bureaucracy that may enable companies to set up and profit from procuring the services of specialised psychologists.
“Private companies should not be able to turn a profit from the money intended to support the victims of sexual violence and abuse.
“ACC’s new model involves the creation of new, non-specialist ‘supplier’ entities who will tender for the provision of services with pre-existing treatment providers.
“Moving towards this model could result in non-specialised third parties handling extremely confidential information which is currently only held by the Sensitive Claims unit and select providers,” Mr Hague said.
“The supplier organisations do not need to be specialists in sexual violence services, but are entirely new organisations set up for nationwide competitive tendering. It is not clear that in the event of a breach of privacy or process who would be held to account.
“The sensitive claims redesign could result in a decline in the specialist workforce and undermine the provision of wrap around services.
“Any psychologists not signed up with a supplier or themselves becoming a supplier will be unable to provide ACC funded specialist claims services.
“The Government has missed the opportunity to redesign the sensitive claims pathway and fully implement the Disley report recommendations.”
The Disley report, released in 2012, suggested a wide range recommendations including improving communications with clients, refining ACC’s systems and processes, ensuring treatment and assessment is carried out by a well-qualified, fit-for-purpose workforce.
“National is choosing to push through major changes without properly consulting clients, advocates, psychologists or the public,” Mr Hague said.
“The new direction National is taking ACC lacks proper checks and balances.
“The Green Party will stop this attempt at privatisation of ACC by stealth.
"The Green Party has previously laid out a ten point plan for rehabilitating ACC and bring it back to the core principles it was founded on.”
Link to Green Party ACC plan: https://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/acc-rehabilitation-plan-announced

© 2014 Scoop Media

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1408/S00211/national-must-stop-meddling-with-acc-before-the-election.htm

Extra funding welcome

An editorial from the Otago Daily Times

Announcement of increased funding for sexual violence support services in next week's Budget, and full ACC funding of counselling for victims of sexual abuse and sexual assault, are welcome progress in this highly sensitive and increasingly pressured area.
Last Monday, the Accident Compensation Corporation announced it would fully fund sexual abuse victims' counselling as part of an overhaul of its sensitive claims systems next year. The changes would give claimants access to 48 therapy sessions over 12 months, more discretion to choose a counsellor, allow family members or support people to be included in treatment, and fund therapists to travel to isolated areas.
In a pre-Budget announcement on Wednesday, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said the Government would allocate $10.4 million for sexual violence services during the next two years, saying that the sector required extra resourcing.
It clearly does. ACC is expecting an increase in sensitive claims of up to 10% each year until 2020 as a result of the reduced stigma around the reporting of sexual abuse. Police have already put the recent increase in sexual crime statistics (which are bucking the overall falling crime rate) down to increased reporting, rather than increased abuse.
It is pleasing the topic is coming out of the shadows. Worldwide, the message now is (thankfully) that survivors will be listened to when they speak out, that sexual abuse and assault is unacceptable and perpetrators can no longer hide. That reduces the stigma for victims and gives them confidence in speaking out.
But when they do, as well as justice, they often need considerable practical, financial and emotional support - in the form of counselling - to allow them to work through the abuse and hopefully enable them to live their lives as fully as possible.
Cuts to counselling have always been about "cost", but leaving survivors to deal with the repercussions of abuse by themselves is far more costly in the long term. Those who have had little or no support, and who may have endured childhood and/or long-term abuse, are plagued by issues of shame, blame, anger, loss, betrayal, trust, self-confidence and self-loathing, which may affect their daily lives and relationships, and can lead to alcohol and/or substance abuse and mental illness.
All of that costs the health system, and comes at a huge personal cost to individuals, families and communities. Frontline support services and longer-term counselling is essential.
The increased Government funding is therefore welcome, but the fanfare is not.
It must be remembered the Government's drastic and wide-ranging ACC cuts to ''sensitive claims'' funding, including counselling services, in 2009, caused consternation among service providers and survivors and led to drastically reduced numbers of claims being accepted. The corporation backed down a year later, after significant pressure, and reinstated 16 hours of counselling funding.
An independent panel reviewed ACC's sensitive claims clinical pathway in 2010 and made 14 recommendations, but a 2012 independent review by Dr Barbara Disley found there was still much progress to be made towards fully implementing all the recommendations.
The ACC, as a Crown entity, is charged with implementing the Accident Compensation Act 2001 and its role is ''to provide treatment, care and services for anyone who is injured in New Zealand'' with the view of enabling them to return to the workforce. There is undoubtedly huge pressure on the agency. ACC figures show in the 2012-13 year, it accepted 1.7 million new claims and spent more than $2 billion on claims and another $2 billion on hospital treatment and surgery, care and support, and compensation for people unable to work.
While the Government's tough stance on crime has paid off in some areas, it is important to remember there are still victims of crime in many areas who may face mental as well as physical injuries as a result of the trauma they have endured.
Survivors should not have to fight for support in such a sensitive area as sexual abuse, in which the smallest hurdle might put them off seeking life-changing help.

© Allied Press Ltd 2014

http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/301056/extra-funding-welcome

ACC privacy ruling welcomed for sensitive claimants

A press release from the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists

Yesterday’s District Court ruling, that the standard ACC release of information form the “ACC 167” is illegal, has been welcomed by psychotherapists and clinicians working with sexual abuse survivors.
“The Disley Independent Clincial review of the ACC’s treatment of sensitive claimants, undertaken in 2010, outlined serious concerns about this form and the ACC’s approach to the gathering of health information. This decision is welcomed, but long overdue” says Kyle MacDonald, New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists Public Issues spokesperson.
The Disley review included a legal opinion, which noted concerns about the ACC 167, and explained the limitations that apply to the collection of health information. Those working with all ACC claimants, and specifically in the sexual violence sector, have long expressed these concerns.
“We’ve known for a long time that this form, and its implementation, has caused specific problems for sensitive claimants” says Kyle MacDonald, “it has been common practice for the ACC to request ALL of a claimants GP or Mental health notes, and not accept a health professional acting in accordance with the Privacy act by providing only those parts of the record relevant to the claim. Furthermore the ACC have quite explicitly declined to advance a claim if individuals refuse to sign the waiver due to quite legitimate privacy concerns.”
This has set up a perception that ACC have gone on “fishing expeditions” for reasons to decline claims, rather than sticking to the limits of the Privacy Act, like all other health professionals are required to do.
“Hopefully this decision allows people who have had their claim declined due
to the illegal acquisition of health information to have their claim revisited. It should also allow those who have had their claim declined due to their refusal to sign this form to also re-apply for cover and treatment.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1404/S00230/acc-privacy-ruling-welcomed-for-sensitive-claimants.htm

Mixed results in sensitive claims survey

An article from NZ Doctor by Katie Marriner

A survey of ACC sensitive claims providers generated mixed responses on how recommendations from a report to improve the service have been implemented.
Respondents were surveyed in 2010 on the 14 recommendations proposed in an independent review of the sensitive claims pathway conducted by former mental health commissioner Barbara Disley (New Zealand Doctor, 22 September 2010).
When asked how "client-centred" ACC's sensitive claims communications were at the time of the survey compared to 18 months before, 83 per cent of respondents thought they were either much better, better or somewhat better.
Most people (41 per cent) thought the 16 hours of support sessions for certain claimants "definitely" improved access for claimants in the early stage of their claim.
But more than half (55 per cent) of respondents thought ACC was not applying the definition of "mental injury" using a range of assessment tools which was the purpose of recommendation three.
Most respondents (34 per cent) said on-going professional development is the most important thing ACC could do to improve the quality of the service.
Of the 188 people that responded to the survey, most (36 per cent) were counsellors. Psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists were among the other respondents.
All of the survey results are available here.

http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/news/2012/august-2012/20/mixed-results-in-sensitive-claims-survey.aspx

Problem solved

A blog post from Off the Couch by Kyle MacDonald

In breaking news today the National Government has responded enthusiastically to the Dr. Barbara Disley authored 18 month monitoring report on the ACC’s Sensitive Claims treatment pathway calling it “a triumph of policy over reason.”
New details revealed by the report show that in 2008, claims accepted and therefore the level of PTSD as a result of sexual abuse and assault was diagnosed by the ACC’s assessors was at a whopping 60%.
However since the National led Government’s change of direction at the ACC the percentage of claims accepted dropped dramatically to 40% in 2009; 13% in 2010; 3.5% in 2011 and thus far in 2012 just 3.6%.

Click here to read the rest of this post.

http://psychotherapy.org.nz/problem-solved/

Abuse survivors struggling to access ACC

An article from Stuff by Paloma Migone, Stacey Kirk and Danya Levy

Therapists are having to "pick up the pieces" for the adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse because they are not getting the help they need from ACC, a leading psychotherapist says.
New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists spokesman Kyle MacDonald said progress made by ACC since changes to the way they handle sensitive claims were brought in has been too slow in coming.
"It’s fair to say there have improvements but it’s nowhere near enough. They’ve had 18 months to put these systems in place now."
Dr Barbara Disley yesterday released the second monitoring report of ACC’s progress on the development and implementation of 14 recommendations given by a 2010 Sensitive Claims Clinical Pathway review. She said there were concerns within the sector over the processes around independent assessment for cover.
"While there have been improvements, including the ability of the support counsellor to attend these assessments with the client, the narrow range of tools applied to determining mental injury and the limited number of professional groups who can administer these tools leads to bottle necks and delays in cover determination," she said.
"ACC needs to urgently review the assessment processes within the adult claims coverage context and broaden the range of tools and professional groups capable of undertaking these assessments."
Dr Disley said it was particularly important for adult survivors of child sexual abuse as the needs of the group were often complex and required specialist knowledge.
"A specific focus on the needs of this group needs to be now initiated," she said.
The number of clients that moved through the cover assessment process was low, falling dramatically from 5919 in 2007 to 235 last year.
Dr MacDonald said that was a "horrible number".
“This is clear evidence that the ACC’s policies are still failing New Zealanders and survivors of sexual abuse. And it’s worth remembering this report pre-dates the privacy breach of over 6000 ACC claimants, and subsequent events.”
Dr MacDonald, who sits on the Sensitive Claims Advisory Group, which ACC regularly meets, said the low number of successful claims was a direct result of the changes.
"This report demonstrates how victims of sexual abuse and assault are still struggling to access the support they are entitled to as a direct result of the National Government-led cost cutting drive in 2009. The fallout of this ill-informed policy is still being felt."
Among the changes that resulted four months later was a rule that new claimants and people waiting for a decision on whether they qualified for treatment could get 16 hours "initial support". These 16 free sessions have to be undertaken by an independent, but ACC appointed, assessor.
"The idea of going to talk to a complete stranger is sometimes one of the worst thoughts imaginable for our clients, and they have to go in there and open up to someone they barely know about some of the most traumatic experiences from their past," Dr MacDonald said.
He said clients were simply choosing not to go through with it.
"I think it was probably something that many psychotherapists and clinicians were expecting when the changes came into play. We’re essentially trying to pick up the pieces from an idea that was theirs in the first place."
The report said ACC urgently needed to review its assessment process for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse with mental injury. In the report, Dr Disley also said Maori must be given priority as progress in that area had been slower than expected.
However, the process for children and adolescents in relation to accessing immediate support and moving through the cover process had improved. Overall, Dr Disley found ACC had made "excellent progress" implementing one recommendation and good progress on another six.
"There’s still work to be done in some areas," she said.
Greens ACC spokesman Kevin Hague said the Government and ACC had created a culture of "severe disentitlement" when it came to sensitive claims. ACC was purposely making it harder for clients to get their claims accepted following evidence released by the Greens showing ACC staff were paid bonuses for cutting claimants from the ACC books, he said.
ACC Minister Judith Collins said there had been progress on all but one recommendation but there was still more work for ACC to do.
"Obviously not everything that has been recommended has been completed to the level it should have been. I expect most of them will be completed in the next 18 months."
ACC was undertaking major changes in the area of sensitive claims, 范she said.
"Ultimately they have to make sure they make those changes sustainably and right through the organisation."
The 2010 review, requested by then ACC Minister Nick Smith, made 14 recommendations, including that a process be established to independently monitor the development and implement the review’s suggestions.

© 2012 Fairfax New Zealand Ltd

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7297268/Abuse-survivors-struggling-to-access-ACC

ACC making little progress on sensitive claims - report

An article from the New Zealand Herald by Kate Shuttleworth

An independent report of ACC's handling of sensitive claims has found the corporation has made little progress on implementing recommendations made by an independent panel in 2010.
The sensitive claims unit takes claims from victims of sexual or violent assault. The recommendations cover a wide range of actions, including improving communication with clients, working closely with the sector representatives to refine ACC's systems and processes, and examining ways to ensure treatment and assessment is carried out by a well-qualified, fit-for-purpose workforce.
The report - compiled for ACC's board by Dr Barbara Disley - found the corporation made progress with one recommendation made in 2010, but only average progress in six recommendations and minimal or "limited" progress in another six.
Poor progress was made on establishing a working party involving professional groups to examine the credentials of professionals treating and assessing victims of sexual abuse or violent assault.
The independent report did not mention the privacy breach where ACC last year emailed the details of 6748 clients - including nearly 250 claimants who were victims of sexual or violent assault - to Bronwyn Pullar. The corporation sent a four-page letter of apology to the sensitive claims clients, offering them $250 compensation for the breach.
The report found ACC's most far reaching change had been the introduction of 16 immediate counselling support sessions for sensitive claimants.
The report found a striking number of claims made to ACC this year were put on hold - to date 1026 claims were on hold, 250 had been declined and only 49 had been accepted.
Dr Disley sought in-depth input from ACC to compile the report, which was also informed by an online survey of clients and service providers, interviews with service providers and representatives of professional bodies, feedback from Child Youth and Family.
"There's still work to be done in some areas, and my report contains recommendation on how ACC can continue to make progress towards fully implementing the original recommendations made by the independent review panel."

© 2012 APN Holdings NZ Ltd

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10820174

ACC sex abuse processes 'need review'

An article from Stuff by Paloma Migone

ACC needs to urgently review its assessment process for adults who were abused as children and left with mental health problems, an independent report says.
Dr Barbara Disley today released the second monitoring report of ACC's progress on the development and implementation of 14 recommendations given by a 2010 Sensitive Claims Clinical Pathway review. In the report, she said there were concerns within the sector over the processes around independent assessment for cover.
"While there have been improvements including the ability of the support counsellor to attend these assessments with the client, the narrow range of tools applied to determining mental injury and the limited number of professional groups who can administer these tools leads to bottle necks and delays in cover determination," she said.
"ACC needs to urgently review the assessment processes within the adult claims coverage context and broaden the range of tools and professional groups capable of undertaking these assessments."
Disley said it was particularly important for adult survivors of child sexual abuse as the needs of the group were often complex and required specialist knowledge.
"A specific focus on the needs of this group needs to be now initiated," she said.
The number of clients that moved through the cover assessment process was low, falling dramatically since 2007 to 2011 from 5919 to 235 respectively. It could be that the recently-implemented 16 support sessions available were sufficient for some clients, but ACC needed to ensure that the process of cover determination itself was not to blame.
Disley also said Maori must be given priority as progress in that area has been slower than expected. The process for children and adolescents in relation to accessing immediate support and moving through the cover process had improved however.
Overall, Disley found ACC had made "excellent progress" implementing one recommendation and good progress on another six.
"In the 18 months since the initial, independent review, ACC has made significant changes to the way it deals with sensitive claims, and these changes have seen considerable progress achieved in many years."
However, she said: "There's still work to be done in some areas."
The 2010 review, requested by then ACC Minister Nick Smith, made 14 recommendations, including that a process be established to independently monitor the development and implementation of the review's suggestions.

© 2012 Fairfax New Zealand Ltd

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7292703/ACC-sex-abuse-processes-need-review

Monitoring report on sensitive claims management released

A press release by ACC

The second independent monitoring report of ACC’s management of sensitive claims, prepared for the ACC Board by Dr Barbara Disley, was released publicly today.
The report follows an interim monitoring report released in May 2011, and assesses the progress ACC has made implementing recommendations made by an independent panel, which reviewed ACC’s sensitive claims clinical pathway in 2010.
The recommendations covered a wide range of actions, from improving communications with clients, to working closely with sector representatives to refine ACC’s systems and processes, and examining ways to ensure treatment and assessment is carried out by a well qualified, fit-for-purpose workforce.
Dr Disley found ACC has made excellent progress implementing one recommendation and good progress on another six recommendations. Some progress was noted on five recommendations, with progress on one recommendation assessed as “limited”. The final recommendation, involving establishing a process to independently monitor progress, was assessed as having been “achieved”.
Dr Disley sought in-depth input from ACC to compile the report, which was also informed by:
• an online survey of clients and service providers
• interviews with service providers and representatives of professional bodies
• feedback from the Department of Child, Youth and Family.

Summing up the findings of the report, Dr Disley said “In the 18 months since the initial, independent review, ACC has made significant changes to the way it deals with sensitive claims, and these changes have seen considerable progress achieved in many areas.
“There’s still work to be done in some areas, and my report contains recommendations on how ACC can continue to make progress towards fully implementing the original recommendations made by the independent review panel.”
ACC’s General Manager of Claims Management, Denise Cosgrove, says the report provides a fair assessment of progress to date.
“We’ve worked hard to make many different types of changes aimed at improving services for our clients. I’m pleased that the report recognises the progress we’ve made in many areas. We acknowledge there’s still work to be done, but we’re committed to full implementation of the recommendations and keeping the momentum going by making ongoing improvements, and we’ll be seeking the right support to help us do that.”
Ms Cosgrove added that “a key focus for ACC moving forward is our commitment to client care and safety.”
A copy of the final report can be found here: Monitoring Report on the Implementation of the Recommendations from the Independent Panel’s Review of the ACC’s Sensitive Claims Clinical Pathway: 18 Months Follow up (PDF 525K) [Scoop copy: wpc112862.pdf]

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1207/S00195/monitoring-report-on-sensitive-claims-management-released.htm

Survey for the ACC sensitive claims 18 month review

An email from Kyle MacDonald

Dear Friends,
This email relates to a survey for ACC Sensitive Claims Providers ("Counsellors") and clients. If you are neither, I apologise for taking your time. Please feel free to read no further and delete this email.
The last step of the Independent Clinical Review of the ACC Sensitive Claims Treatment Pathway is nearly upon us, namely the 18 month follow up review. As part of that process representatives of the various professional bodies will be meeting with Barbara Disley, the review's lead author in late March to discuss how ACC are going with implementing the changes mandated in the initial review report.
As part of my role as the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists (NZAP) representative I am circulating a survey open to all Sensitive Claims treatment providers and clients. All individual responses are anonymous, and it will only take about 5-10 minutes of your time. See this link for the survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VVXGXXS
Please take the time to complete this survey, your responses are important and it will be the last chance we all have to give feedback to ACC before the review is officially completed. The survey will be closed midnight on Friday March the 9th.

Kind regards,
Kyle MacDonald
www.psychotherapy.org.nz

Stance softened on abuse victims

An article from the Wanganui Chronicle by Laurel Stowell

ACC has further softened its stance toward people who have been sexually abused, counsellor Fliss Newton says. She is one of just three ACC registered counsellors left in Wanganui. "They've made some changes, so that it's almost as good as it used to be," she said.
In October 2009, ACC changed its policy on "sensitive" claims, requiring clients to prove they had suffered "a diagnosed mental injury" before they got help. The result was long waiting lists, claims refusals and protests. In August last year, the policy was relaxed to allow new clients 16 hours' counselling while they were waiting to see if their claim was accepted.
Ms Newton said that for many, that was all the counselling they needed.
More changes have been announced this month. They follow an independent clinical review by a team that included former Mental Health Commissioner Dr Barbara Disley. The latest changes allow trained people rather than just psychologists to assess clients, and allow clients who have been assessed and had counselling to ask for another 16 sessions. They also let counsellors make less frequent and more open-ended reports on clients' progress, and give clients financial help and rehabilitation if they lose their jobs as a result of the abuse.
People whose claims were declined under the controversial October 2009 policy now have a chance to apply again. "They've made it a lot more user-friendly," Ms Newton said. But Ms Newton said there were still improvements to be made. "It can still take ages for people to get an assessment, and we are not sure how it will go for people who need really long-term counselling."

© APN News & Media Ltd 2011

http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/local/news/stance-softened-on-abuse-victims/3960923/

Help is there for sexual abuse victims

An article from the Manawatu Standard by Stacey Kirk

Changes to the way ACC manages the claims of sexual abuse sufferers "are an encouraging step", says a Palmerston North sexual abuse counsellor. Counsellor Paulette Berryman, who sits on the Sensitive Claims Advisory Group (SCAG), said she "couldn't be more pleased" with rule changes making it easier for sexual abuse victims to gain support, but she was concerned that abuse victims were not aware of the help to which they were now entitled.
ACC tightened up the process for accessing counselling in October 2009, which triggered protest marches, intense lobbying and media scrutiny.
A report was ordered six months ago which recommended changes including a rule that new claimants and people waiting for a decision on whether they qualify for treatment could now get 16 hours' "support". Only some of the recommendations have been implemented, with the rest being carried out over the next year.
An independent report for the ACC board carried out last month found ACC was making "good progress" in changing the way it manages sensitive claims. Dr Barbara Disley, who also chaired the review in 2010, said the report found ACC had done a good job prioritising the more important tasks.
Mrs Berryman said it felt like the hard work of her and her colleagues across the country had paid off. She said she used to receive four or five inquiries a week about sexual abuse counselling, but those numbers rapidly dropped when claimants found their requests for counselling were being denied. Now, they are entitled to up 16 free sessions.
But Mrs Berryman said that she wasn't sure the information had filtered through to abuse victims. She is hoping to get the message out that help is out there for sexual abuse victims "and don't be afraid to ask".
ACC claims management general manager Denise Cosgrove said ACC recognised the importance of providing support to sexual abuse victims. "We recognise we have some way to go before delivering all the recommended changes but we were pleased to note Dr Disley's acknowledgement of our progress," she said.

© 2011 Fairfax New Zealand Ltd

http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/5192479/Help-is-there-for-sexual-abuse-victims

ACC sensitive claims: Core concerns yet to be addressed

A press release by Kyle Macdonald

ACC has released today the six-month report by Dr. Barbara Disley, in follow up to the Independent review of the Sensitive Claims “new pathway” introduced in August 2009.
The report highlights a number of areas where progress has been made, however the key areas that initially led to the protests by the wider sector and professional groups are yet to be addressed: namely the ongoing requirements of an external assessment to access ongoing treatment and the need for claimants to be diagnosed under the DSM-IV.
From the report released today: “SCAG [Sensitive Claims Advisory Group] members are concerned that while access to immeadiate support has been addressed, there has been no change to the clinical pathway processes for clients returning to counselling or reactivating a claim.”
“These issues remain of deep concern, and it’s clear from counsellors and therapists working in the sector that we still struggle to navigate a system that is, at its heart, deeply flawed,” says Kyle MacDonald. “The initial outrage about victims of a crime being required to be diagnosed with a mental illness is yet to be addressed.”
“What remains encouraging is ACC’s ongoing commitment to work with the sector to resolve these issues, and I remain hopeful that we can find a way to re-instate a system that is safe for sexual abuse survivors and restores the sectors faith in ACC.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1105/S00149/acc-sensitive-claims-core-concerns-yet-to-be-addressed.htm

Encouraging progress on ACC sensitive claims

A press release from ACC

An independent report for the ACC Board has found that ACC is making good progress implementing changes to its management of sensitive claims.
Prepared by Dr Barbara Disley, who chaired a review of ACC sensitive claims in 2010, the report finds that ACC has made progress in a number of important areas and those are already delivering improved services to clients.
ACC General Manager Denise Cosgrove said that, as a starting point, ACC had focused on four priority areas, which were:
• ensuring immediate access to support for clients, through the 16 hours of support sessions
• improving working relationships with people working in the sexual abuse field
• developing specific services for children and Maori clients
• putting in place a comprehensive work plan for the broader changes that were agreed.
“We’ve worked really hard to implement changes that ensure our clients have fast access to effective support. These changes have also helped us strengthen positive relationships with clients and providers, and that will hold us in good stead for the future”, Ms Cosgrove said.
Report author, Dr Barbara Disley, said she was “satisfied with progress to date and had encouraged ACC to continue working closely with clients and providers to ensure the end-to-end process meets client needs, is timely and of a high quality. I will be reviewing progress again in 12 months and would expect to see all of the initial review’s recommendations being implemented by that time”.
The report notes that there has not yet been enough time to implement all of the review panel’s recommendations, but that ACC has done a good job prioritising the most important tasks first.
“The report does find some areas that still require attention and urges ACC to continue working with sector groups on those. We intend to do so”, Ms Cosgrove said.
A copy of the report can be found at acc.co.nz/news.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1105/S00427/encouraging-progress-on-acc-sensitive-claims.htm

External review of ACC needed to restore faith

An article from the Otago Daily Times by John Gibb

Dunedin ACC campaigner Denise Powell says ACC's credibility has recently "taken a hammering" over some controversial elective surgery decisions, and an external review is needed to restore public faith in the corporation.
Mrs Powell is president of Acclaim Otago, an ACC claimant support group, and is also a member of the ACC Consumer Outlook Group, a liaison body which brings together ACC claimant support groups and others, with ACC management.
ACC has already begun an internal review of elective surgery, but, at a meeting in February, COG members urged ACC to consult more widely.
Elective surgery is also likely to be discussed at COG's next meeting, in Wellington today.
Dr Barbara Disley, a former senior Mental Health Commissioner, last year led an external review of "sensitive claims pathway" changes involving ACC's dealings with sexual abuse victims, which found some shortcomings and made 14 recommendations.
Mrs Powell said it seemed "very lottery-like" whether injured ACC claimants gained elective surgery, given suggestions that many people had been affected by degenerative processes and were effectively denied ACC cover.
Current decisions over surgery might be accurate, but the general public did not have "a lot of faith" in them.
An external review, such as over sensitive claims, was needed, she said.
Phil Riley, ACC external claims management national manager, said ACC expected the internal review to be completed at the end of this month.
Stakeholder groups had taken part, and the initial consultation had been extended, with 500 clients also surveyed.
He thanked everyone who had given ACC feedback.
ACC Minister Nick Smith has previously dismissed the idea of holding an external review into surgery issues.

© Allied Press Ltd 2010
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/155963/external-review-acc-needed-restore-faith

Questions for written answer

35572 (2010). Lynne Pillay to the Minister for ACC: Has a monitoring group been appointed to oversee the implementation of the Independent Review Panel’s Recommendation for the Sensitive Claims Unit and if so when and who are the members, what payments will be made to them and what are their terms of reference?
Hon Dr Nick Smith (Minister for ACC) replied: The ACC Board has invited Dr Barbara Disley, Chair of the Independent Review Panel, to monitor the development and implementation of the recommendations in the Panel’s report after six and eighteen months. The terms of reference are currently being drafted and payment arrangements negotiated.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QWA/b/8/8/QWA_35572_2010-35572-2010-Lynne-Pillay-to-the-Minister-for-ACC.htm

35388 (2010). Lynne Pillay to the Minister for ACC: How many ACC approved psychiatrists are currently being paid in relation to Sensitive Claims Unit claims - by headcount and/or full time equivalent and is there any change in this number since 8 July; if so, by how many?
Hon Dr Nick Smith (Minister for ACC) replied: In October 2010, ACC paid 47 providers under the Psychiatrist contract for Sensitive Claims. This is compared to June 2010, when ACC paid 49 providers under the Psychiatrist contract for Sensitive Claims.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QWA/f/d/e/QWA_35388_2010-35388-2010-Lynne-Pillay-to-the-Minister-for-ACC.htm

35389 (2010). Lynne Pillay to the Minister for ACC: Has the Minister or his Officials met with any of the oral submitters to the Independent Clinical Review of the New Treatment Pathway for Sensitive Claims since 6 September 2010: if so, who, broken down by submitter’s name and date?
Hon Dr Nick Smith (Minister for ACC) replied: I refer the Member to my answer to Parliamentary Question for Written Answer 25231 (2010).
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QWA/b/f/c/QWA_35389_2010-35389-2010-Lynne-Pillay-to-the-Minister-for-ACC.htm

About-turn on abuse

An article from the Taranaki Daily News by Lyn Humphreys

Taranaki campaigner for sexual abuse victims Bob Stevens is celebrating ACC's about-turn on strict new claims criteria which denied help to hundreds of sexually abused New Zealanders. "For those of us willing to stand up and fight, it has come to pass," Mr Stevens said.
An experienced sexual abuse counsellor, Mr Stevens was among the first to condemn ACC's toughened stance which required claimants to have a diagnosed psychiatric condition.
Last week an independent panel, the Sensitive Claims Pathways Review Panel headed by Dr Barbara Disley, strongly criticised ACC for implementing the new pathways. It has called for urgent action to ensure sexual abuse survivors, especially children and those with special needs, get fast-tracked assistance from ACC in future. It also wants to see a representative working party put in place to ensure processes are improved and are focused on the client.
Last year, Mr Stevens was so incensed with ACC that he threatened to return the QSM awarded for his pioneering work in the field of sexual abuse.
Mr Stevens says he is gratified by the panel's 14 recommendations to ACC Minister Nick Smith, calling it a credit to those who put it together. "While they have certainly given ACC a lot of reasons to reconsider their clinical pathways, they have done it in a respectful and helpful way that will help ACC to reconsider," Mr Stevens said. "At the end of it all, let's hope the people who have been affected by this can now receive the help that is due."
Mr Stevens was particularly angered that, since October last year, ACC required victims to be "labelled" with a mental illness.
ACC Minister Nick Smith implemented the investigation in May this year after acknowledging many were missing out on assistance. ACC had already taken action when last month it implemented an interim recommendation from the panel, immediately offering 16 counselling sessions to all sexual abuse claimants. After receiving the panel's final report last week, Dr Smith confirmed he was not satisfied with ACC's handling of the issue.
The minister, who had earlier said he would not involve himself in clinical decisions, promised that ACC would now be putting the panel's recommendations in place. "The report is quite critical of the way that ACC managed [the changes] and I accept the criticisms that are directed at ACC regarding that," Dr Smith said.
The panel said ACC's communications with sexual abuse victims and providers had often been inappropriate and inadequate. "These need to be improved as a matter of urgency," the panel said. Some claimants, especially children and young people, had been waiting 10 months to be assessed. The panel's recommendations include:

• Priority is given to claims for children.
• All communications with survivors of sexual abuse be urgently reviewed.
• Establishing a working party to examine whether the workforce is meeting quality standards.
• That ACC works with the sector, survivor representatives and relevant government agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive quality framework.
• Ensuring all claims processes protect client safety, take a client focus and recognise the special needs of groups such as children and people with mental illness etc.
• Future changes are made in meaningful consultation with the sector and relevant government agencies.
• That in determining a mental injury, the test should be that the sexual abuse was a substantial or material cause of the injury.

© 2010 Fairfax New Zealand Ltd
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/4121555/About-turn-on-abuse

Report criticises ACC's handling of sensitive claims

A news report from Radio New Zealand

A scathing report into the Accident Compensation Corporation's handling of sensitive claims has found that it was deficient in dealing with victims of sexual abuse. The report was prepared by an independent panel set up in April to review the clinical process for sexual abuse claims.
Last year ACC introduced a new clinical approach to dealing with victims of sexual abuse. But the report is highly critical of that approach, saying it was implemented with too much haste and without adequate consultation.
The review also says the appropriateness of the type and length of treatments should be looked at, as well as the timeliness and responsiveness of ACC's systems. The panel found that victims access to, and delays in receiving, appropriate care deteriorated significantly after the introduction of the new approach. It also found that ACC's communication with sexual abuse victims and practitioners who deliver treatment and assessment services was often inadequate and inappropriate.
The head of the review, Barbara Disley, says the panel found that the changes were too restrictive. It spoke to victims of sexual abuse who should have been getting access to services but were not.
ACC Minister Nick Smith urged the corporation to adopt the recommendations of the review. Dr Smith says he acknowledges that managing sensitive claims is challenging, but he is not satisfied with ACC's handling of such claims. He says he will be getting an independent monitoring group to ensure ACC implements the report's recommendations.
ACC says it has already begun responding to the report's recommendations.

© 2010 Radio New Zealand
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/56426/report-criticises-acc%27s-handling-of-sensitive-claims

Opposition MPs critical over ACC issue

A news report on Voxy from NZPA

Opposition MPs have criticised ACC Minister Nick Smith over his response to a report into the corporation's handling of sexual abuse claims, but the report has mainly laid blame with ACC.
Dr Smith initiated a review when concerns were raised about the difficulties victims faced in getting adequate treatment.
Released today, the report set out 14 recommendations, saying it discovered a "precipitous drop" in sensitive claims when it compared the first three months of 2009 with the first three months of this year.
A review panel, headed by Dr Barbara Disley, said ACC had changed the systems it used with too much haste and did not adequately consult relevant government and non-government organisations, or its own Sensitive Claims Advisory Group.
Dr Smith said he acknowledged that managing sensitive claims was challenging, but that he was not satisfied with ACC's handling of the issue. "There are important lessons for ACC to learn from this report.
"As recommended, I will be implementing an independent monitoring group to ensure ACC delivers on the report's recommendations," he said.
ACC said today the changes it made were about targeting services to those covered by its legislation and to improve the outcomes those people achieved. "We still believe those are reasonable goals."
General manager of claims management Denise Cosgrove said the changes were never about saving money -- something that has been suggested by some opposition MPs. "Year on year, our total expenditure in this area has hardly fallen and it is only a tiny part of ACC's total expenditure," she said. "However, it became clear that the changes we had introduced had excluded more people than we expected and, more importantly, there was little else available for them outside of ACC."
Ms Cosgrove said the review panel's report raised serious issues and ACC had already begun responding to them.
Labour Party victims rights spokeswoman Lynne Pillay accused Dr Smith of "buck passing" over the issue. "Nick Smith is apparently 'urging' ACC to take notice of a review of disastrous sexual abuse guidelines. That statement implies the minister is not responsible for ACC and the decisions it makes," she said.
Ms Pillay said guidelines introduced since National came to power were clearly done as a cost saving measure.
Green Party ACC spokesman Kevin Hague said Dr Smith's acknowledgement that problems were caused by changes made by ACC highlighted a need for an independent review of all changes made by ACC since National took office, so as to ensure accident victims were not being re-victimised.
Dr Smith said he was confident there would now be a system in place ensuring that sensitive claimants got the right services at the right time, and that it would be a significant improvement on what previously existed.

http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/opposition-mps-critical-over-acc-issue/5/62561