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

ACC assessments also key for sensitive claimants

A press release from the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists by Kyle MacDonald

Last night’s shocking expose on TV3’s 60 minutes showed how even “insiders” from ACC admit that a deliberate process of using medical assessors favourable to ACC has lead to a clear and dramatic increase in the “exit” of long term claimants from the ACC’s books.
This approach also continues to detrimentally affect survivors of sexual abuse and violence, or “sensitive claimants” says psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald.
“What was not widely reported with the release of the recent monitoring report of the Independent Clinical Review of the Sensitive Claims treatment pathway was how the ACC’s independent assessors are also preventing New Zealander’s accessing counselling.”
To access ongoing counselling, beyond sixteen support sessions, the client must have a cover determination report, or an external psychological assessment. This is usually conducted by an ACC appointed and contracted assessor.
“What is shocking is to me is that the report details that less than 4% of claims have been accepted based on these assessors reports, in 2011 and 2012. This is down from roughly 60% in 2008.” says MacDonald. “I believe this is further evidence of the cynical management detailed by 60 minutes. The idea that only 4 out of every hundred clients require more than four months of counselling to recover from sexual abuse and trauma makes no clinical sense.”
“It’s also clear that from the clinicians and clients I talk to that all the problems outlined with 'hatchet' assessors, outlined in last nights report also apply to long term Sensitive Claimants and the ACC’s psychological and psychiatric assessments.”
The “Monitoring Report on the Recommendations from the Independent Panel’s Review of the ACC’s Sensitive Claims Treatment Pathway: 18 months follow up” was released on the 17th of July, 2012. The quoted statistics can be found on p. 29.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1209/S00048/acc-assessments-also-key-for-sensitive-claimants.htm

ACC sensitive claims provider survey results

An article from ACC

The results of the ACC Sensitive Claims Provider Survey on progress towards implementing the recommendations of the 2010 independent review of the sensitive claims clinical pathway are now available:

ACC Sensitive Claims Provider Survey Results (PDF 214K)

Thank you to all those providers who took the time to complete the survey.

http://www.acc.co.nz/news/WPC113455

ACC's patchy progress in sensitive claims

A report from Radio New Zealand

An independent report shows ACC has made only patchy progress in implementing the recommendations of a review into its handling of sensitive claims.

Copyright 2012 Radio New Zealand

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2525415/acc%27s-patchy-progress-in-sensitive-claims

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 sensitive claims monitoring report a “fail” mark

A press release from the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists by Kyle MacDonald

The 18 month follow up monitoring report of the ACC Sensitive Claims Clinical Pathway shows clearly that only three of the 14 recommendations have been fully met.
“I consider this a fail mark” says Kyle MacDonald. “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.”
The report details some areas of improvement, but strong concerns remain around the use of external ACC appointed assessors, implemented in 2009 due to the ACC’s “reinterpretation” of the legislation. Also of concern is the manner in which the Sensitive Claims pathway often fails survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Detailed in the report is the massive decrease from 40% of claims accepted versus claims lodged in 2009; down to 4% in 2011 and 2012. “This is a horrifying number.” says MacDonald. “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.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1207/S00197/acc-sensitive-claims-monitoring-report-a-fail-mark.htm

Survivors' trust in ACC at rock bottom

A press release from the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists

ACC has once more shown its lack of understanding of the needs of survivors of sexual abuse. Whilst it is clear that the privacy breach this week of 6000 individuals' private health information is of concern to all New Zealanders, of particular concern is today’s admission by ACC that the details of sensitive claimants has been circulated outside of the sensitive claim unit for “a number of years.”
“This is a clear breach of trust by ACC, and contrary to all policies and previous understandings of how sensitive claims should be handled,” says Kyle MacDonald, of the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists.
The Sensitive Claims Unit specifically handles the claims related to sexual abuse and assault, and all information is required to remain only with that unit, an additional level of privacy required due to the sensitive nature of these claims.
“The trust that sexual abuse survivors have in ACC is undoubtedly at rock bottom. Sensitive Claimants have already had to endure incompetently implemented changes to their treatment pathway in 2009 and now despite an independent review and multiple assurances from ACC, we discover that the ACC continue to act with blatant disregard for the rights of survivors.”
The Sensitive Claims treatment pathway, for survivors of sexual abuse and assault is in its final phase of being reviewed, a process that commenced in 2009 in response to the ACC’s changes to their treatment pathway and subsequent protest from all professional groups involved in the provision of treatment.
“ACC have breached their own internal process by circulating sensitive claimants information outside of the unit set up specifically to protect their privacy. To ensure this thoroughly investigated I have made a specific complaint to the privacy commissioner asking her to investigate and review the privacy of the sensitive claims unit.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1203/S00081/survivors-trust-in-acc-at-rock-bottom.htm

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

Making like Arnie when it comes to ACC

A blog post from LudditeJourno

Making like Arnie when it comes to ACC
Which just means coming back, in a nod to the usefulness of sci-fi in everyday life.  It doesn’t mean I’ve become a right-wing bodybuilder in the months since I’ve blogged last.
I’m going to start by posting a summary I wrote a while back, somewhere else, about the ACC Clinical Pathway review.  Partly because I wrote a lot about this earlier, and partly because I’ve had several conversations with people who protested against the ACC Pathway when it was introduced who haven’t kept up with what happened next.  Mostly because the media have shut down on it, failing to report very much at all about what the Review of the Pathway showed.

Click here to read more.

Good news about ACC?

A blog entry from SOSA

Since the report of the Independent Review of the ACC processes came out in September we have not heard much about how the recommendations are going to be implemented. As always, in the vacuum created by lack of information, the brain does what it does best: It fills in the gaps. You could also say, it makes things up. So it is not surprising, that a few conspiracy theories are floating around the country. People are wondering whether ACC is going to take any of the recommendations to heart. Is ACC trying to wear down opponents of the infamous New Clinical Pathway by buying time?
We have kept our ears to the ground and people have told us the following ...

Click here to read more.

Shut down ACC's Sensitive Claims Unit

A press release from Access Support Services

Last year ACC’s Sensitive Claims Unit (SCU), based in Wellington, implemented its new clinical pathways for claimants suffering from the effects of sexual abuse. It also adopted the so-called “tough love” policy drafted by one of its senior officials, Phil Riley, who set out a strategy on how to exit claimants from the Scheme, including suspending entitlements.
The consequence of these two policies is that the SCU often requires rape victims to undergo multiple physiatrist assessments or risk having entitlements suspended or not provided at all. This heavy handed approach has a re-traumatising effect on victims of sexual abuse.
SCU’s approach is highlighted in a story on stuff.co.nz (8/11/10), where it reports ACC has unlawfully refused to implement a binding review decision directing the corporation to reinstate a rape victim’s entitlements.
“We believe SCU senior and technical staff have consistently demonstrated they are not up to the job, including its senior medical advisor Dr Peter Jansen,” says Mr Wadsworth. “Now it’s time for ACC to shutdown the dysfunctional unit.”
Over the last year Access Support Services has regularly expressed our concerns over the way the SCU manage sexual abuse claims. Now ACC’s claims management business manager Sue North is defending its refusal to implement a binding review decision.
“ACC’s senior management responsible for adopting Phil Riley’s tough love strategy and implementing the new clinical pathways need to take a good hard look at themselves, even if they are under enormous political pressure from the National-led Government,” says Mr Wadsworth.“This is not what the ACC scheme is suppose to be about.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1011/S00087/shutdown-accs-sensitive-claims-unit.htm

ACC independent review supports national outcry to stop pathway

An article from Te Whariki Tautoko by Ripeka August–Tampeau

Ka tangi te titi, ka tangi te kaka, ka tangi hoki ko au.
Kii mai koe ki ahau, he aha te mea nui o te ao?
Maku e kii atu he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
(Author unknown)

You ask me “what is the most important thing in this world” and
I must reply “It is people, it is people, it is people”.

And that is exactly what the Independent Review Panel clearly concluded in their recommendations to the Minister of ACC, Nick Smith. The review concluded the pathway needed an urgent overhaul to its generic clinical pathway process to better support the needs of victims of sexual assault. ACC’s response was immediate with the introduction of the much needed counselling support sessions.
The review panel is also clear that immediate changes to the pathway are not possible. As a result ACC have supported the recommendations and started working with the Sensitive Claims Advisory Group (SCAG) to begin developing and implementing a new clinical pathway based on the recommendations.
The Independent Review panel addressed serious concerns to the poor response by ACC to Maori victims of sexual assault and their whanau. As a result of the clinical pathway many Maori counsellors refused to support this pathway further reducing the already under representation of ACC Maori counsellors. The damage of the clinical pathway was felt by many and was responded to by many. Recently, ACC general manager and SCAG members agreed to a separate working group to develop and implement a tikanga Maori pathway and this is to happen as soon as possible.  
Although Maori are happy that changes have begun, there is still the thought “will ACC follow through”. It is clear there is still further work for ACC to do and in consultation with Maori stakeholders to “get it right”.

http://www.tewharikitautoko.org.nz/portfolios/acc-scag

SOSA response to ACC review

A press release from SOSA

The independent review panel proposed 14 recommendations to ACC’s clinical pathway. Whilst ACC are yet to agree on all recommendations, SOSA welcomed the immediate commencement of 16 counselling sessions granted to "new and/or existing claimants".
Ken Clearwater, SOSA board member who also spent two years as a member of TOAH-NNEST on the ACC Service Improvement Project in conjunction with Government for the Taskforce on Sexual Violence, is pleased “the Government has accepted that the clinical pathway was damaging and wants to make changes”.
SOSA President Gudrun Frerichs remains skeptical. “Although the report represents very well the concerns of survivors and mental health professionals, the recommendations formulated are quite vague and give ACC a lot of room to dodge the items.” Gudrun is concerned that whilst the recommendations are a step in the right direction, any improvement for survivors hinges on the independent supervisory panel [yet to be established] to interpret those recommendations. “It appears that ACC has actually not had a change of heart but is rather bowing down (reluctantly) to the pressure of the review panel.”
There is no disputing that the recommendations made by the panel are a positive step forward but concerns are being raised about just how or if ACC will implement any of the proposed changes. Given the report by the Otago Daily Times from Monday, 20 September, ACC plans to cut a further 1150 long term claimants from their list.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and maintain public pressure for all those recommendations to be implemented,” said Gudrun Frerichs.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1009/S00125/sosa-response-to-acc-review.htm

The sensitive claims pathway for Maori

Erina Smith from Te Karere talks to counsellor Ripeka August-Tampeau and ACC's Denise Cosgrove

Maori healthworkers are overjoyed at the new recommendations that have been put to ACC regarding their sensitive claims pathway for sexual abuse victims. There is a Maori pathway to heal Maori victims of sexual abuse.
Ripeka August-Tampaeu: "The changes that we recommended have finally been addressed and now we're goign to get on and do something about it." This is a result of an independent review of the changes ACC made to their sensitive claims pathway for sexual abuse victims in order for them to receive help. "The recommendation that we put in was to have a separate pathway for Maori or an alternative pathway for Maori to have and out of that look at tamariki and rangatahi as well.  So we're looking at starting that as soon as possible."
Te Karere followed Ripeka August and other Maori sexual abuse workers in July when they put forward their submissions to the independent review panel. Their work has paid off. "We'll be bringing together a group of rangatira Maori within the field of sexual assault and rangatira Maori within te ao Maori to come together and develop a pathway."
ACC agree that action is required in some areas. Denise Cosgrove: "So we've done some really good work already with the sector on understanding their issues and concerns with the pathway and how we can make that and facilitate that process better for our clients." Despite the challenges of this job, the positive thing is that Maori now have the power to be able to build their own pathway to heal their own people.

© 2010 Television New Zealand Ltd
http://tvnz.co.nz/te-karere/2010-wednesday-video-1027496

Psychotherapists welcome review report

A press release from the NZAP by Kyle MacDonald

The New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists welcomes the Independent Review Panel´s report into the ACC´s failed new clinical pathway and its recommendations for changes.
"The report is clearly an indictment of both the intention and application of the change process ACC embarked on in October last year," says Kyle MacDonald, NZAP spokesperson. "It is validating for all clinicians and survivors that the review panel´s report echoes the concerns that we have had since the very first draft of this new pathway was released."
Most damning is the review panel´s view that "the Panel found no evidence of formal planning for implementation ... Evidence obtained from presentations and submissions was that implementation was poorly planned without adequate consideration of the impact on clients and the Pathway was introduced prematurely and precipitously." They further have grave concerns about the fact that ACC failed to follow rudimentary processes about change implementation required of State Services.
"The picture is one of grave incompetence, and New Zealanders deserve to now know how this was allowed to happen," says MacDonald.
Of most encouragement to clinicians and survivors will be the clear recommendation that ACC cease using the DSM-IV as the measure of a mental injury, and that the legal opinion obtained by the review panel states that ACC have "over-reached" in their interpretation of the law justifying this. Furthermore the review states that the higher level of proof of "causality" is not supported by the current common law.
"The key thing now is for ACC to quickly implement all the recommendations, and remove the unreasonable impediments to survivors wanting to access treatment. While some moves have been made in the right direction, we will wait and see how the actual implementation of these recommendations plays out over the net few months."

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

Response from Denise Cosgrove

A letter to the editor of the Sunday Star Times

Your story "Academic with link to sex abusers silent on role in drafting ACC rules" (News, August 29) was misleading in some important respects. The article suggests that Dr Felicity Goodyear-Smith was involved with the development of the ACC clinical pathway for sexual abuse claims. She was not. Goodyear-Smith had no role in the development of the pathway. The report she and two other researchers produced five years ago was an inconclusive study which compared treatment rates provided to ACC sexual abuse clients by psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors. So it was not relevant to the development of the pathway.
Yes, one of their recommendations was that there should be diagnosis before treatment, using an assessment tool called DSM-IV. Yes, that is what we've been doing. But we didn't do so because it was in their report. Far from it. We did it because it was internationally seen as best practice, because the courts in NZ had endorsed DSM-IV as an appropriate method and because no suitable alternative options have been put forward. Goodyear-Smith had no part in any of that.
The article also failed to mention the work that ACC is currently doing with the Sensitive Claims Advisory Group and others to ensure that, moving forward, we continue to provide the most appropriate services for our clients.
Denise Cosgrove
General manager, claims management ACC

Copyright Fairfax New Zealand Ltd 2010
http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/sunday-star-times-wellington-new-zealand/mi_8185/is_20100912/sexual-abuse/ai_n55232011/

ACC responds to independent review of services

A press release from ACC

Last year’s changes to how ACC manages sexual abuse claims were designed to achieve two goals. They were to ensure we targeted our services to those people who were actually covered by our legislation and to improve the outcomes those people achieved. We still believe those are reasonable goals.
The changes were never about saving money. Year on year, our total expenditure in this area has hardly fallen and it is only a tiny part of ACC’s total expenditure.
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.
“ACC has already acknowledged this situation itself and had begun working with the sector to put in place whatever support we appropriately can. For example, we recently introduced up to 16 hours of support for people with a new sensitive claim, or who are awaiting an assessment”, said Denise Cosgrove, General Manager, Claims Management, ACC.
The report of the Independent Review Panel, released today by the Minister for ACC, raises a number of serious issues and ACC has already begun responding to them.
“ACC met with the Panel to discuss its findings. We agree that action is required in some areas, and believe the initiatives we have already put in place will go some way to addressing their concerns.”
“However, we continue to believe that, for those who are accepted by ACC, the current Pathway offers considerable advantages over the previous process. It ensures people get a proper assessment before treatment is undertaken, that there is a plan in place for that treatment and checks that progress is being made towards set objectives. This represents sound clinical practice.”
“Nonetheless, to ensure we make good decisions moving forward, we have begun regular meetings with the sexual abuse treatment sector, including clients, to make sure that they are involved and their voices are heard. The feedback we have received from them and the Independent Panel about our early work has been very positive”.
Ms Cosgrove said work was continuing on the development of separate processes for children and other groups such as Maori. A workforce development plan for counsellors, to ensure they provided a high-quality service, was also being developed. “But I have to emphasise that not all of the answers sit with ACC. We are just one of a number of agencies with responsibilities in this area. The Government’s response to the Report of the Sexual Violence Taskforce will provide a ‘whole of government’ approach, which is a sensible way to ensure that the right solutions are put in place”.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1009/S00101/acc-responds-to-independent-review-of-services.htm

Questions for written answer

29295 (2010). Hon David Parker to the Minister for ACC: What is the list of working parties, advisory groups and review bodies, if any, the Minister or ACC have set up since November 2008?
Hon Dr Nick Smith (Minister for ACC) replied: The Government has facilitated the formation of the Ministerial Inquiry into Disclosure of Funding Shortfall in ACC Non-Earners' Account and the Steering Group for the Stocktake of ACC Accounts. I also initiated the Independent Clinical Review into ACC's Clinical Pathway for Sensitive Claims.

http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QWA/1/3/b/QWA_29295_2010-29295-2010-Hon-David-Parker-to-the-Minister-for-ACC.htm

29026 (2010). Lynne Pillay to the Minister for ACC: Which entry in the document tabled on 17 August 2010 "make plain" the work on the clinical pathways began in 2008, prior to the change of Government, as he claimed in the House on 17 August 2010?
Hon Dr Nick Smith (Minister for ACC) replied: The entries dating 2008 and preceeding it that show significant workstreams were under way prior to the change of Government on changing the way sensitive claims were managed by ACC.

http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QWA/f/e/8/QWA_29026_2010-29026-2010-Lynne-Pillay-to-the-Minister-for-ACC.htm

Conflicting interests?

An article from the Sunday Star Times by Tim Hume

Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith is a senior academic and doctor who was commissioned by ACC to research sexual abuse counselling. She is also the daughter-in-law of Centrepoint guru and paedophile Bert Potter, is married to a convicted sex offender and has controversial views on the workings of the 'sexual abuse industry'. Tim Hume examines allegations of Goodyear-Smith's influence in ACC's recent drastic cut in support for victims of sex crimes.
Last October, ACC changed the rules governing the support available to victims of sex crimes, introducing a heavily criticised new regime that severely restricted access to counselling.
But what most concerned critics was an apparent similarity between a requirement in the new "clinical pathway", and a recommendation contained in research ACC had commissioned from a controversial senior academic. The research was led by Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith, who has been a vocal detractor of the field of sexual abuse counselling and who, as the daughter-in-law of Centrepoint founder Bert Potter, has ongoing personal relationships with convicted child sex offenders.
During the eight months following the clinical pathway's introduction, ACC paid out $7 million less to 2889 fewer claimants than it had over the same period a year previous. Approved new claims, running at 1313 in the eight months prior to the pathway's introduction, subsequently dropped to 240 over the same length of time. Among the hundreds to have their claims denied were two women believed to have later committed suicide.
Despite a record $4.8 billion loss sustained by ACC the previous financial year, ACC Minister Nick Smith stressed the policy was not an attempt to cut costs, but was driven by a desire to implement best practice for sexual abuse victims, known as "sensitive claimants". Critics dubbed the new pathway a "rapists' charter".
The scheme's many detractors were primarily concerned by a new requirement that, before they could access ACC counselling and support, claimants had to be diagnosed formally with a mental injury as defined by the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV). Whereas previously, ACC might have accepted a GP or counsellor's description of symptoms such as flashbacks, panic attacks or nightmares resulting from a sex crime, now a formal diagnosis of a mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder was needed.
It's unclear exactly why. Nowhere was a DSM-IV mental illness diagnosis specified in the so-called "Massey guidelines", the widely accepted 2008 best practice manual which ACC had commissioned from Massey University researchers, and which it cited as having guided the formulation of the pathway ...

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