Questions for written answer

12451 (2009). Hon David Parker to the Minister for ACC: How many sensitive claims did ACC approve for each month in 2008?
Hon Dr Nick Smith (Minister for ACC) replied: Accepted Sensitive Claims Jan-08 198 Feb-08 234 Mar-08 212 Apr-08 298 May-08 232 Jun-08 340 Jul-08 337 Aug-08 255 Sep-08 262 Oct-08 293 Nov-08 307 Dec-08 297
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QWA/1/9/2/QWA_12451_2009-12451-2009-Hon-David-Parker-to-the-Minister-for-ACC.htm

12452 (2009). Hon David Parker to the Minister for ACC: How many sensitive claims did ACC approve for each month for the year so far in 2009?
Hon Dr Nick Smith (Minister for ACC) replied: Accepted Sensitive Claims Jan-09 274 Feb-09 198 Mar-09 277 Apr-09 236 May-09 187 Jun-09 213 Jul-09 205
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QWA/9/c/6/QWA_12452_2009-12452-2009-Hon-David-Parker-to-the-Minister-for-ACC.htm

ACC builds a fortress against sex abuse claims

A press release by the New Zealand Association of Counsellors, the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists and the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers

ACC have claimed that their new “clinical pathway” for sexual abuse claims is proving a “success”. In fact they have built a barbed wire fence, and the predators are on the wrong side of the fence.
They are succeeding in their policy of reducing the number of sexual abuse claims, not by a programme of prevention, but by putting barriers in the way of victims of sex crimes getting the treatment they need. “They demand an unrealistic skill set from assessors, which means that there are very few available in New Zealand to undertake this work. According to ACC, assessors need to be not just qualified to make a mental illness diagnosis but they must also be skilled and experienced in work with sexual abuse survivors and willing to do this work for ACC.”
ACC’s own statistics show a serious reduction in approved claims. They claim that this is because of a “more robust” policy of approval. This is just the same “tough it out” language that the latest campaign against mental health stigma is trying to stop.
This must please the rapists and paedophiles. They believe that what they do doesn’t cause any harm – the new ACC pathway is a Rapists’ Charter.
Information from counsellors and therapists in the community is showing that a high number of claims are being declined or delayed by the new system. Treatment providers are pulling away from offering services and victims of crime are being deterred by insistence on a diagnosis of mental illness.
In the 6 weeks since the new pathway was introduced at least 20 therapists have pulled away from offering ACC services. Reasons have included: unwillingness to be part of a scheme that potentially retraumatises crime victims; excessive unpaid reporting requirements; and uncertainty about being able to provide continuity of care.
Claims are being declined for a raft of spurious reasons, including:

1. No culturally appropriate pathway for Maori yet established (2 cases)
2. No culturally appropriate pathway established for Pacific clients (1)
3. No appropriate pathway established for children and adolescents (1)
4. Decline because of pre-exiting or coexisting psychological or family (“dysfunctional”) condition (6)
5. ACC deciding sex was “consensual” even when clearly coerced (victim under age at 12 years) (1)

Delays are occurring because of:

1. Shortage of appropriate clinical psychologists to assess (69) – includes geographical location (36)
2. Confusion over which therapists are “qualified” to provide assessment (5)
3. Referral to a second psychiatrist after referral from mental health services (1)
4. Ineffecient administrative processes, eg.:
   a) Losing track of clients’ information (1)
   b) Delays in responding to phone calls and emails (1)
   c) Inadequate preparation of forms, codes etc before rolling out the new CP (4)
   d) ACC staff blaming therapists or claimants for their own mistakes rather than admit a mistake has been made (1)
5. No lists of suitably qualified counsellors who are still available for clients to contact (2)

Victims of crime are finding the process too daunting to continue (7), examples of inhumane actions by ACC include:

1. Claimants being processed under new pathway even though claim was lodged before the date this applied (2)
2. Claimants having no choice of therapist now SCU decides who they will see (4)
3. Claimants’ experience of Clinical Psychologists’ appropriate treatment methods, inc.
   a. A male suggesting he come to the home of a female claimant to assess her (1)
   b. Sent exhaustive questionnaires to fill in ahead of assessment (2)
4. Claimants denied further hours because they are seen to have “had enough”, an administrative rather than a clinical decision (1)
5. No lists of suitably qualified counsellors who are still available for clients to contact (2)

In a submission to Parliament last week, representatives of the NZ Association of Psychotherapists, supported by NZAC and ANZASW urged Parliament to change the definition of Mental Injury in the ACC legislation. ACC insists that a legal judgement on the definition of Mental Injury is forcing them to require a diagnosis of mental illness. NZAP insists that it has always been Parliament’s intention that it is the impairment that constitutes the mental injury, not a diagnosis of mental illness.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00099.htm

ACC must go back to drawing board on sexual abuse

Press release from the New Zealand Labour Party

Opposition to ACC plans to change sexual abuse counselling practices is mounting and damaging the credibility of the agency and a two week delay is not good enough - it must revisit the plans, says Labour's Victims Rights spokesperson Lynne Pillay.
“The changes were due to be introduced next week and have now been deferred again – this time by two weeks. But what is needed is a complete rethink.
“Sexual abuse counsellors around the country are outraged and significant numbers of them have signalled they will stop doing ACC-funded work because they believe the new guidelines will restrict access to counselling and re-victimise people in the process.
“They are also angry about ACC’s sham consultation process. The Sensitive Claims Advisory Group was not consulted and ACC has only just agreed to a proper meeting with the group – but only after the release of the new guidelines, which adds to the farce,”Lynne Pilllay says.
“ACC says the door is open, but minds are clearly closed!”
“ACC is already facing questions about how it has allowed significant delays in processing sexual abuse claims to occur and has also been criticised by the Privacy Commissioner and Rape Crisis over the invasive forms it requires claimants to sign.
“The agency’s credibility has taken a hammering and the ACC Minister should intervene and demand a rethink.
“Up to 700 sexual abuse claims are lodged a month and the public won’t tolerate such shoddy treatment from a Government that claims to stand up for victims of crime,” says Lynne Pillay.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00095.htm

Technorati link

2PRFSECU4HPH

ACC – only 127 sexual abuse claims

Press release from Access Support Services

On Monday, TV 3’s 60 Minutes programme exposed 500 cases of alleged abuse, including sexual abuse, at children’s homes run by the former Department of Social Welfare. The lawyer representing these complainants said she felt it was just the tip of the iceberg. In the 2007/08 year ACC accepted 127 claims for personal injury caused by sexual abuse. In the same year the NZ Police received 3,700 sexual abuse complaints and Rape Crisis dealt with about ten times this number of enquiries.
So why are so few sexual abuse claims being lodged with ACC and how many of these types of claims should there be?
“That is a very difficult to determine but I would have it expected it to be at least ten times this amount” says Mr Wadsworth, Principal of Access Support Services. “What we do know is 127 sexual abuse claims in a year isn’t consistent with the number of victims other organisations deal with.”
Last month ACC revealed it would no longer fund the Auckland Sexual Abuse Help-Line. This month ACC released information to Access Support Services that its funding this year for injury prevention in relation to sexual abuse is forecasted to be a paltry $27,500.
“It appears the lack of adequate funding is effectively suppressing the number of injury claims ACC receives for sexual abuse” comments Mr Wadsworth. “In my opinion, ACC is failing to fulfil its statutory obligations and, by default, failing the most vulnerable in society.”
Access Support Services wants the Government and ACC to increase funding to front-line organisations such as help-lines and Rape Crisis. In addition to this, ACC should fund a nationwide awareness campaign along the lines of the recent “It’s Not OK” anti-violence campaign.
“It is time for ACC to step up to the plate and be counted,” says Mr Wadsworth. “ACC needs to show it has the same courage as the three victims showed by appearing on the 60 Minutes programme.”
Ref: Injury Statistics for Sensitive Claims
(Access Support Services is a private organisation providing advocacy services for ACC claimants.)

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0907/S00206.htm