The Swamp Report

12 August 2010

NCWNZ welcomes ACC announcement but still cautious

A press release from the National Council of Women

The announcement by ACC, that it will provide immediate relief to new and yet unapproved sexual abuse survivors, has come as a relief to the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ).
“We cannot state enough just how critical it is that new policy approaches are tested before being rolled out,” says Elizabeth Bang, NCWNZ National President. “A pilot for the ACC clinical pathway should have been undertaken, and the opportunity for culturally appropriate consultation promoted and supported by ACC.”
NCWNZ is aware that ACC is actively taking steps to begin addressing the other issues associated with the clinical pathway and some providers have been contacted regarding their participation.
“In the long-run, the savings that have been made during this nine-month experiment, will undoubtedly be expended as ACC injects funding through to assist, what we envisage will be an influx in claimants,” says Elizabeth Bang. “Again, ACC will need to ensure they have sufficient staff on deck to manage the opening of the flood-gates.”
The most important test of how effective consumers and providers were in their consultations with the ACC Independent Review Panel will be determined by what has been captured in the final report to the Minister of ACC.
“Once the report is made public and the Minister of ACC, and ACC itself, have responded to the report’s recommendations, then we will know what work is left to do to ensure the current discrimination has been dealt with,” concludes Elizabeth Bang.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1008/S00146/ncwnz-welcomes-acc-announcement-but-still-cautious.htm

Commission welcomes support for sex abuse victims

A press release from the Human Rights Commission

The Human Rights Commission welcomes ACC’s decision announced today to reverse funding cuts and the provision of extra support to sexual abuse victims.
“The cuts to costs of treatment for sexual abuse ‘sensitive claims’ has put considerable pressure on victims and increased their fears and anxiety,” said Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Dr Judy McGregor.
From Monday, 16 August, people with a new sensitive claim related to sexual abuse or sexual assault and those whose claim is awaiting a decision will be able to have up to 16 hours with a counsellor funded by the ACC.
Dr McGregor said it remained to be established whether this was sufficient for sensitive cases such as those who had suffered child sexual abuse or more than one sexual assault.
The Commission was strongly opposed to the cuts at the time they were made and said that the delays in gaining approval from ACC for assistance to partially meet the costs of treatment “had been alarmingly protracted”.
The Commission welcomed the fact that ACC has listened to the concerns expressed by several groups.
When changes were made recently to ACC legislation, the Commission expressed concern to the Select Committee about the proposed cuts to be made by regulation.
The Commission said counselling for people who had been sexually abused or assaulted should be fully funded by ACC and the cost of services should not be a barrier to access. The cuts placed considerable stress on a very vulnerable group and delayed their recovery and integration back into society and employment.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1008/S00143/commission-welcomes-support-for-sex-abuse-victims.htm

Independent review of ACC changes needed

A press release from the Green Party

The urgent u-turn on sexual abuse counselling strongly suggests that all changes ACC has made to its cover, entitlements, and assessment criteria need to be independently reviewed, the Green Party said today.
“An independent review of the changes is needed to ensure ACC is doing its job and not causing re-victimisation of accident victims,” Green Party ACC spokesperson Kevin Hague said. “The changes made to ACC’s sexual abuse assessment procedures are the first to be assessed independently. The review confirmed the changes were a disaster."
Since late 2008 ACC Minister Nick Smith has introduced many other wide-ranging changes to ACC cover, entitlements and assessment criteria. These include narrowing the criteria for approving surgery, restrictions on cover for hearing loss and work-related gradual process injuries, and widening the vocational independence assessment criteria under which ACC decides to stop paying claimants weekly compensation.
“Like the sexual abuse counselling changes that have now been partially reversed, many of these were not supported by any evidence,” Mr Hague said. “For example, a series of written questions to Dr Smith made it clear he had no idea how many vocational independence assessments were being made and no data around how many people were being refused compensation.
“This tinkering has resulted in many New Zealanders being denied treatment, surgery or counselling that they previously would have received under ACC. We need to apply the same scrutiny to the other changes.”
Mr Hague said that lowering costs to ACC raised the costs on an already overburdened public health system. “Accident victims and their families are not receiving the treatment they need. The ACC model guarantees the essentials and is the envy of the Western world. By changing the procedures we risk decades of successful accident practice being thrown out the window.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1008/S00200/independent-review-of-acc-changes-needed.htm

ACC backdown over counselling pleases

An article from the Marlborough Express by Penny Wardle

Blenheim counsellor Lizzie Fulton is delighted the Accident Compensation Corporation has backed down on its decision to make sexual abuse victims wait for a psychologist's assessment before starting counselling.
ACC announced yesterday that sexual abuse victims could immediately get up to 16 hours with a counsellor. This reversed guidelines released last year that focused treatment only on sexual abuse victims with a diagnosed mental injury.
Ms Fulton says it is possible ACC's change of heart might have more to do with a national shortage of psychologists to carry out the diagnosis than sympathy for sexual abuse victims.
She was certain that many victims disappeared off the radar while waiting for help. She had clients who were no longer contactable, having requested sexual abuse counselling last year. People who were not functioning well sometimes could not afford phones, she said. "People often take a long time to come forward asking for help, because their lives are in such a mess, she said. "Something in them says, `I can't continue like this'."
Email networks between ACC sexual abuse counsellors suggested it was not uncommon for people to wait up to six months for help. ACC had promised children would be fast-tracked, but Ms Fulton said there was a backlog of sexually abused children who had been waiting for three or four months for help.
For many sexual abuse victims, 16 counselling sessions would be enough, but she wanted to know what would happen for those who needed longer-term help. Some severely affected clients had required 50 or 60 sessions before they could live with the trauma of their abuse, she said.
"Abuse is the outcome of crime," said Ms Fulton. "There are people with mental health problems who might require a lifetime of treatment. If sexual abuse victims require long-term help, why should that not be available under ACC?"
The requirement for a mental health diagnosis to access treatment had discouraged victims from seeking help because of the stigma attached, she said. Some did not want to see a psychologist or psychologist.
The Marlborough Express understands that only one psychologist working part-time was available for this work in Marlborough.

© 2010 Fairfax New Zealand Ltd
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/4016877/ACC-backdown-over-counselling-pleases

ACC sex abuse claims 'badly handled'

A news report from the NZPA

ACC has handled the issue of counselling for sexual abuse victims badly, ACC Minister Nick Smith says.
Last October ACC cut counselling for victims of rape and other sexual abuse "sensitive claims", and funding was restricted to those with a diagnosed mental injury resulting from sexual abuse or assault, sparking outrage and protests from sexual abuse groups. But yesterday it announced that from next week people with a new ACC sensitive claim, or with a new claim already in the system but awaiting a decision, would be able to access up to 16 hours with a counsellor.
Dr Smith said the provision of 16 hours was an interim provision and a long term plan would be made after the final report from the independent clinical panel was released in mid-September.
The panel was set up by Dr Smith following concern about the cuts being made. "It was my decision to set up the independent clinical panel when it was plain that a substantive number of clinicians working in this area believed ACC had it wrong," he said.
Dr Smith said while he had been careful not to interfere with what was a clinical matter he did not think ACC had managed the issue well. The Government had not asked for cuts in the sensitive claims area and Dr Smith was concerned when he saw an increase in claims being turned down.
The panel recommended that 16 initial sessions were required immediately and ACC took that on board. "This gap that had developed needed to be addressed urgently and that is why ACC decided to step in and provide the 16 sessions as quickly as possible from next Monday while the panel completes its full report and we can make long-term decisions."
There were lessons for ACC about its consultation with the sector, Dr Smith said. "Because I don't think that has been satisfactory."
ACC's general manager of claims management Denise Cosgrove said ACC had listened to concerns expressed.
A number of details are yet to be finalised, such as what special arrangements might be put in place for children and what support will be available for people who have suffered a relapse, or whose sensitive claims have previously been declined or reactivated.
ACC acknowledged last year's cuts "exposed gaps in the services available to people who have suffered sexual abuse," Ms Cosgrove said. "We will be continuing to develop the sensitive claims process, and will take into account the views of the sector, the final report of the independent panel and the cross-government work being carried out following the recent findings of the Taskforce on Sexual Violence."
Labour's ACC spokesman David Parker said Dr Smith's attempts to blame the ACC board should not be accepted. "The minister was repeatedly and clearly warned by clinicians and the Labour Party that his changes were so obviously wrong. Why have a minister if he will not take responsibility in the face of prior warnings?"