ACC sexual abuse policy perturbs counsellors

Victims of sexual abuse are missing out on counselling because of ACC changes, Christchurch counsellors say.

In October, the ACC changed the way sensitive claims are processed. It is now asking for a firm diagnosis showing mental injury caused by sexual abuse. Counsellors are not permitted to give that diagnosis.

Cathy McPherson, who has been a counsellor since 1986, said ACC had made it so difficult for sexual-abuse victims to get counselling that many who needed help were not seeking it.

Those who did seek help were waiting a long time for the ACC to rule on their claims.

"They're just sitting at home waiting for the ACC to make a decision."

McPherson said she had received just two referrals for sexual-abuse counselling since October. Before then, she was getting about five a week.

Psychotherapist Errol Hay said the changes to the ACC system were abhorrent, and she believed therapy was being constrained.

Labour's victims rights spokeswoman, Lynne Pillay, said nearly 800 people seeking counselling to deal with sexual abuse were declined ACC assistance between July and November last year, and 331 people had their claims accepted.

ACC senior medical adviser Peter Jansen said the corporation had a legislative requirement to help people recover from injuries after an accident. In cases of sexual abuse, it was often a mental injury, but in the past a person who had been abused had been able to receive help from the ACC without it determining the person had a mental injury or what exactly the mental injury was.

The ACC was now getting that information so it could ensure the person was getting the right help, Jansen said.

He believed counsellors were unhappy because the ACC was not allowing them to make a diagnosis.

The corporation was following the 2003 Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act that said not everybody was qualified to undertake diagnosis, he said.

Hay said she was still waiting for the ACC to supply a list of people who were allowed to do the diagnosing in Christchurch.

Jansen said it was the ACC's aim to make claims decisions within seven days, but he was not sure how long it would take to reach that goal.

Before October, the average processing time was nearly nine months, which was the legislative requirement and was inadequate, he said.

McPherson said counsellors believed the new measures were about cost-cutting, rather than making sure people got the right help.

Figures released under the Official Information Act show clients of the ACC's sensitive claims unit cost taxpayers nearly $58 million in the year to last June 30, compared with $48.5m in the previous year. Counselling made up $14.4m of that figure.

- © Fairfax NZ News