ACC continues to rob victims of counselling and support.

Thursday 28th, 2010

Press Release.

Kyle MacDonald

Psychotherapist and NZAP Northern Branch ACC Spokesperson.

This week ACC has been forced to announce it’s true intention with the changes to the provision to ACC sensitive claims sexual abuse counselling: to cut costs with little regard for the welfare of it’s clients, the New Zealand public.
The new policy, confirmed only via a leaked email, confirms that ACC is now re-interpreting the law to exclude claims that have previously been approved, a cynical legal manoeuvre that can only be motivated by cost cutting.

Dr. Peter Jansen, along with other representatives of ACC have repeatedly stated that the changes to the ACC provision of sexual abuse counselling has been motivated by providing “best clinical practice.” This recent leaked information shows ACC’s true intent: to cut funding whenever they can find a way to justify it.

This approach, being both morally and ethically disturbing, is of great concern to expert clinicians who work in this field. Recent clinical experience shows that ACC is using questionable arguments to decline adults presenting with childhood sexual abuse claims, mostly built around the argument that the abuse occurred “too long ago” and “on the balance of probabilities most likely current life events have caused the current symptoms.” This despite the fact that symptoms have included flashbacks of the actual events of the abuse!

This approach to declining claims for childhood sexual abuse, and exiting clients whose abuse occurred prior to 1974, is having the cumulative effect of declining cover for the most severe cases of sexual abuse: those whose abuse occurred in their childhood years, and are still struggling under the terrible weight of these events many years into their adult life. Furthermore the progression and symptomatology of the effects of childhood sexual abuse are beyond question in the clinical literature and given that this group of clients are at high risk for suicide attempts, it is only a matter of time before ACC’s actions are called to question in a coroner’s court.

ACC’s actions are therefore both legally and clinically unjustifiable and the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists on behalf of all of our clients implores the Government to step in and stop this madness.

ENDS

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