If you have experienced sexual abuse and it’s caused mental health problems for you, it’s likely the treatment you need can be provided under an ‘ACC sensitive claim’. ACC now covers mental injuries (such as post-traumatic stress disorder) resulting from sexual abuse, so that survivors of abuse can receive the treatment they need to move on with their lives.
In the past, people who felt ready to receive help and wanted to make a sensitive claim have found it hard to know where to go, or who to talk to, and many have feared having to tell their story repeatedly. Fortunately, things are different now and it’s easy to get the help you need.
To get started, please visit www.findsupport.co.nz and make contact with a therapist there. They will ask you some questions to make sure the ACC programme is the right one for you, and then arrange to meet with you to get to know you better and explain how things work with ACC. There will be no cost to you for these meetings, and if you lodge a sensitive claim (your therapist will take care of it) that is accepted by ACC, your treatment will be paid for by ACC.
If you hope to have Dr Foote involved in your sensitive claim journey, this might occur in your supported assessment, or a treatment review, or similar. Feel free to discuss this possibility with your therapist.