I think our Universities have a lot to answer for - or do politicians learn to talk a lot without saying anything of substance in a political-party-membership-bootcamp and not at varsity?
This is what the member of parliament Patsy Wong had to say when questioned about ACC
Hon PANSY WONG (Acting Minister for ACC) : ACC’s proposed changes to the treatment guidelines for mental injury resulting from sexual abuse are based on a comprehensive 5-year programme of clinical research commissioned by the corporation. The Massey University school of psychology undertook this research with a team comprising 23 researchers and an advisory committee of 13 people. A multi-method approach was taken, utilising quantitative and qualitative analysis, literature reviews, questionnaires, and focus groups. The research team included specialists in survivor advocacy, psychology, counselling, education, migrant resettlement, indigenous issues, and the mental health of children and older people.
Go here to follow the whole Q & A session of parliament yesterday. You will have to feel sorry for poor Patsy. She must have been given the Cheat-Sheet from the ACC management to make sure they all say the same non-sense. Actually, the Massey Study, the basis of ACC's new Guidelines is not as bad as many people make it out to be. Download a copy here: Download ACC4451(2) I think the problem with it is that it tries to do right by all sides, with a little bit of heavy leaning on the cognitive behavioural approach.
However, the management of ACC, pursued by the government to close the deficit-gap and come up with effective cost-cutting ideas, has taken quite some liberty with their interpretation of the study. I do feel for the researchers.
One of the main problem ACC seems to have is that 14% of clients have more than 100 hours, a small amount even has more than 3oo hours of counselling. That high number of session flies in the face of those who think that 16 sessions @ 1 hour each should be perfectly enough to recovery from sexual abuse.
Totally overlooked is that international studies have shown that after years, 14% of the people affected still showed severe psychological disturbances.
It has nothing to do with counsellors not doing a good job. 14% of clients need longer term therapy because they have more severe psychological disturbances. This is completely in sinc with international findings of typical trajectories after trauma.
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