Counselling subsidy for rape victims little known

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 7

Counselling subsidy for rape victims little known

A counselling subsidy for rape victims, available from the Accident Compensation Commission since December last year, is little known by either doctors or women who have been raped. Dr Robyn Hewland, speaking at the annual meeting of the Rape Crisis Group last evening, said that although a medical bulletin from the A.C.C. had been sent to all registered doctors in December last year, informing them of the $2O a session subsidy available from it for up to 10 counselling sessions, few doctors seemed aware of the service. Requirements of the subsidy include the need for doctors to refer rape victims td approved counsellors. For Rape Crisis Group counsellors to use the sub-

sidy they would need to attend a training week-end taken by a recognised rape counsellor from the Help Centre in Auckland, Dr Hewland said. Help Centre counsellors in Auckland and Tauranga are now the only ones recognised by the A.C.C. “The Help Centre people in Auckland provide the model the A.C.C. feels comfortable with,” said Dr Hewland. To be placed on the list of approved counsellors, volunteer workers at the Rape Crisis Centre would need to commit themselves to completing 10 sessions with each woman. The meeting decided that more discussion was needed before a Help Centre counsellor from Auckland was brought to Christchurch. Ms Elizabeth Hawes, one

of two full-time counsellors employed at the centre, said in her report that during the last year the Rape Crisis group had been called by 200 women in need of support and advice on rape and sexual abuse. Rape Crisis volunteers had spoken at 113 high schools, tertiary institutions, and community groups, as well as being involved in two seminars on sexual abuse run by the community mental health team for professionals. The centre has been open for more than a year, and a second room at the Peterborough Centre is now available for counselling purposes. Aims for the coming year include widening the educational impact of the group as well as promoting its counselling services.