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Awards for counselling expenses

An award of financial assistance for a counselling expense is made to the applicant. The award authorises the applicant to incur counselling expenses with a particular counsellor consistent with the treatment plan proposed by that counsellor.

When an award for counselling expense is made by the Tribunal, the counsellor’s report is the basis for measuring the effectiveness of the treatment provided, and will be relevant in the assessment of any future application for an award for further counselling expenses.

For adult applicants accessing counselling for the first time with respect to an act of violence, the Tribunal will usually pay for the first five hours of counselling for the provision of “information, comfort, emotional and instrumental support (that is, “psychological first aid”)* provided by an appropriately qualified counsellor. All expenses awarded for counselling services are at the discretion of the Tribunal.

Applicants who have already accessed an initial five hours of counselling through the Victims Assistance and Counselling Program, Transport Accident Commission, WorkCover or the Medicare Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners Benefits Scheme and who want additional counselling, will be required to make an application for an award for additional counselling expenses to be paid by the Tribunal (Form 2, Practice Direction 1/2008).

The Tribunal will consider making an award for reasonable counselling services that are additional to the first five hours of counselling accessed by an applicant where:

• there is proper clinical justification;
• the counselling is likely to be effective in achieving and maintaining the applicant’s recovery;
• the proposed treatment method is considered by the professional associations/bodies to which the counsellor belongs to be an appropriate method; and
• a treatment plan has been considered and approved by the Tribunal.

The Tribunal is unlikely to award financial assistance for counselling expenses incurred without prior approval of the Tribunal, except for the provision of ‘psychological first aid’ (ie, the first five hours of counselling).