Mental injury assessments
Use your expertise to complete assessments for kiritaki (clients) seeking support for a mental injury or financial compensation.
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Why we need more assessors?
We’re seeing increasing numbers of kiritaki (clients) seeking ACC support for sexual abuse or assault and requesting financial entitlements. To help meet the increased demand, we’re seeking clinical psychologists and psychiatrists to come work with us as an assessor under one of our mental injury contracts.
Through the Psychiatric Services contract and the Sensitive Claims Service contract, you can offer assessments to determine ACC cover for mental injuries and to determine someone’s ability to work.
Providing assessments through the Psychiatrist Service contract
Through the Psychiatric Services contract, you can offer assessments to determine ACC cover for mental injuries caused by physical injuries, work-related injuries, treatment injuries and sexual abuse, and to determine someone’s ability to work. You can also identify and provide the right rehabilitation options for kiritaki.
Individual psychiatrists operating as sole traders are eligible to apply for the Psychiatric Services contract and deliver services independently.
Providing assessments through the Sensitive Claims Service contract
Through the Sensitive Claims Service contract, you can provide support, assessment, and treatment services for kiritaki (clients) who’ve experienced sexual abuse or assault.
A Specialist Cover Assessment in the Sensitive Claims Service is the formal clinical evaluation used to determine whether a person meets the criteria for ACC cover for mental injury resulting from sexual abuse or assault. It provides a clinical opinion on whether the mental injury is causally linked to the Schedule 3 event(s), which is essential for confirming cover eligibility.
A Function Assessment in the Sensitive Claims Service is designed to evaluate how a mental injury—resulting from sexual abuse or assault—impacts a person’s ability to function in daily life and employment. Its primary purpose is to help us determine whether the injury prevents someone from:
- returning to their pre-injury role (weekly compensation), or
- performing any role they would otherwise be capable of based on their skills, experience, and training (Loss of potential earnings).
The Function Assessment is only valid if there is a confirmed covered injury. It is often embedded within the Specialist Cover Assessment when financial entitlements are being considered, using the same referral (ACC8536 template).
Only psychiatrists and clinical psychologists approved by us can complete Function Assessments, whether on its own or embedded in a Specialist Cover Assessment.
New assessment providers must undergo supervision for their first ten assessments (Specialist Cover Assessment and/or Function Assessments) to ensure quality and safety.
Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists must be affiliated with an approved supplier to deliver services under the Sensitive Claims Service contract.
Learn more about how to apply to be a named assessment provider through the Sensitive Claims Service