How Safe to talk can help with Sensitive Claims

If you choose to use our Pathway to Sensitive Claims service, Safe to talk can:

• Search for the most appropriate ACC therapy provider for you, based on your preferences and needs.
• Regularly contact you in your preferred way to check-in and provide an update on our search for a therapy provider.
• Answer any questions about the Sensitive Claims process and what happens next.
• Quickly connect you with short-term support from a Safe to talk trained specialist if you need it.
• Suggest other support services or tools you can use while waiting to start your ACC-funded therapy.
• Work directly with organisations with ACC therapy providers to confirm their availability.
• Help you change your support or contact preferences at any time.
• Provide reassurance that you’re doing the right thing and we’re always here to support you.

Each of these benefits of accepting our help are optional and are explained in more detail in the sections below.

You can reach us in the following ways:

• Text 4334
• Phone 0800 044 334
• Email support@safetotalk.nz
• Webchat 

If calling by phone: An automated voice message will give you two options. The first option will be to press “1” to talk to a trained specialist in sexual harm. The second option will be to press “2” to talk to a member of our Pathway to Sensitive Claims team. Select option 2.

If contacting us by text message (SMS), webchat or email: You will receive an automated welcome message. It will tell you to reply with the word ‘Claim’ if you want to talk to our Pathway to Sensitive Claims team.

The Pathway to Sensitive Claims service is open:

• Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm
• Saturdays between 10am and 6:30pm

On Sundays and Public Holidays, Safe to talk’s Pathway to Sensitive Claims service is closed*.

*Very important note: Safe to talk still operates 24/7 every day of the year providing emotional support by trained sexual harm specialists. It is only our Pathway to Sensitive Claims service that has these more limited hours.

We won’t do anything without your permission. We will always be careful to double-check that you have consented to each part of the help we offer. We will never contact police or discuss your interactions with us with any other organisation, including ACC.

It is completely optional if you want Safe to talk’s help. You are always welcome to find a therapy provider on your own or with the help of friends/whānau. You are always in control.

If you agree to accept our help in finding an ACC therapy provider, you will be added to our “Search for Supplier” service. First, we will do a preliminary search. If we can’t quickly connect you with an organisation with therapy providers, we will conduct ongoing searches until we find another available therapy provider. However, it's important to remember that there can be delays in confirming an available therapy provider due to capacity constraints.

You can change your mind at any time and be removed from the Search for Supplier service. This could be because you wish to find your own therapy provider via ACC’s Find a Therapy Provider tool or because you do not wish to proceed with the process any more. The choice is always yours.

When an organisation with therapy providers has been found that matches your specific needs, a Safe to talk coordinator will contact you via your preferred method (phone, text or email).

Until we can confirm we have found an organisation with therapy providers who can help, we will not contact you (or your nominated supporter/advocate where appropriate). It is therefore possible you may not hear from us in quite some time (unless you have opted in to our Check-in service). But rest assured; we are still searching for an organisation with therapy providers on your behalf. If we cannot find an organisation with therapy providers that suits your needs within an extended period of time, we will contact you to see if you still need our support. We might also suggest that you change your therapy provider preferences to allow us to start another search which has a better chance of being successful.

To ensure regular contact from us, we strongly recommend you choose to join our personal “Check-in” service, which will also be offered to you. This separate “Check-in” service is explained below.

After you have given your consent for Safe to talk to search for an organisation with therapy providers on your behalf, you can also choose to be added to our optional Check-In service. We’ll agree with you how you would like to be contacted (phone, text message or email) and how often your regular check-ins will happen.

When a Safe to talk coordinator contacts you for these regular check-ins they will update you on their search to confirm an organisation with therapy providers available to help you. When an organisation has confirmed they have a therapy provider available to support you, we will connect you with them and advise the next steps, including how the organisation will contact you to arrange your first appointment. We can also help prepare you for what to expect in your first sessions with your therapy provider.

During these regular check-ins, the Safe to talk coordinator will also ask about your emotional and mental wellbeing. If you need more urgent or immediate support, they will connect you with a Safe to talk trained specialist in sexual harm. The Safe to talk coordinator can also suggest other digital tools and support services that may help you while you await the start of your ACC-funded therapy.

These check-ins are also your opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the ACC Sensitive Claims process and what to expect when the sessions with your therapy provider begin.

You can opt out of the Check-In service at any time. You can also change your preferences or preferred method of contact as you wish.

Everyone’s needs are different. And so are the specialties and expertise of the many sexual abuse and assault therapy providers around Aotearoa New Zealand. Safe to talk knows every ACC-funded organisation with therapy providers and will try to find the best fit for your needs.

Apart from finding the closest therapy provider in your region, we can also suggest providers with specific experience in helping:

• Different genders
• Most languages (including sign language)
• Many different cultures
• LGBTQIA+
• Children and young people
• People with intellectual disabilities

To get a quick idea of the variety of specialist help that we can help connect you with, take a look at ACC Find Supports’ Find a Therapy Provider page.

Yes. A friend, whānau member or other supporter can contact our Pathway to Sensitive Claims team on behalf of someone who has experienced sexual abuse or assault. However, in order to find a therapy provider for you, we need to know the identity and contact details of the survivor. We also need to verify that the survivor has given their consent for that friend, whānau member or advocate to act on their behalf.

Once you’ve started your sessions with an ACC-funded therapy provider, any contact from Safe to talk will end automatically and you won’t hear from us again. However, you are still welcome to contact Safe to talk again at any time for temporary support or if you need help finding a different therapy provider. We’re always here to support you.

If it is an emergency and you are in danger right now, call 111 immediately.

If you have experienced sexual harm and need someone to talk to, contact Safe to talk and you will very quickly be connected with a trained specialist for free, confidential, short-term support. We have experts standing by to help 24/7.

ACC’s Sensitive Claims Service is designed to connect you with therapists who will provide longer term support in a way that best suits your specific needs. And our Pathway to Sensitive Claims Service is here to make the start of your Sensitive Claim journey as easy as possible by helping to connect you with a therapy provider.

• You do not need to have contacted police to get our help or ACC’s help. Police involvement has no bearing on the help you can receive from Safe to talk or ACC.
• You may not get the ACC-funded therapy provider who matches all your preferences, but our Safe to talk coordinators will find the most appropriate available help for you. It is always your final decision if you choose to work with a recommended therapy provider.
• You may be in contact with a different person every time you connect with us. This is normal. We do not have case managers who are specific to you, but all of our team are here to help.
• The Safe to talk coordinators helping you are not therapists or counsellors. However, they can quickly connect you with another specialist member of the Safe to talk team who can temporarily support you in this way, if you need.
• Safe to talk coordinators do not work for ACC. They can help you find a therapy provider who can start the Sensitive Claims process, but they can not influence the claims process itself.