State redress system to include mental health redress claims
The government’s response to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission’s recommendations covers three areas: addressing the wrongs of the past, making the care system safe, and empowering those in care, their whānau and communities.
In this newsletter, we have provided an update about addressing the wrongs of the past.
State redress system to include mental health redress claims
The Government has agreed to extend(external link) the core State redress system to include survivors of abuse in the following State-run mental health facilities from 1 July 1993 to 30 June 2022:
- State-run psychiatric and mental health facilities, including general mental health wards
- State-run psychopaedic (intellectual disability) care settings, including Kimberley Hospital / Centre (closed in 2006).
It does not cover:
- General hospital wards
- Aged care
- Off-site or outpatient care (for example, care delivered at home)
- Care and treatment failures (as distinct from abuse).
Until changes are implemented, survivors with questions or potential claims should contact:
- Email: historicabuse@health.govt.nz
- Freephone: 0800 400 569
This decision forms part of the Government’s decisions on redress for wider State and non-State survivors. The Crown Response Office proactively released a Cabinet paper about this work(external link) on the Crown Response Office website.
Support
As a reminder, there is a Survivor Experiences Service for people who were abused in State, faith-based, or other forms of care, as well as for a survivor’s whānau.
Survivors and whānau can contact the Survivor Experiences Service to organise a time and place to share their experiences or for records support.
- call 0800 456 090
- text 8328
- email contact@survivorexperiences.govt.nz
To find out more about the Survivor Experiences Service, visit: Home | Survivor Experiences Service(external link)(external link)
Alternate formats of the pānui newsletter can be found here: Alternate formats: Newsletters | Crown response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry(external link)