Abuse lawyer Liz Duncan takes a look at rehabilitation in abuse claims
For most abuse victims, the legal process is not simply about recovering money, but gaining access to the resources they need to recover as fully and quickly as they possibly can. The Rehabilitation Code 2015 is designed to help achieve this.
The Rehabilitation Code is a framework for the lawyers representing abuse claimants and those who will ultimately be paying out the compensation, such as insurance companies, to work together to promote early rehabilitation to ensure the victim makes the best recovery.
It is a completely voluntary arrangement, but all parties are encouraged to give it a try.
In most cases rehabilitation in abuse claims is co-ordinated by a case manager. The case manager is trained to review the available interventions that might help an abuse victim recover from their ordeal. The case manager will co-ordinate the treatment and liaise with providers to ensure that a holistic approach is taken. Providers include:
- support workers;
- occupational therapists; and
- psychologists/psychiatrists.
The client remains in control of their treatment throughout. They can choose the case manager and aren’t required to have any treatment that is recommended if they don’t want to.
Our abuse lawyers recognise that the most important thing for our clients is to try to get their life back to how it would have been if the abuse had not occurred. This can be a challenge, but use of the Rehabilitation Code in an abuse claim can be an effective way of achieving this.