Contents
Disability Allowance : Contents

Counselling for children

The child's registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner should consider referring the child to a suitable agency for counselling. Counselling may be available for children free of charge through a range of agencies depending on their criteria, for example:

  • Oranga Tamariki who may support children experiencing serious problems such as abuse or youth offending
  • Regional Child and Adolescent mental health services, who may support children or adolescents experiencing very serious or life-threatening mental health problems
  • ACC who may support children experiencing problems arising from an accident, or a sexual abuse claim

If a client submits an application for a dependent child and they do not yet have a counsellor, MSD should refer the client to the:

  • duty social worker at Oranga Tamariki as they may be able to refer them to an appropriate counsellor or
  • Regional Health Advisor and Regional Disability Advisor [no link find out why] for advice

If the child cannot get free counselling, Disability Allowance may be paid for the counselling.

If the cost of counselling is only partly funded by another agency such as ACC or another accident insurer, the portion of counselling costs not paid by the agency can be considered for Disability Allowance.

For more information see:

Counselling
Services provided through another agency
Definition of disability
Application process - counselling
Disability Allowance and Counselling [no link find out why]

Legislation

  • Counselling expenses: general considerations clause 5C Ministerial Direction - Disability Allowance
  • Counselling expenses: further considerations clause 5D Ministerial Direction - Disability Allowance
  • Disability allowance: general justification clause 6 Ministerial Direction - Disability Allowance
  • Disability allowance: discretionary grant section 85 Social Security Act 2018
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Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children is known as "Oranga Tamariki". It came into existence on 1 April 2017, and replaced what was known as "Child, Youth and Family" or CYF.

Its original name, from 1 April 2017 until 18 January 2018, was the "Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki".

A medical practitioner is commonly referred to as a doctor. Medical practitioners are health practitioners who are registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand as practitioners of the profession of medicine and hold a current practising certificate.

All medical practitioners have a unique identifying number called a Health Practitioners Index number (HPI number).

Medical practitioners don't need to have completed their training in New Zealand but must be registered with the New Zealand ...

Nurse practitioners are health practitioners who are registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand and hold a current annual practising certificate.

Nurse practitioners are expert or specialist nurses with advanced education, clinical training and experience. They have demonstrated clinical competence and have the legal authority to practice as independent healthcare providers.

All nurse practitioners have a unique identifying number called a Health Practitioners Index number (HPI number).

Some nurse practitioners have specialised ...