|
1. Appropriate Referrals
Lifecentre is able to offer face to face counselling and telephone helpline service to all survivors of any form of sexual violation, past or present. This service is offered on a non- discriminatory basis irrespective of race, gender, age, disability, religion or sexual orientation.
2. Catchment Area
Lifecentre will take referrals for face to face counselling from clients where we are their nearest specialised service to where they live. This covers the whole of West Sussex as well as parts of Hampshire and East Sussex. If clients who live within the catchment area of another rape crisis service contact us for counselling we are only able to offer them helpline support. Face to face counselling would not be available to them irrespective of the length of the waiting lists for other services. The only exceptions to this are:-
•If the client expresses a valid reason for specifically wanting a counsellor working from a Christian faith orientation and cannot find this more locally.
•If the client is working professionally within the rape and sexual abuse sector and is concerned to maintain the confidentiality of their experiences within their work place.
Under normal circumstances clients coming under the above exception criteria would be expected to pay for the full cost of their counselling.
3. Mental Health
We are not able to provide counselling for people with severe mental health problems since this could be detrimental to their mental health and cause further unbalance to them. This decision applies particularly to people who may currently be experiencing psychotic episodes and/or paranoia. With the permission of the client, Lifecentre would consult with the Mental Health professionals involved in their care or their GP in making this decision. Counselling could be offered in the future once the mental health problems have adequately stabilised for the client to be able to work effectively and safely in counselling.
4. Non-Prescribed Drug or Alcohol Dependency
Clients are required to be able to attend sessions or use the helpline whilst clear-headed from the influence of non-prescribed drugs or alcohol. Drug/alcohol dependent clients should be stable and not chaotically using before they start a course of face to face counselling. Such clients would only be offered counselling if they are receiving regular support from a specialised Drug and Alcohol agency and assessed by them as being stable enough to benefit from counselling at this time. Such clients must have signed our Drug and Alcohol Use Client Contract.
Clients who are referred to Lifecentre from the recognised DAAT Drug and Alcohol services in West Sussex will usually be funded by DAAT for their first 10 counselling sessions.
5. Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse
• Lifecentre has a general policy of not knowingly working either face to face or on the helplines with anyone who has been a perpetrator of sexual abuse. This policy is always upheld when any sexually offending behaviour was perpetrated by the person as an adult.
• However, we are aware that some child victims of sexual abuse may also act out sexually offending behaviour as children. Where the sexually offending behaviour is the primary issue, Lifecentre would not be the appropriate agency for that child or adult. However, where the primary issue with such a client is as a victim of sexual abuse, then following assessment, we may be happy to offer a course of therapy.
• Lifecentre always reserves the right not to work with any clients who have a history of sexually offending behaviour. This is for the safety of our other clients as well as due to the clinical efficacy of our type of counselling being most suitable for such a client's needs.
• Information will be given to such clients as to alternative agencies that can offer them a service, to the best of our knowledge. Clients in this situation can see a Psychosexual therapist in the Fletcher Unit at St Richard's hospital, Chichester on the NHS. There is no restricted catchment area for this service. The department can be rung on 01243 831607.
6. Counselling for supporters
Lifecentre is able to provide face to face counselling for people who are actively supporting a survivor of rape or sexual abuse. This support must be current and active towards the survivor with the aim of the counselling having a beneficial affect upon the survivor.
Supporters are welcome to use the helplines:-
• Adult telephone helpline: 0844 847 7879
• Under 18s helpline: 0808 802 080
• Text 07717 989 022
• or contact us online
7. Time limits from referral to Initial Assessment Interview
Lifecentre aims to see clients for Initial Assessment Interview within 4 weeks of referral.
8. Clients wishing to Return for a Further Course of Counselling
Clients who have completed their 24 sessions of counselling with Lifecentre will be considered for a further course of counselling upon request if:-
• Six months has passed since their last session with us
AND/OR
• There is a clear and new objective as to what they are looking for in a further course of counselling
• Their previous counsellor can recommend their suitability to a further course of counselling
It will be at Lifecentre’s discretion:-
• whether such a client be offered the same counsellor as they previously saw or a new counsellor
• How many sessions will be offered
• In exceptional circumstances a further series of counselling sessions may be offered sooner than within the usual 6 month guideline eg if the client suffers a further episode of rape/sexual abuse or if they need support around a court case.
9. Pursuing Counselling with a Lifecentre Counsellor under a Private Contract
It is the policy of Lifecentre that counsellors should not offer to see their clients privately after their 24 sessions at Lifecentre are finished. The Lifecentre counsellor has a professional responsibility to their client and to Lifecentre as an agency to make a clear and clean ending of their Lifecentre sessions. The Lifecentre counsellor should not initiate offering information on their private practise as a counsellor if they see clients privately. However, if the client undertakes their own research to discover the counsellor’s private practise contact details and the client makes contact with the counsellor after their Lifecentre sessions have fully ended, then any new contractual relationship between client and counsellor is between those individuals and bears no relationship to Lifecentre.
Lifecentre will make a list available of local agencies that client’s can access for ongoing therapeutic support.
Clients can have approved some additional sessions to their 24 in order to support them around the time of any court case.
|
