You are eligible to claim counselling from an Approved Counsellor if:

• you are the victim of an act of violence and are injured as a result (primary victim); or
• you are injured as a result of witnessing an act of violence (secondary victim); or
• you are the parent or guardian of a victim of an act of violence (and the victim was under 18 at that time) and you are injured as a result of learning of the act of violence (secondary victim); or
• you are a relative of a homicide victim (family victim); or
• you are injured while trying to:
  • prevent someone from committing an act of violence (primary victim), or
  • arrest someone who is committing, or has just committed an act of violence (primary victim), or
  • help or rescue someone against whom an act of violence is being committed, or has just been committed (primary victim).

• the act of violence did not occur in NSW;
• it cannot be proved that an act of violence occurred;
• the application arises from a crime against property;
• the application arises from injuries caused by a motor vehicle, except in the following circumstances:

The immediate family of a person who is killed where the use of a motor vehicle is involved can apply for 20 hours of approved counselling services if the person’s death apparently occurred in the course of the commission of an offence of murder or manslaughter.

For more information on other rights available to road trauma victims please refer to the Motor Vehicles and Road Trauma page in the Justice Journey section of this website.

For more information on other rights available to victims of acts of violence in other states please refer to the Services for Victims Outside NSW page.