FoI - AFP have no ongoing training in ASD

freedom of information act 1982 written on image of parchment scroll

In a recent letter, the ACT Minister for police told SOfASD that ACT "police officers ... undertake ongoing training in mental health conditions, including the treatment of patients with autism spectrum disorder". SOfASD sought evidence of this "ongoing training" from the AFP.

The response from the AFP (see below) shows there is no such training for police in how best to interact with autistic people.

FoI response - ACT Ambulance

SOfASD received the material below relating to training of ACT ambulance officers in relation to autistic patients.

It includes:

a Powerpoint presentation from 2010
video from 2016 of a 2 hour comprehensive presentation about ASD to ambulance officers
several letters ... mostly FoI administration

This material was provided as a result of a Freedom of Information request to the ACT government following on from correspondence with the ACT Minister, see http://sofasd.org.au/d7/node/227

ACT police Minister - second response

Minister Gentleman with Chief Minister Barr

The ACT Police Minister responded 12/8/2019
(see target="_blank">link below)
to a previous email 22/7/2019.

The Minister's response is disappointing. It claims "police officers, ambulance paramedics,
and healthcare workers undertake ongoing training in mental health conditions, including the treatment of patients with
autism spectrum disorder". We have severe doubts that this is true, especially in relation to police,
so we requested evidence of this ongoing training under the provisions of the Cwth Freedom of Information Act 1982,
and the ACT Freedom of Information Act 2016 in the case of ambulance paramedics.

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Dear Mr Gentleman MLA

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review of fenced-off facility for autistic student

Date:	Wed, 29 Aug 2018 13:18:15 +1000
To:	csd@act.gov.au

Attn: Office of the Senior Practitioner

ACT: letter to Chief Minister -

Dear Mr Barr MLA & Ms Berry MLA

Speaking Out for Autism Spectrum Disorder (SOfASD) remains concerned that there has been no discernible progress in the ACT Education Directorate towards recognising the need for and employing properly trained and registered behavioural clinicians to support students with distressed behavior in ACT schools.

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