Page 1727 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 9 May 2018
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released. But I recognise that, despite these current processes, we can do better, and that is why my amendment commits to look at the national guide to identify areas where we could improve. New evidence and tools are emerging all the time and we must be prepared to adopt new approaches where they are clinically supported.
It is also important to recognise the work that is currently happening nationally to improve the evidence base for the diagnosis and treatment of FASD. The commonwealth Department of Health is currently leading work to develop the national FASD strategic action plan 2018-28. This plan is expected to be released by the end of this year and the ACT is participating in its development. I am hopeful that the outcomes of this work will help improve the processes for FASD assessment, diagnosis and treatment.
I anticipate that a number of the actions will be in line with the objectives in Mrs Kikkert’s motion, including those relating to early assessment and appropriate referral pathways. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of that work and incorporating the relevant actions into our justice health processes and systems at Bimberi.
I am also pleased to support the sections in Mrs Kikkert’s motion relating to data collection and sharing and working with nationally recognised organisations to deliver best practice. These are things ACT Health has done historically and is committed to continuing into the future. Some examples of organisations we work with currently include the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, on national prisoner data collection and reporting, the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health and the ANU College of Health and Medicine. We also welcome advice from other organisations and research bodies who are developing evidence in this space.
I also note the point that Mrs Kikkert has made about training for staff and I have sought to address that point in my amendment. FASD is one of a number of conditions that young people in Bimberi can experience, and it is important that the training for staff at Bimberi prepares them to respond to the kinds of challenging behaviours that they can encounter. Staff at Bimberi do currently receive training on how to understand the needs and address the offending behaviours of young people. However, I accept that as our understanding of FASD improves there may be opportunities for different or more specific training to better understand this condition, and this is something the government is prepared to look at.
While the issues of FASD assessment, diagnosis and treatment are important, I also want to take a moment to speak about prevention. We know that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can affect the unborn baby and is associated with a range of adverse consequences, including FASD. For these reasons, Australian health guidelines recommend that not drinking alcohol is the safest option while pregnant. There are a number of organisations that promote this message, including NOFASD Australia and the pregnant pause campaign run by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education. We also need to improve early diagnosis and intervention supports so that children with FASD can be better supported at a young age to reduce the likelihood that they will end up in the juvenile justice system. Research suggests that the later
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