Page 1728 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 9 May 2018
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these issues are detected the harder it is to respond to the symptoms and provide appropriate supports.
FASD is an important and complex issue and I am pleased to have the opportunity to have this discussion in the Assembly. While justice health does provide some preliminary screening and assessment for detainees who present with indications linked to FASD, we are committed to continuing to improve this process. I am hopeful that we will soon have better screening and diagnostic tools and that the actions coming out of the national action plan will help us to improve current practices.
I therefore move my amendment as circulated:
Omit all words after paragraph (2)(b), substitute:
“(c) in the ACT, while Justice Health Services (JHS) does not specifically assess young people in Bimberi for FASD on induction, JHS does undertake a screen for key behavioural and clinical indications that can be found in FASD, and if identified, a referral is made to a paediatrician for assessment, diagnosis and treatment recommendations;
(d) the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder does not include a standardised screening tool for FASD, but instead provides a diagnostic instrument for FASD which is complex, and requires multiple assessments of a range of impacting factors over a long period of time;
(e) internationally, there is no validated standardised screening tool for FASD; and
(f) the Commonwealth Department of Health is currently leading work to develop the National FASD Strategic Action Plan 2018-2028, which is expected to be released by the end of this year, and the ACT is participating in its development; and
(3) calls on the ACT Government to:
(a) continue to work with the Commonwealth Government and other jurisdictions to identify new best practice approaches and tools for the diagnosis and treatment of FASD, both in juvenile detention settings and in the community;
(b) consider how the current behavioural and clinical screening practices used at Bimberi Youth Justice Centre could be enhanced in line with the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder to improve the detection of FASD amongst current and future detainees;
(c) continue to support detainees in Bimberi by practicing robust collection and sharing of data relating to the assessment and screening of detainees;
(d) continue to provide detainees in Bimberi with individualised, trauma-informed supports that address the behavioural, clinical and other issues identified in screening;
(e) continue to provide training to all Bimberi staff, and consider future opportunities for additional training, on:
(i) understanding the needs of young people who offend;
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