Australian Autism focussed charity, Spectrum Support, announced today that they have been awarded the NSW Commissioners award for the Best Workplace Solution for 2019.
As part of the Warrior Vs Protector Quadrant training initiative from the Mental Health Intervention unit, Spectrum Support presented their training at the Northern Region HQ of NSW Police, in Lake Macquarie in June of 2019
“Our charity has four pillars that underpin everything that we do” says CEO, Founder and Mum of three Autistic boys, Kathrine Peereboom. “Safety, Inclusion, Health and Education are our driving forces, and our focus with the NSW Police is a reflection of our Safety pillar”
“In 2018 over 42,570 Mental health related calls were logged by Sydney Police alone. This represents a staggering interaction with the ASD community and we must ensure these are managed by trained personnel”
Spectrum Support approached the Mental Health Intervention Unit of the NSW Police and started a conversation that would prove to be pioneering for this country.
“We have approached this subject with determination, and also with support. Our collaboration with NSW Police was positive from the beginning and our Education and Training modules are set to train the countries Finest from early 2020.”
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has experienced an explosion globally over the last 20 years, Peereboom says.
“From 1 case in 10,000 in 1996, the number has increased to 1 in 70 today. That’s a 600% increase in 20 years! This pattern is repeated all around the world and shows no signs of slowing. This is why we say in our training: it’s not IF you are going to meet an ASD affected person today, it’s when!”
On delivering their expert training in front of an audience of seasoned officers and a film crew, Spectrum Support were delivered the news that their efforts had secured the Commissioner Award for 2019.
Mrs Peereboom explains “Our training has been developed with some of the foremost experts globally. We work and collaborate with experts in various countries, some with decades of experience in training Law Enforcement professionals. With these resources we were confident that our training would pack a punch and be meaningful to our audience. We are very excited to receive this award, but it was a team effort”
Keep an eye out for Spectrum Support in the news in 2020. The plans they have are going to put them on the map. For more information go to www.spectrumsupport.org
