The University of Canberra has been awarded $1.87 million to develop a national training program for disability support workers in the use of psychotropic medications for people with intellectual and developmental disability in Australia
Introducing the ASPIRE-Med project!
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability 2023 reported evidence suggesting psychotropic medicines were over-prescribed to people with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Psychotropic medicines are medicines that affect how we think, feel and act.
Those who support people with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities have highlighted that there is limited training on psychotropic medicines.
ASPIRE-Med aims to be a free, nation-wide, co-designed training program for those working in the disability sector that support people with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities.
The goal of the training is to improve knowledge and confidence about psychotropic medicines.
ASPIRE-Med is based off the existing SPECTROM training program based in the UK (hyperlink word: https://spectrom.wixsite.com/project), and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology program (hyperlink: https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/qudtp?language=en)
Project governance
Co-design is important to ensure that any training program, education or resource is ‘built by the community, for the community.’
Read more here about our project's governance, including the establishment of our Consumer Advisory Committee and Expert Panel Group.
Get involved
Are you a member of the disability community, a familial carer or working in the industry?
We are always keen to hear from people who are interested in our work and want to participate!
We will be hosting co-design events until we launch ASPIRE-Med in early 2027!
