When asked for all information on training given to police cadets about post-traumatic stress disorder, the NSW Police Service released two PowerPoint presentations that included a one-line reference to the disorder.
The presentation's slides also include cartoons of animals with slogans including "Draw a cow", "Sleep Well" and "Never Give Up".
Sydney psychiatrist Dr Hugh Morgan, who has treated many police officers suffering with PTSD over the past 10 years, said the slides were "inadequate to really address the issues that police will face in their line of duty".
"The slides were general and superficial in their approach and they were not specifically developed for police in mind," he said.
Dr Morgan recommended any slides, prepared by a Medicare Local office, should be more focused on police and acknowledge that PTSD is a significant risk.
"There needs to be a standard review of everybody to assess their exposure to trauma so that they are removed from front-line duties to give them a break when they need it. This should be seen as normal practice.
"At the moment, mental health is stigmatised," he said.
"When people come to see me, they are often stunned to learn they are depressed or have PTSD. And they feel shame and weak. This should be recognised as something that is not uncommon for police and can be managed much better."
The NSW Greens made a freedom of information application in May last year seeking all documents and information relating to the training provided to officers and cadets at the NSW Police Force Academy relating to how to deal with post traumatic stress disorder.
After rejecting the application, which NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge challenged in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the NSW Police released the PowerPoint presentations more than six months later.
"We had to drag the police to court to get these documents, and I can see why they didn't want to release them. They are embarrassingly inadequate," Mr Shoebridge said.
"Knowing the considerable impact that post-traumatic stress has on serving and former police it is remarkable that the formal training given to NSW police is just one dot point in one PowerPoint slide.
"When you talk to injured police, you hear the stress of their work and the horrific things they see, it is clear that the NSW Police Force needs to do much more to prepare new recruits for the job."
Mr Shoebridge said young police recruits needed to be given professional training and strong support from peers and the police service "from day one".
"That means a good deal more than what this superficial PowerPoint presentation delivers," he said.
"Police don't need to know how to draw a cow, they need to know what the first signs of PTSD are and that the culture of the Police will accept, and support them putting their hand up and asking for help."
NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said he supported any measure to reduce risks for police.
"When I was a police officer I was badly injured in the line of duty, so I understand the challenges of a policing career and the mental health issues, including PTSD, that can be associated with it," Mr Grant said.
"We can never completely eliminate the risks of policing but I support any measure to reduce the risks through preparation and training, and to offer appropriate support for injured officers.
"I am advised these slides are visual training aids that form only part of the preparation of new recruits to equip them to deal with these issues, however the NSW Police Force is devising further improvements for next year which I wholly support."
In a report released last year, the NSW Auditor-General said up to 526 police officers a year were receiving large lump sum benefits and medical discharge following long-term sick leave under the death and disability scheme before it was overhauled in 2012. Since the introduction of a new scheme, the number of medical discharges have fallen dramatically under a policy to return injured officers to duty as soon as possible.
