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During the pandemic when we could not access schools we established community clinics at police stations selected days of the week in Delft, Kraaifontein, Langa, Bishop Lavis, Bonteheuwel, Lavender Hill and Manenberg (Heideveld). We are slowly phasing this out as to not duplicate services provided by statutory social work organisations. Our social workers only provide therapeutic counselling and do not do statutory social work, for example child protection work under the Children’s Act 38 of 2005, for example removing and placing of children in need as well as court work.
Many parents approach The Trauma Centre social workers for support with challenging behaviour of their children. Although challenging behaviour is not one of main focuses, we do acknowledge that children often act out due to experience of or witnessing violence or threats of violence. We therefore include these children in community based group work sessions.
The Trauma Centre has other youth programmes for which we currently seek funding.
In 2021 we implemented a community theatre programme working with youth 13 years to 24 to raise awareness for the prevention of gender- based violence.
We also are seeking funds for our anti xenophobia youth programme.
The Trauma Centre do advocacy campaigns to improve child protection support at police stations. This include meetings with the station commander, reporting problems to IPID (Independent Police Investigating Directorate) and the Western Cape Child Commissioner.
We are also campaigning for more counselling support services for children in our communities. In our work in schools we often come across high numbers of children who are suicidal. In order to break the cycle of abuse we need to start with adequate support to children. of the direct determinants of Sexual Violence Perpetration is Childhood trauma. (Matthews S. et al. 2016. Towards an Understanding in the Direct and Indirect Determinants of Violence Perpetration in South Africa with the View of Enhancing Violence Prevention, University of Cape Town). Our prisons are full of men and women who experienced childhood trauma.
During the 16 days of Activism in November 2022, we wrote to the mayor of the City of Cape Town to request a meeting to discuss the possibilities of how the city could contribute to mental health support for children within local government’s constitutional mandate. We are still waiting for this meeting to realise.
During December 2022 we also joined, The Counselling Hub, Lifeline WC, Famsa WC, Jelly Beanz, MOSAIC and Rape Crisis in a media campaign for an increase in mental health support services in the Western Cape including services to children.
