St Vincent Family Care Centre: ITS HAPPENING!

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1 St Vincent Family Care Centre: ITS HAPPENING! Since first inception of the idea 4 years ago and approaching possible sponsors 2 years ago, things are finally coming together! This dream is going ahead. The birth of this idea is of course going to be very painful but the end result is going to be absolutely amazing. The long-term impact priceless. Be proud that you are witnessing the birth of a first in SA and the African continent (and arguably most of the developing world) and part of history. THE VISION BEHIND THE CARE CENTRE: St Vincent School for the Deaf, situated in Melrose, Johannesburg, provides quality holistic education to over 330 deaf learners, ranging in age from two to 18. The school Principal who herself is Deaf and the school psychologist have collectively 35 years experience in working with deaf children and adults locally and nationally. A huge lack of PSYCHOLOGICAL and SOCIAL services to deaf children, their families and deaf adults has been identified in that there is no centre in South Africa that provides therapeutic counselling, trauma debriefing, HIV/Aids counselling, play therapy for the deaf. Following extensive networking, research and a needs analysis, St Vincent is convinced of the essential need to establish a care centre to provide such services to the deaf community. It is envisaged that the centre will fall under the management of the school Principal, School Management Team and School Governing Body (SGB) of St Vincent School however, the day-to-day running of it will be coordinated and executed by the current St Vincent School psychologist. St Vincent Family Care Centre will offer psychological and social support, assessment, therapy, counselling, training, etc to deaf children, their families, and deaf adults. This specialised care centre will be the first of its kind in the country, and in Africa. This is a mental health care centre. The aim and purpose is to serve the mental health needs of St Vincent learners, their families and the broader Deaf community. The staff will be comprised of registered mental health care workers. Mental Health Care Workers are stipulated by Government in the Mental Health Care Act Staff at the centre: 1. Psychiatrists 2. Paediatric Neurologists 3. Psychologists 4. Social Workers Support to families and the deaf community will take the form of: Psychiatric consultations Psychological services, including psychological assessments, testing and therapy Social work services All services will have the availability of a sign-language interpreter where necessary. Motivation: In South Africa, deaf people (and their families) DO NOT have access to psychological support or social work activities. This is due to the fact that entities that currently offer these services do not understand the realities of being deaf or of having a deaf child, as well as not knowing how to work

2 with deaf clients. Thus, over 1.5 million South Africans are excluded from receiving any form of mental and/or emotional health care. St Vincent has more than 360 families who will be able to access these services. The other six schools for the deaf in Gauteng each have between 200 and 350 deaf learners who, together with their families, will also have access to the services. The adult deaf community in Gauteng will be able to use the facilities (there are approximately deaf people living in Gauteng). The centre will also offer training and internships to psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and doctors. Unlike traditional child psychotherapy, working therapeutically with Deaf children is a highly specialized area. Currently there are no specialized services for the Deaf in South Africa and school-based clinics can serve to bridge this gap. Providing psychological services in schools improves accessibility of services for many families that would not otherwise have access to such services. Psychological, emotional and social issues are additional barriers to successful education achievement. MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILDREN IN SOUTH AFRICA Based on South Africa s estimated population statistics (52 million people) a national health survey indicated that South Africa has 0.32 psychologists, 0.28 psychiatrists, and 0.4 social workers per citizens (World Health Organization). Thus on average South Africa has less than 30% of the number required to comply with national norms of 1 per population (the norm for low income countries is 1 per and for middle income countries it should be approximately 5 per population), Burns, (2011).This survey illustrates a tremendous scarcity of these professionals. According to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) the total number of active psychology categories registered as of 9 April 2014 include: 2,728 clinical, 1,644 counselling and 1,484 educational psychologists. The majority of these psychologists work within the private sector; providing services to only a limited number of people. This statement is supported by the Department Health which indicates that merely 529 combined clinical and counselling psychologists (less than 10%) work within the public health sector (Department of Health, 2011). In terms of support for child and adolescent mental health, the percentage of primary and secondary schools in South Africa with either a part-time or full-time psychologist is unknown. Consultation with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) estimates that there are 50 psychologists employed in this quarter. There is a scarcity of research related to child and adolescent mental health in South Africa with national statistics still lacking. A review of studies completed by the Mental Health and Poverty Project (MHaPP) at the University of Cape Town (2008) found that 17 % of children and adolescents in the Western Cape suffer from psychiatric disorders including; generalized anxiety disorder (11%), major depressive disorder and

3 post-traumatic stress disorder (8%), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (6%) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (5%). Another area of concern facing child mental health in South Africa is the prevalence of child abuse. Police statistics indicate that South Africa s child abuse crisis is one of the worst in the world, with cases reported in 2010/2011. Of that, nearly half were sexual offences, while 30% of victims were under the age of 10. Child rights groups say the problem is even more widespread, as abuse is largely under-reported. Childline estimates that one in four children in South Africa is abused sometime in their childhood. Despite these problems, resources specifically structured for children and adolescents in South Africa are scarcely adequate. We are now part of the solution! THE BIRTHING PROCESS: We have been fortunate to obtain funding for this project to the value of R5.7 million and we have permission from the Dominican Sisters, the landowners. Demolishing of existing buildings and rebuilding of a 3-storey infrastructure to house the Care Centre (DRAWINGS INCL) is going to happen in February Expected completion is November 2017 and the Care Centre will officially open January This will have a huge logistical impact on the normal day-to-day running of the school. Careful planning will lessen the impact and we all need to work together on this. Certain areas of the school are going to be closed off and pedestrian traffic will need to be diverted (MAP with KEY) Trucks will be entering the premises on a daily basis through the main gate A site office will be erected as will an area for storage of building materials (MAP). Some cars will need to be parked elsewhere. (TBC) Some small trees will need to be uprooted and replanted A lot of plants will need to be uprooted and replanted (Next to Cydelle s aftercare and in front of Hall) Cables need to be secured / moved (Fibre Optics over the parking lot) Drop off and collection points between the 2 gates may have to be split between High School and Primary School (Primary School bottom gate, High School / TC main gate) PP learners will have to be dropped off and collected through the unused front entrance in the PP. Throughfare from the Intermediate Phase / Sports side to the Computer Block will need to be either through the administration block or through the Training Centre.

4 The main entrance to the hall will be out of bounds. Entrance to the Hall will need to be the 2 doors facing the row of IP classrooms. The door leading to Mrs A s kitchen from the Chapel area will be closed.

5 NEW BUILDINGS