Riana joins Blue Angels
An expert in trauma counseling, training and crisis intervention has been appointed as trustee of the Blue Angels Charitable Trust.
THE Blue Angels Charitable Trust recently announced the appointment of a local psychologist and expert in trauma counselling, training and crisis intervention as trustee.
Riana Botha, born and bred in Durban, a mother of two children and Provincial Head of Psychological Services in the SAPS, accepted the invitation to join the board in her personal capacity.
Blue Security established the Blue Angels Charitable Trust in May 2013 to aid organisations that help crime victims through their time of trauma with debriefing, medical treatment, psychological and physical rehabilitation and legal assistance to navigate the criminal justice system.
“I think there is always a place for charities supporting organisations that help victims of crime, like Blue Angels. I don’t think there are many charities that focus on that. Volunteers and lay counsellors need training on how to effectively deal with victims of crime and trauma. Trauma does affect a person, you can’t just ‘jump over’ trauma, you have to go through it, and it’s the ‘through’ part that counsellors help people with,” Botha said.
Botha obtained a Masters degree in Psychology at the University of the Freestate and is registered as a psychologist with the Health Professions Council of SA. She has experience dealing with trauma, crisis interventions, presenting workshops and training as well as conducting psychological assessments.
She said counsellors were needed to walk the victim through the recovery process and that there was a need to ensure a level of counselling competency standards for lay debriefers and counsellors.
“We need to ensure that lay counsellors and debriefers don’t do more damage to victims and that they are trained to a certain level,” she said.
Botha said she would research the local training available for counsellors and recommend that volunteers be sent for training and be given internships with NGOs.
She said she was honoured to be joining the board of trustees.
“I have been involved in trauma for so long and I would love to give back and share my knowledge. I am hoping that I can make an impact in the field because we as a society are very tense and we need proper trauma interventions to become more healthy and sound,” she said.
Blue Angels trustee Gary Tintinger said he was delighted to have Botha on board.
“Riana brings a wealth of experience and professional expertise to Blue Angels and we have no doubt that the volunteers and the organisations working with crime victims that we support will vastly benefit from her skills,” Tintinger said.
The Blue Angels Charitable Trust was established by Blue Security as a way to identifys worthy organisations and engage with them to establish their medium and long term needs to find ways to support their sustainability.
Blue Security kick-started the trust’s fundraising efforts with a R10 000 donation last year and has encouraged its clients to donate a minimum of R5 a month.
Organisations such as Careline Crisis Centre, the Jes Foord Foundation and the SPCA are among the worthy organisations the trust has identified.
