Free Covid trauma counselling for frontline workers
Billson said once residents contemplate what happens at clinics during the Covid-19 pandemic, people will realise that staff members are not only confronted daily with Covid-19 directly, but “they experience exactly the same daily challenges that we do, on top of that”.
Frontline health workers at clinics in Centurion will receive more free Covid-19 related trauma counselling from the first week of February.
Councillor for ward 69, Cindy Billson, initiated the sessions which started July last year at clinics in Eldoraigne, Lyttleton, Laudium, Olievenhoutbosch and Rooihuiskraal.
She included a group of local social workers, a local pastor, and other interested community members, to assist frontline workers in the neighbourhood.
Billson said once residents contemplate what happens at clinics during the Covid-19 pandemic, people will realise that staff members are not only confronted daily with Covid-19 directly, but “they experience exactly the same daily challenges that we do, on top of that”.
She said the group finds that all staff members take tremendous strain, personally as well as at the workplace.
“But they are part of strong teams and do believe that these challenges, especially work-related challenges can be efficiently dealt with if they work together.
“However, it is more difficult to share personal challenges in the working environment where it is believed that each staff member needs to be strong and courageous.”
She said the staff expressed the need for ongoing emotional, physical and spiritual support from the different spheres of society.
“It is envisaged that this kind of volunteer support services be rolled out to the rest of the Tshwane metro clinics as well.”
The group shared a few tips on coping with personal challenges during this pandemic:
– Acknowledge the realities of the situation you find yourself in (you can even write it down for yourself).
– Critically evaluate your current lifestyle by exploring the different areas of it – like physical, spiritual and financial well-being, health, recreation, relationships, work and broader environment/community.
– Identify the areas which you find most challenging.
– Reflect on how these unresolved challenges impact on your daily functioning and overall well-being (also consider the impact it may have on those close to you).
– Next, make a decision on whether you want to do something about them or not.
– If you choose to do something about it – decide whether you need an objective person to talk to for support or guidance on how to deal with the challenges.
– Or draft your own step-by-step practical plan practical on how to address the challenges and consciously start implementing – you can even give yourself due dates and also reward yourself for achieving/overcoming the identified challenge.
Billson said the sessions at the clinics address the sharing of challenges, coping mechanisms during this time, family relations, resiliency and support networks.
“Staff members who experienced personal issues were afforded private time to share their concerns and received assistance.”
The members of the group made themselves telephonically available to these workers should they need further assistance.
Billson said positive feedback was received from the respective managers and staff and sessions continue.
“Our aim is to ensure that frontline staff members is aware of the support available to them by volunteering community members.”
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