Pretoria NPC wants to create solutions for mental health

Outreach LifeLine, a Pretoria-based NPC, wants to reach out to South Africans suffering from mental illness.

Following the tragic suicide by a patient at the Steve Biko Hospital earlier this month, the LifeLine feels now is the key opportunity to have a discussion around mental health challenges.

“We have been in contact with the hospital,” said LifeLine community outreach coordinator, Sheila Houghton.

“Our intent is to collaborate activation campaigns to empower conversations around mental health.

“Counselling helps people to talk about the tough times that they are going through and encourages them to seek professional help if they need to.”

LifeLine Pretoria is a registered NGO, affiliated to LifeLine South Africa which focuses on emotional health and wellness.

Their Pretoria office was established 47 years ago to service a need that is still relevant today.

They work to create accessibility and offer support to people battling with their mental health and who feel they have no one to turn to.

They offer free face-to-face counselling sessions at any one of their community centres in Atteridgeville, Soshanguve, Mamelodi UP Campus Queenswood or Watermeyer.

For clients unable to go to any of these community centres, LifeLine offers free online Zoom and telephonic counselling services.

In addition, LifeLine also offers a 24-hour rape counselling line.

In order to reach as many people as possible, they have a close working relationship with the Tshwane metro as well as various universities, colleges and churches.

“Through our various other outreach campaigns, we have actively engaged with the Department of Social Services, Stats SA and the Auditor General.

“Examples of some of our active referral databases include Tshwane community health clinics, Thuthuzela care centres, the Akeso psychiatric hospital network, Sadag, Unchain our Children, GBV command centre and many others.

“Our media partner is Platinum Gold, an online radio which presently has a listenership of 1.2 million with a LSM rating of 10,” said Houghton.

On September 10, the NPO will be taking part in World Suicide Prevention Day.

This year’s theme will centre around ‘Creating Hope Through Action’.

LifeLine can be contacted on 012 804 1853.

For their crisis lifeline, call 012 804 3619.

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