Established in May 2001, the Community Intervention Centre (CIC) is a non-profit and non-governmental organization that provides a FREE 24-hour on-site trauma intervention and support service to the Blaauwberg community and beyond. We work in full co-operation with the South African Police Service, Milnerton Medi-Clinic and Blaauwberg Netcare Hospitals, (the hospitals being our main sponsors). We are based at the Milnerton Medi-Clinic, but also operate on-site or at the local SAPS trauma rooms and Blaauwberg Netcare.
The CIC provides the following services:
1. A FREE of charge, 24-hour on-site trauma intervention and support service to the Blaauwberg community and beyond, for all men, women and children experiencing any trauma (e.g. rape / indecent assault / sodomy; abuse / domestic violence; violent crimes; suicide and attempted suicide; child abuse & neglect / street children; death and murder; physical trauma / resuscitations / motor vehicle accidents; substance abuse; grief and distress; family crisis; robbery / assault / armed robbery / trauma after operations, amputations, still births, etc) so that they may find the emotional and practical support they need to cope in the time of the trauma. We currently handle up to 200 cases a month. This service is categorized as follows:
- On-site trauma intervention and crisis management
- Post-trauma critical incident de-briefing and support (CISD): Within 72 hours (3 days) of the traumatic event and working with client’s cognitions and interpretations of the events.
- Follow-up support: Telephonic follow-up and one-on-one counselling and advice and referrals to the appropriate services.
- Specialized Play Therapy: Short term play therapy for children from the ages of 4 to 9 yrs who have experienced a recent uncomplicated trauma including parents divorce, witnessing domestic violence, grief (death), adjustment after parents remarriage or birth of a sibling, burglaries, motor vehicle accidents or crime in the home.
- Temporary Safe house facility for abused women and children: Admittance according to CIC policy
- Disaster management: Counselling victims involved in large scale disasters (i.e. xenophobia attacks in 2008, the Kloof bus disaster or comforting passengers on an airplane after a suspected bomb scare)
- Staff support: We have an excellent working relationship with Milnerton Medi-Clinic and Blaauwberg Netcare and provide trauma support and counselling for patients and staff (group and individual debriefings, depression support etc)
- Extended trauma therapy services for hospitals
Supportive counselling services for client(s) and significant others
- Decision-making for long-term facilities / nursing homes / home care
- Coping with the losses that are experienced and changes made (transition counselling)
- Dealing with reactions to loss and change
- Dealing with guilt over decisions made
- Assistance with referrals to nursing homes, long-term care facilities or support groups. Emotional support for client(s) and significant other persons.
- Internships
2. Training in the areas of disaster management, trauma support and critical incident stress debriefing (victim empowerment) for areas in and out of the Blaauwberg area. The CIC is currently in the process of obtaining accreditation with the HWSETA for the National Certificate 49279: Victim Empowerment and Support.
Specific programmes include:
a) Trauma Training for new CIC volunteers / internships
b) Apply active listening skills in the care and support environment (US116987)
c) Identify cause of stress in own life and indicate techniques to manage it (US244564)
d) Provide trauma support under supervision (US120083)
e) Sexual offences module
Volunteers:
All our trauma workers are volunteers from the community who give their services free of charge. Our volunteers undergo intensive training and assessments. Their training is for a period of 1 year in which they are taught trauma procedures and protocols in both the SAPS and hospital set-ups. After this our organization provides specialist training on a monthly basis so that skills and knowledge remain fresh / updated. We also have monthly supervision, case management and debriefing for our volunteers to ensure that they deliver an effective service.
How are our services accessed?
We have a team of 4 supervisors who man our emergency phone 24/7, 365 days a week. A call is placed to the emergency phone either by hospital staff, SAPS members or at times the public. A trauma worker is then dispatched to the situation. We have a lead-time of 20 minutes. Victims / patients are then offered the CIC services as is necessary for their situation and in accordance with our procedures and protocols. All victims and patients receive follow-up after they have been seen by us face-to-face.
Operates in: Cape Town, Western Cape
Established in: May 2001
Non-Profit Organisation Number: 015-710
Public Benefit Organisation Number:
Section 21 Company Number:
Trust Number:
Contact person: Megan Meredith
Phone: 021 529 9390
Fax: 086 512 2891
Email:
Website: www.blaauwberg.net/cic
Physical address: Suite 70, Milnerton Medi-Clinic, Cnr Racecourse and Koeberg Roads, Milnerton, Cape Town
Postal address: Suite 70, Milnerton Medi-Clinic, Cnr Racecourse and Koeberg Roads, Milnerton, Cape Town
