Workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 response include not only doctors, nurses and community health workers, but also counsellors and case workers dealing with women and children who have experienced violence in their homes and communities.
As South Africa responded to COVID-19 with a national lockdown, there has been a surge in reports of gender-based violence (GBV). Among the first to know were hotline and online counsellors, helping women and children to cope with violence and find safety.
GBV was already a serious issue in the country and the increase in reported cases placed new pressure on support services and their staff and volunteers. It was recognized that counsellors and case workers could benefit from mental health support to cope with the added pressure.
UNAIDS country office staff working in Kimberley, Northern Cape, approached the ‘Kimberley Supervision Group’, a collective of licensed psychologists operating private practices, to provide pro bono mental health support services to frontline workers. The group developed programmes to reinforce psychological resilience and increase the capacity of GBV shelter carers and counsellors to work with clients who lack access to their usual support networks during the pandemic response.
