Health Promoters and Promentis team up for Mental Healthcare in South African townships
Stellenbosch, South Africa, 18 July, 2019 Health Promotion South Africa Trust (HPSA) and Promentis Healthcare have made a promising start with introducing education about mental health and addiction in South African townships.
Health Promoters has been working very hard over the past years to arrive where they are today with their educators on the ground in several townships, playing an important role in the field of education and prevention of somatic issues. Promentis has made name in the field of addiction care and mental health care.
After they were introduced to each other both organizations immediately decided to join forces and combine their skills, knowledge and network of people to create a specific educational program for the senior health promoters on the topic addiction.
“This was received so well that we decided to explore the possibilities to intensify our collaboration. The first pilot was a promising start; we now want to explore how we can reach as many people as possible, providing education about mental health and mental wellbeing as a crucial part of people’s lives and physical wellbeing. Not only through educational programs, but also by providing workshops, lectures, trainings and e-health programs”, says George Arrey, CEO of Health Promotion South Africa Trust.
“In the first months of this year we have developed and facilitated a pilot program of education and skills training in addiction- and mental health knowledge. My counterpart from the Health Promoters, George Array has been instrumental in orchestrating that the audience was the right target group, including the local educators. Without George this would not have been possible. The foundation is there; similar and more workshops will follow soon and we will build on what we have established so far” says Marcus Teunissen, Director of Promentis Healthcare.