Counselling and psychotherapeutic services
Counselling and psychotherapeutic services are provided to the victims of trauma and violence by trained psychologists in PEACE itself and through our professional referral network. The majority of clients are from Windhoek and surrounding areas, with a few coming from remote areas.
A substantial number of PEACE clients are children. PEACE Centre became known as an organisation that provides services specifically to children as a result of its child-trauma counselling programme (Broxos) that came to an end in 2008.
Currently the Centre is deeply involved in a child-protection programme which is run in collaboration with the Legal Assistance Centre and LifeLine/ChildLine Namibia. This programme is funded by the USAID through Pact Namibia.
All counselling and psychotherapeutic interventions are offered free of charge to the public.
Capacity Building
Apart from the basic services provided by government, PEACE Centre is the only organisation that provides professional psychological services to individuals and grass-roots communities in Namibia.
PEACE Centre's psychosocial-service provision, for practical and logistical reasons, has largely been confined to the Windhoek area. However, we are aware that the need for psychosocial interventions is as acute in remote rural areas as it is in the urban setting.
Having realised this, PEACE Centre embarked on a strategy to multiply the effects of our work throughout Namibia. PEACE therefore is committed to increasingly build the capacity of partner organisations, individuals involved as service providers, government departments and other agencies that are in contact with trauma victims. This strategy is aimed at increasing the skills and knowledge in being able to provide appropriate and professional service to trauma victims, thereby increasing the ability for recovery of victims and reducing the impact of traumatic events.
PEACE Centre further plays an important part in promoting self-care skills to promote the wellbeing of professional service providers who work with trauma victims. Interventions in this area of work include prevention of vicarious traumatisation and the identification and promotion of stress reduction strategies.
PEACE Centre training is accredited by the Namibia Health Professionals Council (NHPC) and training accumulate into Continued Professional Development (CPD) points, required for the annual reregistration of health professionals (nurses, social workers, psychologists, etc) with the Council.
The Child-Protection Programme
The Child-Protection Programme runs in conjunction with LifeLine/ChildLine and the AIDS Law Unit of the Legal Assistance Centre has a three-tier approach;
- At community-level the programme is valued for its potential for primary prevention of violence and traumatisation through awareness raising and mutual support provided in support groups consisting of parents/ caregivers and in some cases youth;
- Skills multiplication in the areas of trauma recognition and ("first aid") trauma intervention, particularly in areas where PEACE Centre does not have an office, which is essential to prevent the onset of traumatic stress disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders,
- The provision of professional psychological services to child victims of trauma and their family members where appropriate and necessary.
