ALPHA
TRAUMA
CENTRE
EMPOWERMENT
Alpha is responsible for administrating theVictim Empowerment Centres at the following police stations:
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Vereeniging;
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Sharpeville;
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Kliprivier
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Meyerton.
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De Deur
The VEC project was initiated by the Department of Public Safety and Security. The idea is to establish a Victim Empowerment Centre (VEC) at every police station in South Africa.
The purpose of a VEC is to offer immediate assistance, comforting and debriefing to victims of crime and trauma. The VEC is manned by volunteers from the community and it is important to note that the VEC acts as a containment and referral centre.
The project is quite immense and is co-managed by three State Departments namely Department of Public Safety and Security, Department of Social Development, S.A. Police Services and the various local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s).
These Victim Empowerment Centres offers employment for 20 volunteers at the stations, one Social Auxilliary Worker and one full time Social Worker.
It is the responsibility of Alpha Trauma to:
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Appoint, empower and supervise the volunteers;
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Supply volunteers according to the needs of the police stations;
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Arrange and set up training of volunteers;
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Keep records and files on all clients:
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Represent the NGO on the VSC
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Management Committee and;
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Attend Community Police Forums on request.
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The VEC’s were officially started in March 2011.
HEIDELBERG SATELLITE OFFICE
Alpha established a satellite office in Heidelberg in September 2012.
This is a crime prevention Service and offers services such as:
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Child and Adult Diversion Programmes
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Community Outreaches such as schools
OBJECTIVES
Objective 1
Victim Empowerment
Counselling for abused women, children and rape victims.
Free counselling offered in the following areas:
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Domestic violence and marital problems; uncontrollable children and parent-child problems
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Trauma and grief counseling; court preparation of rape victims.
Conducting assessments of child rape victims for the SAPS and to be supportive to the sexually abused child.
2. Objective 2
Crime Prevention - Youth Programmes
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Child Empowerment Programme:
To have a facility where Youth Offenders, sent by Courts and Probation Officers can attend a 12 week programme dealing with responsibility, communication, self-worth and peer pressure, drugs and HIV/AIDS, making and sharing money, rights and responsibilities, conflict and anger management and their education and future.
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Adult Offenders Programme
To offer a programme to adults involved in acts of aggression such as domestic violence and other assault and battering cases
Outreach Programmes:
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Preventive and Promotive Programme.
To assist less privileged communities to become self sufficient by taking responsibility for themselves.
Outreaches also involves Pre-primary, Primary and Secondary schools - to educate children on sexual and other forms of abuse.
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Outreach to Elderly:
Preventive and Promotive Programmes to the elderly
