Trauma counselling for crime victims at Parkview
PARKVIEW – Supporting victims of crime and trauma since 1997, the Parkview Victim Support Unit calls for more volunteers.
Community members are affected by crime almost every day with others not making it out alive while others have to live with its after-effects. However, the Parkview Victim Support Unit re-assures those affected by crime that trauma does not need to be a life sentence as they are there to help people put it together again.
Speaking during one of their meetings at the Parkview Police Station, coordinator of the unit, Debbie Burman said the unit is a group of trained volunteers who represent the community, the CPF (Community Policing Forum) and the police in assisting victims. “The members of this support group consist of caring community members from all walks of life.
“They all undergo a course in trauma counselling and accompany existing members with experience before they attend call outs on their own.”
She added that they are the ‘first aid’ and will make referrals if needs be. They assist people who have been victims of hijacking, robberies, domestic violence, rape, murder, suicide, drowning and more.
In one of the pamphlets handed out by the support group it reads: ‘Trauma occurs when an extra-ordinary external event (unexpected, witnessed or imagined) overwhelms an individual’s capacity to cope. The degree of trauma is related to the level of threat experienced. Everyone is different with different coping skills and resilience.’
The unit works in the suburbs that make up the Parkview and Rosebank precincts and they assist victims by calming them, supporting them and dealing with practical matters such as phoning the families or cancelling cell phones and credit cards.
Currently, the Parkview support unit membership stands at 10 and they would like to invite members of the community willing to volunteer to come forward. Bart Cox who is also a coordinator said,
“The volunteers need to be empathetic people who want to serve. They need to be able to listen rather than give advice.”
Cox added that they would love to have volunteers that can speak any other South African language other than English.
Anyone willing to volunteer may call Debbie on 082 330 4491.
Are you doing any initiatives to empower your community? email details of your initiatives to naidines@caxton.co.za
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