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Category: UPside

MENTAL HEALTH SONA 2023 HIGHLIGHTS URGENT NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
UPSIDE MEDIA RELEASE

Prof. Daniel Louw with one of many though-provoking points.

Cape Town, 10 October 2023: A recent mental health seminar highlighted the urgency for mental health resources for Cape Town communities ahead of World Mental Health Day.

UPside Community Services, a registered Non-Profit in the Cape Peninsula, hosted a Mental Health State of the Nation Address on 7 October, offering an integrated and cross-sectoral response with recommendations.

“This seminar promoted stakeholder collaboration to prioritise mental wellness through preventative action and capacity building of our community leaders, positive and informative messaging and facilitating an open discussion on mental health at home, school and the workplace,” said UPside Executive Director Neal Bresler.

The event was attended by almost 100 small business and community leaders and featured leading industry experts Professor Mario Smith, Psychologist and Professor at UWC,

Numerous leaders from the local far south community and beyond were in attendance.

Professor Daniel Louw. Professor in Theology and Pastoral Care at the University of Stellenbosch and Anelia Coetzee, a People and Strategy Development Expert.

The panellists reflected on the importance of family, relationships and community in managing mental health. Neal Bresler opened the discussion with some alarming findings indicating that 25% of South African employees are diagnosed with depression during employment and that only 15% to 25% will seek help.

Prof Louw presented the concepts of the human disposition within relational dynamics and the paradigm shift from crisis thinking to compassionate care.

“We live in a world of stressors,” explained Prof Smith. He listed the impacts on mental health, such as increased demands for living, intensified risks, the gap between policy and service provision, imploding systems, reduced individual and community skills, food insecurity, poverty, reduced capacity for empathy and pandemic residue.

His recommendation for moving forward includes a multilevel approach between systems community, family units and individuals. His advice at an individual level is to live balanced lives, set and observe personal limits, distinguish between colloquial language and clinical language, make informed and appropriate use of self-help and social media, and consolidate resources.

Anelia highlighted the need for businesses to create safe spaces to build trust and a sense of belonging.

From Left to Right: Ms Chantal Philander (UPside Advocacy & Development Director), Prof Daniel Louw, Ian Thomson (UPside Chairman of the Board), Ms Anelia Coetzee, Neal Bresler (UPside Executive Director) and Prof Mario Smith.

The professionals praised community counsellors, describing their tremendous respect and appreciation for them and highlighted the importance of a joint understanding of the role of screening and understanding the healthcare systems in South Africa.

To conclude the conversation and in support of World Mental Health Day, UPside calls for:
- Increased investment in mental health and counselling support services, integrated within the primary health care, education, community services and structures.
- Improved collaboration between partners in the private sector, academia, government, and civil society to reduce the divide and to provide access to mental health care and services.
2023-10-10
State of the Nation’s Mental Health
The headline is more than just a tongue-in-cheek play on our annual State of the Nation address. It asks the serious question: What is really going on with our nation’s mental health? And just as important, what does that mean for our community and business leaders?

The World Health Organisation indicates that mental health will be the biggest crisis we will face on the planet by 2030. In a recent report by the Mental State of the World, South Africa scored the lowest average on mental health well-being among 34 countries worldwide. The data is unsurprising, but how can we empower our communities to prioritise their mental well-being and find support?

Mental Health Seminar – 7 October

During Mental Wellness Month in October, UPside is hosting a seminar on Saturday, 7 October, on the state of South Africa’s mental health and its impact on NGOs, education and the economy with:
- Prof Mario Smith, Psychologist and Professor at UWC.
- Prof Daniel Louw. Professor in Theology and Pastoral Care University of Stellenbosch and
- Anelia Coetzee, People and Strategy Development Expert
We will try and unpack some of the psychological impacts of our nation’s ongoing narratives around crime, load shedding, corruption and the upcoming elections. How do these large narratives impact the personal narratives that we can influence?

To book tickets for the seminar, follow this link: https://qkt.io/k3NCHw

UPside is a not-for-profit offering counselling services to the communities of the Deep South. We have a desire to come alongside all people to help them change the narrative of their lives. Leading our communities, one person at a time, from brokenness to wholeness.

Community & Mental Health Convention

The seminar is followed by the Community & Mental Health Convention hosted by Family Counselling Centre on 20 – 21 October 2023. Please click here for more details on the convention: https://www.integernetwork.com/cmc23

Click here for more information on the Family Counselling Centre: https://familycounsellingcentre.co.za/
2023-08-25
Investing in Mental Health: The Link Between to Productivity and Profitability

Companies must prioritize the mental well-being of their employees to avoid the substantial costs associated with mental health conditions. Professor Renata Schoeman emphasizes that productivity targets should not come at the expense of investment in mental health. While some companies are taking steps in the right direction, many still fail to prioritize employee well-being. Leaders should set an example, create a healthy culture, provide support services, and ensure a work-life balance to support mental well-being in the workplace.

Poor Mental Health Affects Our Economy

According to the Mental State of the World report, South Africa has the lowest average mental well-being score among 34 countries. The economy loses about R161 billion annually due to mental health conditions. This includes lost work days, presenteeism, and premature mortality. Companies must invest more in the mental well-being of their employees to mitigate these costs. Many companies still prioritize productivity over mental health, but research shows that mentally well employees are more productive and happier at work. Companies that prioritize mental health have leaders who exemplify self-care, create a healthy culture, and provide support services. They also invest in education and resilience training and ensure a smooth reintegration process for employees returning from a mental health-related absence.

Companies Must Begin to Invest in the Mental Health of their Staff

South Africa’s low average mental well-being score highlights the urgent need for companies to invest in the mental health of their employees. While some companies are taking steps to prioritize mental well-being, many still fail to do so. Prioritizing mental health benefits both employees and the company, leading to higher productivity, creativity, and retention rates. To support mental health, companies should have leaders who prioritize their own mental well-being, create a healthy culture, provide support services, and establish a work-life balance. The hybrid working model presents unique challenges, and companies should ensure that methods for supporting mental health extend to all employees, whether they work from home or in the office.

To read the original article from MoneyWeb click here.

2023-07-12
Education plays key role in (self) employment

While the article expounds on the key role of education, specially tertiary education, plays in employment it does not specify whether the statistic around ’employment’ includes those that are self-employed.

Self-employment is the real key

It is the opinion of UPside that education is not only key to ’employment’ but rather economic self sufficiency. After all it is economic self sufficient whether through formal employment or self-employment that will drive the economic engine of South Africa to help fuel social upliftment. Far more research and support needs to be given to self-employment.

For more on UPside’s employability programme click here.

For the full article in BussinessTech click here.

2023-03-17
Partnerships, together, are stronger and more effective than ‘going it alone’.
Sive Vaaltein is the family strengthening manager at Living Hope. Living Hope is one such NPO that UPside has partnered with.

Non-profit organizations (NPOs) are essential to our society. They work tirelessly to address a range of social, economic, and environmental issues and provide crucial services to those in need. However, as with any organization, NPOs face various challenges that can make it difficult to achieve their goals. This is where partnerships come in.

Partnerships between NPOs can be incredibly valuable, providing a range of benefits that are difficult to achieve when each organization goes it alone. Here are just a few reasons why NPOs should consider partnerships:
1. Access to expertise and resources: NPOs often operate on limited budgets and with limited staff, which can make it difficult to address complex challenges. By partnering with other NGOs/NPOs and related organisations, your NPOs can tap into a broader range of expertise and resources, allowing them to tackle more ambitious projects.
2. Increased visibility and credibility: When NPOs partner with other NPOs/NGOs and supporting organisations, they can increase their visibility and credibility. By working together, they can demonstrate their impact on their communities and attract more support from donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders.
3. Collaborative problem-solving: Many issues that NPOs are working to address are complex and multifaceted. By partnering with others, including tertiary institutions such as UCT, your NPOs can collaborate on problem-solving, bringing together diverse perspectives and approaches to find innovative solutions.
UPside recently had the privilege to be invited to the University of Cape Town’s Knowledge Co-operative. We had the opportunity to explore UCT’s role in linking community research needs with the students and lecturers of UCT and network with other NPOs to explore partnership opportunities.
Click here to read about the event hosted by the UCT Knowledge Co-op.

In short, partnerships can provide NPOs with many benefits that are difficult to achieve when working alone. By collaborating with other organizations, NPOs can access expertise and resources, increase their visibility and credibility, collaborate on problem-solving, and increase their efficiency and effectiveness. For NPOs committed to achieving their goals and making a positive impact in their communities, partnerships are an essential tool that should not be overlooked.

Click here to see the other organisations that UPside has partnered with.
2023-02-17
Official UPside NPC Launch
Sunday the 12 February 2023 saw the official launch of Upside Community Services NPC. Locally know as UPside, this nonprofit company is a registered nonprofit working in the deep south of the Western Cape, South Africa. The NPC has three programmes it is driving;
- ONside – Education support for both First 1500 Days and Last 1500 Days of a learner’s educational journey
- IRONside – With a focus on employability. Developing soft skills related to job seeking and self-employment.
- ALONGside – Emotional health counselling. Providing free lay counselling services to our community.
Please watch the video below for more details.
2023-02-15