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Date : 18/08/2005
Source: Department of Correctional Services
Title: Mti: Launch of the first DCS Trauma Centre at Drakenstein Correctional Centre


    Address by the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Linda Mti, at the launch of the first DCS Trauma Centre at Drakenstein Correctional Centre, Western Cape

Programme Director
Management of the Western Cape Region and the Drakenstein Management Area
Members of DCS
Ladies and Gentlemen

Medical conditions such as stress, tension and nervous disorders were in the past regarded as ailments that affected people other than ourselves. It was not fashionable especially for men to admit to suffering of any such conditions. Increasingly, however, we are surrounded with both men and women who find it difficult to cope with everyday situations, never mind physiological medical ailments.

The medical profession, with all its branches, regularly has patients seeking assistance with conditions that the latter are not familiar with. Quite often it is related to stressful conditions whether in the workplace, at home or in our communities. I have given this quite some thought in recent times and wonder what impact the natural development of society has on it. When we were leading simple lives, many of us in rural communities, away from the hustle and bustle of the cities, we tended to lead contented lives. There was no rush in our activities. Our eating and living patterns were moderate and visits to doctors were rare.

But as we develop our own lives, faced with greater choices and opportunities, there appears to be a concomitant decline in our lifestyles in the sense that we appear to be more rushed, virtually dictated to by the demands placed on us at various levels in society. We have to deal with pressures that we are not familiar with. We face challenges and experiences that make us uncomfortable and if I may say it, we then want to keep up with the Joneses. We take our measure of success from material resources, from what our friends and colleagues possess and from our status within our respective communities.

All this brings pressures that we have never dealt with in the past. So, while development is good and well, we appear not to be equipped to deal with a new set of demands that are placed on us. We then become despondent, frustrated, even envious and in some cases, without hope. The fighting spirit drains from our bodies and we suffer of conditions such as low self-esteem.

This initiative to launch a Trauma Centre at Drakenstein is therefore an essential element in our overall approach to employer-employee relationships within Correctional Services. Minister Ngconde Balfour would really have wanted to share this occasion with you but an unforeseen engagement requires his presence elsewhere. On behalf of the Minister, I want to apologise for his absence but want to assure you that he fully supports the establishment of this Centre as part of his commitment to caring for the needs of all our members.

In establishing this Trauma Centre, we need to understand it in the context of our new strategic approach to dealing with corrections. Contrary to what some might believe, the White Paper on Corrections in South Africa is not a policy document only aimed at the care and development of offenders. It promotes an holistic approach to our correctional system and central to this, is the circumstances and general well-being of our members. You are at the coalface of our daily activities. You are the first point of contact with offenders and it is the relationship between yourselves as correctional officials and offenders that determines the level of success that we have with correcting offending behaviour and rehabilitation initiatives. Therefore, by its very nature, it is critical that we create every opportunity for our members to perform their work in optimal conditions and to make available such services that could assist our members in dealing with pressures that they might encounter in their work.

A correctional system, no matter in which country, is by definition viewed as a system that has to deal with negative attitudes, negative perceptions and negative behaviour. As correctional officials, you face the challenge of turning such attitudes, perceptions and behaviour around. It is a tall challenge and is likely to have some impact on your lives. Some of us deal with it better than others. But all of us are faced with challenges relating to the care and development of those placed under our supervision. It takes a mental strain on us and then we are often faced with various issues such as temptation, susceptibility to corruption, blackmail, threats and bribery.

I must hasten to add that the vast majority of our officials are professional in the work that they do. They display commitment and are intolerant of attempts to corrupt their thinking or their actions. They show a pride in their work and they deliver a service in keeping with our vision and mission.

But we must also not fool ourselves about the presence of those in our ranks who have no pride in what they do. They walk around as if society owes them something. They blame everyone but themselves for their shortcomings. They are bitter, even angry but just cannot internalise such emotions and consider it with some type of objectivity. It is those people who turn a blind eye to the wrongs of offenders. It is those people who call the media with misinformation, not realising that the damage that they think they are doing to the department is in fact damage unto themselves. They get a type of warped pleasure out of their actions. In the process, they do not realise how they make their own lives miserable and intolerable.

The other category of member is the one who shows commitment, dedication and pride. They deliver on our mandate. But they also face strains. They also have to deal with an environment that can be abusive at times, where acts of violence are witnessed and where coercion and intimidation are prevalent.

This impacts on the psyche of people. It even brings into question your mental state. As a people-centred and people-driven department, we care about your physical and mental well-being. We want to ensure an environment in which you can flourish and enjoy your work. But we also realise that people react differently to different situations.

This Centre is open to everyone – those having to deal with their own shortcomings and inadequacies but also for those who through force of circumstances, need another opinion or another voice just to put our individual and societal situations into perspective.

Outside of your work environment, you also face challenges. In our homes, our communities, our social circles, we have to deal with a variety of situations that add to the strain, the tension and our levels of well-being. We often regard our situation as one of hopelessness. Despair follows. We experience mood swings. We are irritated by the least possible thing. And then we seek an outlet for our frustrations. It manifests itself in various ways. We become withdrawn, aggressive, robust, and even suicidal. We wallow in self-pity, suffer self-recrimination, turn to substance abuse, neglect our responsibilities and slip into self-denial. We feel the social pressures and the safety valve reaches breaking point.

We turn to doctors who identify our symptoms as being, perhaps stress-related. We take time off from work but upon our return, the symptoms also return.

Through our Employee Assistance Programme, we want to provide you with an avenue to seek help. We want to create the space for you to turn to someone who you can trust. Your well-being is a priority for us and with your involvement; we want to facilitate a better life for all members.

The Trauma Centre wants to provide you with a service that is both reliable and confidential. We are serious when we speak of building a caring correctional system. This is for you as much as it is for those in our care. We do not want you to be dealing on your own with difficult situations that threaten to tear your lives apart. We want to be available to offer you support when you need it.

The concept of a Trauma Centre is one that provides an integrated support system for members, relatives and family members. We want to be an information centre that deals in a practical yet effective way with your concerns and needs. We want to create a referral system that will not leave you in the dark with regard to where you can access any service that you might require. We want to create a centre where you will feel free to discuss any problem or matter that troubles you.

It might not be your classical one-stop shop but it must be a place where you can seek refuge and solace. You must own the Trauma Centre. It must be inviting. It must win your trust in order for it to be effective.

As I said earlier, the development of our society brings all types of new challenges and experiences. We do not want to pry into your lives. We do not want to be a crutch for you. We want you to feel comfortable that if you need assistance, you can go there with confidence.

The Trauma Centre must be a place of trust, one of hope and one of support. It is a project that we are starting in the Western Cape, but which we also want to extend it to the rest of the country. It must be a place where you can seek expert help, guidance and support.

Confidentiality is the key to success for this Centre. Whether it is a personal, health, family or work related problem, we want to be in a position to make support and assistance available to you. Join hands with us as we embark here at Drakenstein Management Area on a new experience. It is not confined to members of this management area only. Any member in the Western Cape must be at liberty to seek the services of the Centre.

We are committed to making it work. The management and operations of the Centre will be professionally done. We will use volunteer support but will also provide the requisite professional services.

As colleagues and friends, we must also look out for tell-tale signs in our daily dealings with each other. Do not ignore potential warning signs in our colleagues. Be a real friend and be bold enough to discuss concerns with each other. In that way we could possibly prevent catastrophic situations or accidents waiting to happen.

I want to congratulate all those connected to this Trauma Centre and want to encourage them to turn this into a place of confidence and trust. Let it be a halfway house to a better life for all. In opening this Centre, I want to emphasise that the intention is not to interfere in the lives of members but to give you options. We must never be so comfortable in our lives to think that we do not need the help, assistance and support of others. We are a country that cares. We are a caring nation and we know the value of communal support structures.

May this Centre become a focal point in Correctional Services and may it stand as a monument to a caring society.

Let us celebrate its opening and wish those who drive it strength and wisdom as they reach out to others.

Thank you.

Linda Mti
Commissioner

Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
18 August 2005
   

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