Pioneering work in task-shifting

We are very proud to share that one of our Educational Psychologists, Amanda van der Vyver-Anderson, has been invited by Generation Mental Health to present at the 2025 Building Voices, Bridging Futures: Youth Innovation in Mental Health Conference, in September. Amanda will speak on “Mental Health First Aid: Empowering School Wellbeing through Task-Shifting”.

Amanda has pioneered our important work in welcoming young people from the local community into our teams; training them in mental health first aid and guiding their journeys. After a successful pilot project, the National Treasury’s Jobs Fund partnered with us for catalytic growth to expand this initiative across the country – addressing mental health needs in schools and creating jobs for unemployed youth.

This year, these young people graduated as Social Auxiliary Workers and are investing in the lives of their younger peers. We think it is important to not only identify local young talent but to equip young people to serve their own communities. A recent study by the University of Stellenbosch noted with concern that “50% of teachers considered leaving the profession due to stress from managing students’ psychosocial issues” – having on-site access to CK supportive services eases this burden on educators.

Please join us…