PSYCAD-NEWSLETTER-JAN-2014

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PsyCaD
NEWSLETTER
SEMESTER 2 2013
Reflections by the
Director at the end of 2013
CENTRE FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT
When I reflect on 2013, I am once again
impressed by the dynamic and energetic
PsyCaD team. As always, it was a year of
achievements and challenges in equal
measures. As the UJ community is a
dynamic and ever-changing landscape,
PsyCaD has to continuously adapt her
approach to ensure world class services to
the UJ community.
This year, PsyCaD consolidated its
strategic direction of preventative and
developmental work to curative
interventions. This is evident in the
numerous preventative and developmental
campaigns, workshops and group
interventions that were delivered to UJ
faculties, residences, departments and
other stakeholders.
to ensure PsyCaD remains a centre of
excellence, where the training of Intern
Psychologists is concerned. Every year an
increasing number of applications are
received, from universities across the
country, to be accepted into PsyCaD’s
training programme. This year was no
exception. In addition, many UJ students
and staff continued utilising PsyCaD’s
Therapeutic Services, as well as the Crisis
Line offering 24-Hour Psychological services.
The Psychometric services to faculties, F5
and F7 students, assessments for
concession testing and a variety of other
Psychometry work was, once again done
by the PsyCaD Psychometrists and I am
proud of the standards they set in the
Higher Education sector.
Twitter participation by UJ students have
increased significantly. Another important
achievement was the recognition given to
us by UJ’s Student Representative Council,
as the best supporting structure 2013.
I look back on a full and meaningful year
where PsyCaD served UJ and its threshold
communities excellently, and I would like
to express my sincerest appreciation to
each and every staff member for their
diligence, commitment and energetic
contributions during 2013.
Please contact PsyCaD for more details or an appointment:
Kingsway Campus | 011 559 3106 / 3324 | B5 Building / C Ring 1
Bunting Road Campus | 011 559 1318 | Impala Court
Doornfontein Campus | 011 559 6042 | House 2, next to the Student Centre
Soweto Campus | 011 559 5752 | Academic Block B
~
PsyCaD Reception is open
Mondays – Fridays, from 07:30 – 16:00
(Closed on Public Holidays and during the UJ December recess)
~
In order to assist prospective students and
current UJ students to make optimal
career and life decisions, the Career
Services unit made excellent progress with
a virtual career resource centre, as well as
virtual recruitment centre. The
psychological support to at-risk students
provided by the Academic Services unit
this year, expanded into group work and
tailor made interventions for faculties.
The Office: PwD has a high profile in UJ.
The Office operates as a separate service
unit and has thus far secured a PsyCaD
vehicle for disabled people, is actively
involved in yet another Disabilities audit
and successfully manages the strategic
intent of UJ and the Committee PwD.
As always, I am proud of the work done in
the Training and Development services unit,
Allow me to mention that none of the
services provided by Psychologists,
Psychometrists and Career Counsellors in
PsyCaD will be possible without the
continuous support of the loyal
administrative staff members in PsyCaD
and on every campus.
Mostly, when I reflect on the year, it
becomes clear that PsyCaD is well and
thoroughly entrenched in the UJ fibre and
that we have solid partnerships with
faculties, residences, support divisions
and other stakeholders. PsyCaD is
uniquely situated to engage with
communities and we do so with pride and
excellence. During 2013, special effort
was put towards engaging students
through social media interfaces. We can
proudly say that PsyCaD’s Facebook and
Prof Gertie
www.uj.ac.za/PsyCaD
psycadinfo@uj.ac.za

Academic Services
Walk-in/Advisory Services
The walk-in/advisory service at PsyCaD is an effective way of providing an immediate service to UJ students, staff, prospective
students and community members when they need it. It has proven to be an important aspect of assessing clients’ needs before
arranging further intervention or referral. In urgent cases, the walk-in/advisory service has provided a place of safety and containment
for those who may be too overwhelmed to determine what could be best for them at that particular moment in time. In other
cases, the walk-in/advisory service has provided students with enough support and guidance to allow them to identify solutions and
implement them themselves.
Towards the end of the second semester, 3925 clients had utilised the walk-in/advisory service across all four campuses. Needs raised
and addressed ranged from financial queries and career/subject choices, to faculty referrals (F5 and F7), personal problems and poor
academic performance. Eight hundred and fifty students came through the service requiring counselling around the cancellation of
their studies. The wide scope of factors that impact on decisions about cancelling studies indicates a need for further support and
guidance with this group of students.
To utilise the walk-in/advisory services on your campus, please consult the table below for the operating hours.
Campus Time slots Location Contact details
Kingsway Daily (09:00-15:00) C-Ring 1 011-559-3324
Soweto Daily (14:00-16:00) Academic Block C 011-559-5752
Doornfontein Daily (per appointment) House 2, Louisa Street 011-559-6042
Bunting Road Daily (per appointment) Impala Court 011-559-1318
Adjustment Groups
In a continuing effort to provide support to students in University,
two adjustment support groups were created by PsyCaD’s
Academic Services team on the APK campus. In addition, the
discussion forums, which were started at the beginning of the
year, continued this semester.
Social Work Support Group
The aim of the support group for students studying Social Work
was to offer the students a place to speak about the difficult
experiences they were facing as training social workers.
Interpersonal Support Group
The interpersonal support group was made available to any
student at UJ. The aim was to assist students who are struggling
with interpersonal difficulties or a lack of social support to
address these issues within the context of a group process.
Discussion Forums
The discussion forums were designed to support students
in identifying and utilising their strengths and resources to
overcome academic and personal challenges. The range of
topics discussed in these forums addresses common challenges,
while empowering students to be proactive in managing their
lives. The discussion forums are designed in such a way as to
allow for students’ needs and demands to be met, while also
allowing them to interact with one another by sharing ideas and
advice. Some of the topics which were covered in the second
semester included:
• Time management and procrastination
• Studying smart and staying motivated
• Test and exam stress and anxiety
Attendance at the forums throughout the year has demonstrated
that students are not only in need of support with regards to
dealing with new pressures, but also in need of support in
sustaining a positive journey towards academic success.
Kgati – And the journey
keeps on going
Kgati, who has been PsyCaD’s First Year
Experience virtual mascot since the
beginning of 2012, has been helping
students skip through University! By
tuning into students’ unique challenges
and concerns, Kgati has been able
to provide advice and tips aimed at
helping students achieve success
throughout their tertiary journey.
Kgati’s Guide to Success has covered
a range of topics from making friends
and being a balanced student to
study tips and coping with adjustment
to university. These guides contain
information, self-assessment tools,
exercises and tips which students can
go through in their own time, assisting
them with evaluating where they’re at
and highlighting the steps they need
to take in improving their functioning.
Keeping up with the age of technology and social media, Kgati is
also a user of Facebook and Twitter! He has become more active
on the PsyCaD Facebook page, where students can not only
interact with him, but learn new things from him too! He posts
pictures, videos, tips and advice which students can like, share
and comment on. Kgati’s Facebook posts encouraged students
to interact with him and with one another as well, creating a
community of sharing and support.
Safenet Project:
Faculty of Humanities
The Safenet project was introduced to support a group of 1st
year academically at-risk students in the Faculty of Humanities.
The programme spanned over 5 weeks, with an emphasis on
personal exploration, identifying and utilising personal strengths,
finding balance and setting academic goals, studying effectively,
staying motivated and coping with exam anxiety and stress. The
Safenet project was designed in a very practical manner, focusing
on practical means in overcoming their academic challenges.
During the 5-week programme, each student completed a selfreport
questionnaire designed to identify the broad themes
related to academic under-performance. In the following
sessions, students were provided with feedback results from
their responses to the questionnaire, with discussion and
guidelines provided on managing their perceived areas of
difficulty. In addition to this, a positive and developmental
approach was adopted to empower students to identify their
personal strengths and use them proactively to achieve success.
Students were not consistent in terms of their attendance and
the drop-out rate for the workshops was considerably high. The
workshop started with a total of 252 students and with only 64
students completing the programme. This high dropout rate
requires further exploration.
The students mentioned they have noticed an improvement in
some areas in which they experienced difficulties, since they
have been able to apply some of the strategies discussed and
have noticed a positive change. The students generally felt that
the topics covered met their needs as students and beyond (i.e.
“and could possibly be useful after my studies at UJ”).
Meet our team
Kerri Ann Alexander is a Counselling
Psychologist working at UJ until the end
of November 2013. She completed her
Masters at Wits University and has worked
in both student-centred environments
and in the corporate sector.
How to motivate your students
GCRA Project
Suzanne Stokes is an Educational
Psychologist. She enjoys working
creatively, reflectively and applies
transformative therapy approaches; which
taps into the strengths and uniqueness of
each individual.
The Gauteng City Region Academy (GCRA) approached PsyCaD
to present a series of workshops to students with the aim of
building awareness of PsyCaD and the services PsyCaD has
available to them. In addition, the workshops aimed at providing
mid-year academic and psycho-social support for these UJ
students, which includes staying motivated and focused on
their academic goals; equipping them with skills in studying
effectively while considering their roles and responsibilities at
home and work; time management and curbing distractions; and
coping with test and exam stress and anxiety. The workshop was
presented at the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, University
of Johannesburg, on the 3rd of August 2013. The workshop
was attended by approximately 450 students, with a total of
approximately 730 students invited to attend.
The majority of the students reflected an appreciation for the
workshops and that they had gained something from them:
“The tasks we had to take part in and the slides explained a lot.
The guests helped a lot”, “Everything was helpful, all I learned
will help me to pass and do well”, “Nothing was least helpful
because everything we did with people from PsyCaD was most
helpful”, “The enthusiasm of presenters [found most useful]”.
The students reflected the importance around how PsyCaD can
play a role in their career/academic process, i.e. “That I can go
to PsyCaD concerning any kind of support I need”.
The senior students reflected the following as most useful (based
on comments made): “finding out my learning style”, “exam
stress” or “ways of coping with stress”, “time management”,
finding ways with coping with responsibilities, duties and
academic work load i.e. “Learning and understanding the
importance of prioritizing” and the “study structure routine” or
“study skills and staying motivated”. They requested additional
workshops, with the focus on the career planning process (career
exploration, job searching, CV writing and interview skills).
Reabetsoe Buys is a Counselling
Psychologist who completed her Masters
degree at Rhodes University. She enjoys
working collaboratively with students on
their unique and individual challenges.
How can we support our students during exam time?
1. Normalise the stress and anxiety they are feeling.
2. Don’t use scare tactics as a motivational tool.
3. Refer students who are clearly emotionally overwhelmed to PsyCaD.
4. Offer basic study skills or refer to PsyCaD or ADC.
5. Provide suggestions to students on how to approach your paper and provide the study outline well in advance.
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Career Services Unit – Highlights of 2013!
PsyCaD Career Services takes pride in highlighting some of our activities and achievements for the year 2013! These highlights offer a
window into the range of career services that we provide, and we encourage our students and colleagues in academia to continue to
utilise our services in the coming year. Thank you to everyone that supported us during the past year, and for your continued support
of the Career Services Unit in the future.
Join us in savouring the following highlights…
Career Services Well-Presented and Active During the UJ Open Day 2013
PsyCaD Career Services contributed to the overall success of this
year’s UJ Open Day, by offering a variety of career exploration
activities to visiting learners. The overarching aims of these
activities were to provide an opportunity to prospective students
to explore and gain insight into their career preferences, and
subsequently explore related corresponding study possibilities
within the context of the UJ programme offering. Prospective
students (an estimated total of 1500) had the opportunity to
complete an online self-assessment tool, the PACE Career
Interest Questionnaire, across all four UJ campuses on the 10th
and 11th of May 2013. Furthermore, the unit facilitated eight
career counselling talks with the aim to create awareness on
the importance of career exploration, in support of their career
decision making.
Expanding the Career Counselling
Narrative to New Frontiers
The PsyCaD Career Services team are always on the move,
expanding our knowledge in the field of career counselling, so
that we offer services that are informed by the latest research and
knowledge in the field. In August, guest presenter, Dr Maximus
Monaheng Sesotho, of the Faculty of Education, University of
Pretoria presented an interesting talk on the career narratives of
people with disabilities. We are looking forward to incorporating
the insights from this presentation into our work at PsyCaD.
Career Group Discussions 2013
During the year of 2013, The Careers Services Unit embarked on
one of numerous career development initiatives, aimed at adding
value to student’s lives, this time in the form of career group
discussions. The discussions, which were piloted across all four
campuses in April 2013, involved relating the career counselling
process in a narrative manner to groups of students that attended
the discussion groups. By providing career counselling within
group settings, we were able to attain our goal of reaching out to
more many more students in need of our careers services.
The discussion groups were aimed at first year student audiences
as well as groups of final year students. The groups were
facilitated by qualified professionals from PsyCaD, equipped to
give excellent career counselling education. We hope to continue
with this worthwhile project next year, with the prospect of
enhanced collaboration with our faculties and within the First year
Experience programme, to attract larger number of participants.
All students that completed the discussion series received a
certificate of attendance, a worthwhile addition to their CVs!
Preparing our Youth for the
World of Work: Career Education
Workshop Series
We are privileged to have contributed greatly to the preparation
of our students and diverse youth groups in our surrounding
communities and schools, with opportunities to present our range
of job search strategy workshops. These workshops provided our
attendees with a variety of job seeking tools, which assisted them
with their preparation to enter the world of work. Typical topics
include CV and cover letter writing, interviewing skills, and job
search strategies. In total, PsyCaD Career Services facilitated 70
workshops between February and October 2013, including the
well-established career development module with the Thusanani
Work Readiness Programme and the Raymond Ackerman
Academy of Entrepreneurship, two popular programmes assisting
unemployed youth in their career development, and offered
annually on the Soweto Campus.
Career Resource Centre – A Place for Career Exploration!
The purpose of the Career Resource Centre is to create a
user-friendly space that is well-equipped to provide access to
information needed from career planning to job search strategies
to all clients. Furthermore, the Career Resource Centre provides
access to updated and relevant career resources (printed and
electronic) to assist in the enhancement of employability, as well
as with informed decisions in line with a client’s career goals.
The Centres, across all four UJ campuses, were used by a total
of 2626 visitors (2 January 2013 – 30 September 2013), of which
UJ students were the most frequent users of these facilities. The
students from the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
used the resources the most, followed by the students from the
Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences, with job search as
the main reason for visiting for both groups of students. Other
top reasons for making use of the Centres were: Registering on
the Job Portal; CV Writing and Cover Letter; Interviewing Skills;
Career Magazines; and Bursary, Subject and Faculty Information.
BE CLEAR ABOUT
YOUR FUTURE
BE CLEAR about your future: Consider your career options!
Choosing a field of study is often a hurdle for any prospective student to overcome. To ensure that you
choose the correct field of study or course, you must be well prepared in order to make an informed decision.
Join PsyCaD’s Career Services for an insightful Career Counselling Talk:
Date: Saturday, 11 May 2013
Time: 09:30 – 10:30 and repeated 11:00 – 12:00
Venues: All four UJ campuses:
Bunting Road Campus, FADA Auditorium | Kingsway Campus, SANLAM Auditorium
Doornfontein Campus, LH106 | Soweto Campus, B2 Lecture Hall
Explore your top career interests and preferences
You will be given the opportunity to complete a Career Interest Assessment to help you to make informed
study field choices. Upon completion of the career interest assessment you will be able to identify your
career interests, and how they relate to various occupations. The career interest assessment is a selfassessment
instrument to be completed online with the duration of 20 minutes maximum.
Dates and Times: Friday, 10 May 2013 at 14:00 – 16:00 and Saturday, 11 May 2013 at 08:30 – 12:00
Venues:
All four UJ campuses:
Bunting Road Campus, Con Cowan Computer Lab A | Kingsway Campus, E Les 204
Doornfontein Campus, John Orr Building, Cyber Centre | Soweto Campus, GNA107
Consult the UJ Open Day Programme (included in the UJ Open Day Info Pack) or ask a UJ Marshall
(wearing an orange UJ T-shirt with a cap) for directions to the venues.
Visit us at @UJCareerService www.facebook.com/PsyCaDCareerServices
Recruitment
Programme 2013 –
Pilot Your Own Career!
Our message to UJ students this year was
to let their dreams take flight and to attend
the Career Fair - their passport to success!
Our take-off with our Career Fairs was
excellent! Overall, we worked with
138 companies for our Recruitment
Programme, of which 107 participated
in our four-day Career Fair in July and
15 attended the Law Career Fair in May.
Feedback from companies was that
they enjoyed the interaction with our
students and are satisfied overall with the
applications received from students. We
printed 24 000 Recruitment Guides which
were mailed to all final year students
(degrees and diplomas).
The Job Portal is used by many students
to search for jobs. I a bid to enhance the
job search experience for students with
disabilities, the Job Portal was updated
with a button for Students with Disabilities.
We are also excited to announce that our
new platform for the Job Portal and our
Recruitment Programme will be in place
from 2014 under our new Career Services
Manager Programme.
UJ Career Fair 22 – 25 July 2013
PsyCaD: The Centre for Psychological Services and Career Development
Venue: APK Foyer Time: 09:00 – 15:00
Transport: Free UJ Busses from all campuses
More info: www.gradx.net www.uj.ac.za/careerservices
PsyCaDCareerServices
@UJCareerService
5 6

Office: People with Disabilities
Casual Day 2013
In September, The Office: People with Disabilities celebrated Casual Day by
selling stickers to UJ students and staff members and encouraging them to dress
up in line with the theme - “Go Big!”. The Office used this opportunity to raise
awareness of the challenges faced by people with disabilities.
The event is organised annually on the first Friday of September by the National
Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa (NCPPDSA). They
are responsible for ensuring that funds raised are distributed accordingly to the
beneficiaries that support people with disabilities in South Africa.
Finally, a glimpse of one of our community engagement projects:
Kliptown Youth Program, Community Outreach Project - MAKING THE CHOICES THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU!
Kliptown Youth Program’s (KYP) mission is: “Eradicating poverty of mind, body, and soul and to fight against the disadvantages imposed
on the children of Kliptown, by providing educational support and after school activities. It seeks to develop young and dynamic
individuals who are willing to contribute effectively for the betterment of their community.”
The Career Services Unit contributed to the KYP mission, by providing career assessment and counselling services to 17 KYP participants,
consisting of 13 Grade 12 learners and 4 young adults, on the 11th of July 2013. The participants attended a career development
workshop, followed by the completion of the assessment tools, the Career Interest Profile (CiP) and PACE Career Interest Questionnaire.
They were amazed by the UJ facilities available, the sizes of the lecture halls and the Library during their Soweto campus tour. They
departed from UJ with information on how to apply at UJ, bursaries and accommodation, as well as information on the National
Benchmark Test (NBT) project. The comment, made by one of the KYP participants, “I feel like this is very helpful; I would call it selfevaluation”,
created an awareness of our role in the betterment of our communities.
History Fact
Kliptown, the oldest township of its kind
in Soweto, established in 1903, was the
place where the Freedom Charter was
adopted in 1955.
A BIG thank you to the Casual Day Champions for 2013, who helped the Office to
raise R5 230.00 for people with disabilities.
Woema Race 2013
The Woema on Wheels (WOW) Race is an annual wheelchair race event coordinated
by the Office: People with Disabilities. The race is aimed at highlighting, in an
experiential way, some of the challenges that are faced by people with physical
disabilities – especially students and staff members within UJ.
Fifteen teams from various divisions of the institution competed against each
other to be the annual Woema on Wheels Champion. Each team consisted of two
members, with one member sitting on a wheelchair (with a map outlining the route
and instructions), while the other acts as a blindfolded assistant. Traditionally, the
race takes place during the UJ Diversity Week which is celebrated annually during
the month of September.
The First Official Mpumalanga Career Exhibition for Learners
with Disabilities
The Office: People with Disabilities was
invited by the Disabled People South Africa
(DPSA) to participate in a career exhibition
for learners with disabilities attending
mainstream schools in Mpumalanga. The
objective of the exhibition was for the
learners to receive information from the
tertiary institutions around the application
processes, bursaries available to students
with disabilities and support from the
various disability units.
Learners had the opportunity to engage
with the various representatives from
the respective institutions. A few of the
learners that visited the UJ stand reported
that they were very eager to apply at UJ.
Representatives from DPSA reported
their interest in making this event an
annual engagement.
Shuttle Service Launched for Students with Disabilities
Transport has been an area of concern for students with disabilities
because they were struggling to travel between campuses and
to participate in their academic activities due to lack of adapted
transportation. This challenge has now been alleviated through
the launch of a bus shuttle service. The bus has been adapted to
be more accessible and spacious to accommodate students that
utilise wheelchairs.
To access the transport, students require little to no assistance:
a manual ramp is deployed from the vehicle thus enabling them
to enter the vehicle. Through the assistance of the driver, the
wheelchair is secured to the vehicle by use of specialised belts that
also provide safety for the passenger whilst the vehicle is in motion.
The shuttle was successfully launched this year and continues
to assist students with their transport requirements thereby
enhancing their participation in academic activities such as work
placements, internships and student life. The bus operates on
all campus sites and students can access it through the booking
system by sending an email to the O: PwD, indicating when they
need to use the shuttle.
7 8

Training and Development
Great Teamwork is the Only Way We Create the Breakthrough that Defines Our Community
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.” Henry Ford
Providing innovative &
interactive workshops for our
aspiring UJ athletes
Professional Services:
Therapy, workshops &
assessments
Testing our expertise to ensure
we provide ethical
services to all -
Board Exams - Oct 2013
“Let’s Talk” PsyCaD interns
discussing the most pressing
issues with UJ students
Collaborating with sponsors in
assisting 37 high school
learners with career guidance
“Take action;
inspire change; make every
day a Mandela Day.”
INTERNS
2013
Reflecting the dedication, motivation
& vision of today’s Youth
PsyCaD Crisis Line –
Always on call 24/7
Supporting people
with different abilities
& different diversities
Providing psychological
expertise in legal matters –
Psycholegal cases
Engaging with the public and
providing knowledge
about careers for
high school learners
Successful engagement with
previously disadvantaged
schools through assessments &
learning support
9 10

Psycho-Education and Psychometry Services
The Psycho-Education and
Psychometry Services Unit
The Psycho-Education and Psychometry Services Unit started
2013 with a bang. Three major team processes kick-started the
academic year in January - the Intern Psychometrists Training,
the Peer Buddies Training (in collaboration with a team member
from the Therapeutic Services Unit), and in collaboration with the
Psychologists from Academic Services and Career Services Units,
the Department: Student Life and the Academic Development
Centre - the Residence Academic Advisors (RAA) Training.
PsyCaD trained 52 Peer Buddies at the UJ Island at the Vaal. They
were equipped with the necessary skills to perform their tasks and
to deal with the challenges that students face, and thus contribute
to the psycho-social wellbeing of their fellow students and their
community. The Peer Buddies have been involved in a number of
PsyCaD initiatives. The Peer Buddies participated in a community
outreach project where they engaged with Grade 11 learners from
the Kliptown Senior Secondary School and John Orr Secondary
School. They provided them with information on choosing a
career and the application processes at tertiary institutions. The
Psychologists in the team co-facilitated the Peer Buddies and the
Community Service Learners Processes. They were responsible for
their development not only through selected themes for training
opportunities, but also supervised them with the aim to help them
develop the ‘self’. The Peer Buddies had their farewell and thank
you function on the 24th October 2013.
One hundred and thirty Residence Academic Advisors were
initially trained, followed by another 40 in the second term of the
year. These are senior students in the residences who support
first year students both academically and socio-emotionally. The
Training Programme has been updated and invigorated with
innovative ideas and will be ready by the end of November for
the 2014 training.
they were involved in (both internal and external) amounts to 11
large projects for the year. The Unit would like to applaud them
for taking on these projects and committing themselves to the
Awareness and Advocacy Campaigns planned for 2013. They also
participated in a community project involving a Career Workshop
at the Johannesburg Girls High School.
2nd Semester 2013 Intern Psychometrists
Life enrichment workshops are designed to enhance the academic
and psycho-social wellbeing of individuals by providing support in
a safe and non-judgmental environment. The highlight for the year
centred on the training of the SRC members across all campuses.
The training took place on 21st June 2013 and the SRC members
were trained on self-awareness, teamwork, conflict management
and resolution, communication and negotiation skills, diversity and
dealing with authority. Three new programmes were developed
and the Unit collaborated with the Career Services Unit in the
updating of the PsyCaD-Thusanani Project’s CV and Cover Letter
Facilitator Manual, Learner Guide and PowerPoint presentation.
Workshops were presented on both Bunting Road and Kingsway
Campuses on a number of occasions on topics such as CV Writing,
Interviewing Skills, Job Hunting Skills, Sexual Harassment, Team
Management, Conflict Resolution, Self-Awareness, Gearing up
for Success, Career Management, as well as Stress and Emotional
Intelligence. In terms of the CPD programme, workshops targeting
Psychometrists have been especially successful this year.
Peer Buddies Camp: Ms Nelmarie Boshoff and Peer Buddies taking the PsyCaD Peer Buddy
Setting-up, Maintaining and Developing Career Resource Centres
in Schools; Self-Awareness and Basic Counseling Skills for Teachers.
The Service Learners started their Wednesday work in the Career
Resource Centres and their campaign planning and organising in
March 2013. In the second term, they received training on CV/
Resumé and Cover Letter Writing, Job Interviewing and Job
Hunting Skills. Their final training covered Career Exploration
Methods for the Life Orientation Teacher in July 2013.
Community Service Learners with Leong Pon after the
signing of the PsyCaD Confidentiality Oath
that one is in control of one’s life and that decisions we make have
a domino effect on our and others’ lives; respecting difference,
combating sexual assault and promoting healthy romantic
relationships. The advocacy campaigns also highlighted the need
to combat hate crimes against those regarded as different. The
most memorable campaign for the year for the Unit is “My Life, My
Body, My Decision”. This integrated campaign was a collaborative
effort of PsyCaD, Campus Health Services, IOHA, the SRC and
Elim Clinic. The campaign highlighted the importance of healthy
behavioural choices when confronted with risky behaviour such as
substance abuse and unprotected sex. The campaign strived to
inform students to focus on their own life, body and future instead
of focusing on what fellow peers are doing or saying.
The Psycho-Education and Psychometry Services Unit engaged in
two Awareness and two Advocacy Campaigns. These campaigns
were designed to create awareness about a variety of pertinent
topics, including: adjusting to university as a first year student;
Ms Razia Mayet (ADC), Ms Leila Abdool Gafoor and Ms
Megan Clerk (PsyCaD) - Presenters at the RAA Training
A total of 17 Intern Psychometrists were selected for PsyCaD by
PsyCaD Psychometrists in collaboration with the Department
of Industrial Psychology and People Management (IPPM) at UJ
during 2013. They received their practical training at PsyCaD whilst
attending the theoretical component with the Dept. IPPM. During
this same time period, the Psychometrists started making inroads
in some schools on the East Rand by either presenting workshops
on Concessions Assessments or promoting specific PsyCaD
Psychometry services to schools. The final number of projects
The SRC Training Camp
The Unit recruited, selected and trained 10 Community Service
Learners from the Faculty of Education. Their training involved the
Procedures for Managing the PsyCaD Career Resource Centres,
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Shared Services
Therapeutic Services Unit
Keeping the Wheels of PsyCaD Turning
Susanne Taylor: Team Leader Shared Services
PsyCaD’s wide range of professional services are offered on all four UJ campuses. These services are supported by PsyCaD’s Shared
Services Team to ensure that everything runs smoothly at Reception and behind the scenes.
The voices of the friendly Reception staff may be familiar to you already. The Reception contact details and names of the Administrative
Assistants who will answer your calls are as follows:
APB | Impala Court - Shane Mathebula
APK | B5 Building - Brumilda Crestwell
APK | C-Ring 1 - Kaylene Thomas and Nikki Nicholas
DFC | House 2 - Pule Boleu
SWC | Academic Block B - Rachel Mosime
Office Administrators on the site ensure that the administrative services flow smoothly and effectively, allowing the PsyCaD
Professional staff to work in a conducive environment.They also assist in Reception, attending to clients, making appointments and
capturing client data.
Ever wondered what an Office administrator actually does? I chatted to DFC Office Administrator, Rose Ntuli, who shared some of
the many activities she’s assisted with in 2013. To ensure the smooth running of the site, various health and Safety and Campus
meetings are attended: 31 to date for 2013. Rose attended to the meeting administration (including set
up, arrangement of refreshments and minute taking) for 39 other PsyCaD meetings. Rose also represented
ADS Administrative staff at the ADS ExCo Committee. Ninety iProcs (procurement requests) processed –
and the year is not over yet.
PsyCaD takes Health and Safety matters seriously, and Rose represents PsyCaD DFC at the Health and
Safety Committee. She is also the qualified First Aider in the DFC office. Pule Boleu, the DFC Administrative
Assistant, is the trained Fire Marshal on site.
In addition, Rose maintains the PsyCaD staff list, ensuring that it is always up to date. PsyCaD colleagues
look forward to the monthly birthday email, always with a beautiful flower greeting for the month. And,
when time permits, Rose attends training to keep up with rapidly changing technology.
Thank you, Rose – and all the other PsyCaD Office Administrators – Lee Tatayas on B5 and Khomotso
Mosoge on APB!
2013 has been a year of change for
the Therapeutic Services team as we
bid farewell to Ms. Wilmien Human as
team leader. Ms. Sumayya Sewrajan
has taken up the challenge of leading
Therapeutic Services as we continue to
deliver outstanding therapeutic support
to our UJ students. The goal of PsyCaD’s
Therapeutic Services is to support all
clients in coping with the demands of
University and life in general. Therapeutic
Services also focuses on assisting students
in achieving personal success and growth.
Therapeutic Services team members are
dedicated and committed to helping
students cope with their emotional
difficulties through individual, couples,
group and family therapy. We also share
information through our various campaigns.
Suicide prevention
This year, the Suicide Awareness
Campaign took on a different feel. The
month of May saw the four campuses
painted yellow. Yellow is the international
colour for creating awareness around
suicide prevention. You may have noticed
the notes that accompanied the yellow
ribbons, with messages such as “Together
we can find a way! PsyCaD is there for
you!”; “Suicide is 100% preventable.
Speak up. Reach out” and “Let PsyCaD be
your bridge over troubled waters”.
Lecturers/ academic advisors and fellow
students often are the first point of defence
for a student when he or she experiences
feelings of despair that may bring about
thoughts of suicide. Through collaboration
with academics, particularly members of
the First Year Experience Committee and
first year lecturers, the focus of the 2nd
semester therefore has been on taking
the message to students by playing a
video on suicide prevention during class
time. Until July this year the video on
suicide prevention which is available on
YouTube has been accessed online by 101
people. Out of 625 students who have
been asked about whether they have seen
any information on suicide prevention on
campus this year, 305 (48%) indicated that
they have seen material with information
on suicide prevention around one of the
UJ campuses. Although 48% suggests
that there is still a lot of work to be done in
terms of conscientisation around suicide
prevention among the UJ community, we
are happy that 305 individuals have been
equipped with the armour of preventing
the unfortunate event of suicide, whether
their own lives or that of another. The
Therapeutic Services Team wishes to
thank those lecturers who were willing to
give some of their lecturing time in order
for the suicide prevention video to be
played in their classes.
Through the campaign we hope to reach
out to the UJ community, letting them
know that they are not alone and that help
is one phone call away.
For more information on suicide prevention,
visit our video on YouTube and join the
suicide prevention movement! You will also
be able to access additional information
from ULink, Facebook or Twitter.
Please see below for the suicide awareness
video link: http://youtu.be/hyJHs9H_kGk
The 24-hr Crisis Line
A crisis can be viewed as an individual
experiencing a situation as an intolerable
difficulty that they are unable to cope with
using their current resources and coping
mechanisms. The purpose of PsyCaD’s
24-hr Crisis Line is to provide immediate
psychological assistance to both UJ
students and staff at any time of the day
and night. The psychologist on duty aims
to provide crisis intervention and trauma
debriefing with the intention of minimising
the potential for psychological trauma and
to therefore increase a sense of safety and
stabilisation within the individual.
This year, the crisis line has assisted close
to 300 callers throughout the year, of
which 19 were suicide-related calls. All
19 callers who were calling in connection
with suicidal ideation were successfully
assisted. The majority of the calls received
revolved around stress which was related
to relationships, finances and academics.
Therapeutic Services will continue its quest
to provide emotional and psychological
support to the UJ community in 2014.
Therapeutic Tools
and Resources
As the Therapeutic Services Team, one
of our main aims for 2013 was to fill
our professionals’ “back packs” with
therapeutic tools and resources to
guide, to enlighten and to ultimately
empower them to develop and grow
both personally and professionally. We
focused on the journey of growth of the
therapeutic self, as a means to assist
and guide our students in the best and
most professional manner possible.
As part of our teaching and learning
process, Therapeutic Services devised
and provided both electronic and handson
therapeutic resources. Our electronic
resources included 36 themes ranging
from depression to anxiety with the aim of
creating a foundation for professionals to
work from therapeutically. All five PsyCaD
sites also welcomed our new “therapeutic
tool kits”, where professionals were
able to utilise practical therapeutic
interventions and games with the aim
of creating an interactive therapeutic
environment. In 2014 our therapeutic
journey will continue as we strive to
further improve therapeutic practice
amongst our professionals with the aim
of allowing our students to develop and
grow holistically and to ultimately become
the best version of themselves.
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