SAPS members encouraged to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing

National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, says the organisation continues to prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of its members on a daily basis.

He said in-house employee health and wellness (EHW) is available 24/7 and 365 days a year to all police officers as well as for their family members.

This follows the hostage incident in Mamelodi in

which a SAPS Constable held his family members hostage for more than 15 hours following an alleged family dispute.

The Constable fatally shot his nephew and turned the gun on himself. 

His 69-year-old mother was released through the assistance of the SAPS Special Task Force negotiators.

Masemola said the organisation was doing all it can to ensure members mental health and well-being is prioritised, including:

• Counselling and trauma debriefing are available to members 24 hours a day, seven days a week in all provinces.
• The SAPS Employee Health and Wellness follows an integrated approach utilising psychology professionals, social workers, chaplains and medical administration practitioners to provide support and assistance to employees of SAPS and their families.
• Pro-active programs are presented to members on an ongoing basis. Examples of these programs include: Choose Life which is a suicide prevention programme focusing on suicide warning signs, stress reactions and management and more. Depression and Bipolar awareness programs focus on signs, symptoms and recovery strategies.
• Multiple stressor workshops are presented to members in order to assist with vicarious trauma. Mental health and employee health and wellness related topics and articles are also shared on internal communication platforms regularly.
• Standby duties are made available to all members 24 /7. SAPS employees are continuously made aware of EHW and the support in proactive and reactive services that can be provided. These awareness drives occur on a continuous basis during station lectures, parades, awareness days such as Mental health month, World AIDS day, international day for People with disabilities, 16 days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign and many more.
• SAPS partners with POLMED and GEMS to ensure its employees have access to external specialists and services that will be able to cater for their needs.

“I encourage all our SAPS members across the country to prioritise their health and mental wellbeing by undergoing health screenings and check-ups regularly as well as attending debriefing sessions. 

“This is vital for early detection of potential health issues, allowing for timely intervention and avoiding complications by managing conditions more effectively, resulting in better overall health and well-being. As management we are here to support you,” Masemola said. – SAnews.gov.za