Sistema Nacional del Presupuesto Público

8.4.1 Preamble

Effective management of PTSD is complex. A variety of variables such as coping strategies, available resources (internal and external), individual personality characteristics, individual vulnerability, cultural and historical background, ethnicity and upbringing and social and family networks, contribute immensely to how an individual will manage the effects of trauma and PTSD. Other significant variables include the intensity of the trauma and stressors that a sufferer would have been exposed to, response and adherence to prescribed medication, honoring of counseling and support sessions, and the implementation of the coping skills acquired from counseling.

It should be noted that individuals differ on how they can deal with PTSD. However, there are universal and basic coping mechanisms that are presented in trauma literature as applicable and effective in managing the effects of PTSD. The strategies include availability of adequate social, family, professional, medical, peer/co-worker and organisational support. Therefore, if the basic support structure is laid out, then most workers diagnosed with PTSD and their families will be assisted to manage the health and social effects of PTSD and the effects of living with a member diagnosed with PTSD.

8.4.2 Qualifying statements

The formulation of guidelines for a complex and sensitive health condition such as PTSD, gives little room to envisage every case. It is expected that in some cases, there will be valid exceptions to the approaches offered in the guidelines and sound reasons to deviate from the recommendations provided, given the merit of every PTSD case.

8.4.3 Description of the implementation strategy

The office of Employee Health and Wellness within the SAPS organisation has the main responsibility of ensuring and promoting the good health and wellness of workers and their immediate family members. Other organisational support structures include the workers’ immediate commanders as well as HRM personnel who administratively work closely with workers diagnosed with PTSD and the management at station/unit, cluster, provincial and national levels. The workers’ immediate families also serve as part of the main support base for the workers diagnosed with PTSD. Received family support enhances the workers’ wellbeing and subsequently their performance at work becomes enriched.

The guidelines will first be presented to the SAPS management and EHW management forums in the Mahikeng area, the SAPS North-west provincial headquarters in Potchefstroom and the SAPS Head office in Pretoria to advocate and solicit the adaptation and implementation. They are later presented to the family members as they also have a critical role to play in supporting the SAPS worker who is largely at the receiving end of care and support offered by the SAPS organisation to effectively manage the effects of PTSD. It is envisaged that the SAPS management will mobilise a stakeholders discussion session to review, analyse and critic the guidelines, with a view to adapting and eventually adopting them for implementation within the SAPS workplace.

8.4.4 Guidelines on the dissemination plan

After adaptation and adoption by the organisation, the research findings and guidelines will be disseminated to all role players and end users. These role players and end users includes the SAPS management, the SAPS workers diagnosed with PTSD and the ones not diagnosed as such, the SAPS EHW personnel, the immediate family members and the labour unions representatives within the SAPS organisation. The dissemination will be through presentations at health and wellness seminars, workshops, national and international conferences, meetings and at general station and unit lectures within the SAPS workforce. Guideline distribution techniques will include the SAPS institutional website (intranet), UNISA’s website,

publication in accredited journals, and printing and distributing copies to those with no access to the internet to ensure adequate accessibility.

8.5 CONCLUSIONS

This chapter discussed in detail the development of proposed guidelines for the management of PTSD among the SAPS workers and their immediate family members. In view of the above, the purpose of this study has been achieved. The guidelines envisaged to contribute to the management of PTSD in Mahikeng area were developed from the components of the WTM and informed by the findings of the current study.

The guidelines sought to establish a supportive, accommodative and inclusive work and family environment within the SAPS organisation to enhance coping for both workers and families.

These guidelines were developed at a crucial time when community members are questioning the psychological wellbeing of the SAPS workers given the recent media reports on unacceptable police conduct and questionable ways of handling criminal cases. The guidelines also came at an important time when the police National Commissioner and Minister have raised their great concern about the health and wellness of the SAPS workers. Strict adoption and steadfast implementation of these guidelines would indeed serve as a necessary resource material for the Mahikeng SAPS organisation to develop and advance supportive policies and programs consistent with the principles of the Wits Trauma Model.

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