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SAACDHE Newsletter Edition 4 (2024)

Dear SAACDHE members,

Closing off 2024 provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past year and to look forward to all that is to come in 2025. 2024 has been a year of growth and positioning for the SAACDHE association – with updates to SAACDHE’s founding documents and the ongoing engagements around SAACDHE’s strategic plan, the association is ready to take on challenges and opportunities in 2025!

One of the highlights of 2024 included the launch of a new look SAACDHE website, with a dedicated member login portal. To enjoy the Association’s full benefits and access all relevant information, events, and job postings, please ensure that your institutional memberships for the 2024/2025 cycle are up to date!

We want to thank our regions and our members for engaging with the Association on all these processes over the last year, sharing your successes, and making SAACDHE a welcoming space for all!

Before closing the 2024 chapter, I would like to take a moment to share some of these successes, changes and events with you.

Congratulations to Dr Laetitia Permall (UWC) on completing her doctorate!

Dr Permall recently graduated with a PhD at UWC titled: Fostering Student Success: Examining the Interactive Relationship between Core Beliefs, Emotional Intelligence, Psychological well-being and Academic Achievement.

Congratulations to Dr Munita Dunn-Coetzee

Dr Dunn-Coetzee is the SAACDHE Regional Chair of the Free State Region and Director: Health and Wellness Centre, UFS. She has been appointed as a national evaluator for counselling psychology internship sites by the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

Regional highlights

Western Cape

The Western Cape Region has been actively engaged with membership and reported on three events:

Stellenbosch University’s Division of Student Affairs Staff Wellness initiative (gardening together to give their green space a makeover)
Stellenbosch University’s Division of Student Affairs Open Day stand (with Occupational Therapist Interns)
3rd SAACDHE Western Cape Regional Meeting: Data Informed Presentation (by Ms Elizabeth Booi, Business Intelligence (BI) Data Architect/Lead at UWC’s Institutional Planning Department)

Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape hosted a Regional Conference in East London that focused on CPD-related activities, including reviewing relevant articles and discussions, a guest speaker who addressed members on Medico-legal malpractice legalities, and the regional AGM.

Free State

Self-Esteem programme, an eight-week programme focusing on developing healthy self-esteem in students.
Substance Abuse Training for mental health practitioners facilitated by Aurora Addiction and Treatment Centre.
Men’s Health Awareness Month in November encourages men to focus on their physical and mental well-being.
UFS hosted a MaskUnity Men’s Conference on 27 and 28 August on “Combating loneliness with connections”. The conference was attended by about 400 students from Walter Sisulu University, Sol Plaatjie University, Central University of Technology, Maluti FET College and three UFS campuses. Stakeholders included Higher Health, the Free State Department of Health, and the HOD of Campus Health from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Gaunolanga

The region elected Mr Elvis Mashaba (TUT) as the new Regional Chairperson. Elvis is an Educational Psychologist employed at the Directorate of Student Development and Support (SDS) on the Ga-Rankuwa campus. Congratulations Elvis!

Vaal North-West

The region has been actively engaged in hosting meetings with members. Following an online regional meeting on 22 August 2024, the region hosted a hybrid meeting at North-West University on 14 November 2024 to close the year.

May you all have a restful and restorative festive season!

See you again in 2025!

Ané

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