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26 August 2020 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Pixabay

Mental health is a crucial component for a healthy and happy life, as it directly affects how we think, feel, and behave. Mental health also determines how we manage stress, cope with challenges, relate to others, and contribute to our community.  

As noted in the University of the Free State (UFS) #WellbeingWarriors campaign, heightened negative emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic are normal. You might experience feelings of anxiety, fear, sadness, helplessness, anger, and confusion. Your thoughts can also increase negative emotions, but thoughts are not always reality. Therefore, it is best to educate yourself.

According to Dr Melissa Barnaschone – UFS Director for Student Counselling and Development (SCD), the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) will establish and enhance the mental-health support services offered by SCD and Careways as from 1 September 2020 in the following ways: 

- SADAG will extend SCD services by offering a dedicated UFS student mental health careline, which is free and accessible 24/7 to all UFS students. This will ensure that a constant means of mental-health support is available to UFS students. 

- Careways will serve as an extension of the emergency services offered by SCD.

Dr Barnaschone further explained that SADAG is working closely with the university to assist identified students, who will benefit from longer-term counselling offered by the SCD in order to continue with their therapeutic process. SADAG will also offer further support to students while they wait for their appointments with SCD.

This helpline will provide containment, crisis intervention, and support, as well as referrals to mental-health professionals and other psychosocial resources for all students on all the UFS campuses. 
students also have the option to contact SADAG by email or SMS for counselling assistance. 

Counselling for both the SADAG and Careways services will be available in the various South African languages.

Dr Barnaschone reiterated that the SCD will continue with all the services and resources currently offered by the department, and that these additional counselling services will serve as an extension of the SCD, assisting them with patient capacity and reducing the waiting period for students to receive adequate mental-health support and counselling. 

“As we are all navigating the uncertainties and changes that are taking place within our environments, it is vital to remember that we are all human and that we are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious. We need to keep reminding ourselves and each other that this is not a hopeless situation, and when we feel that we need help, all we need to do is ask for it. We are all here to support each other,” encouraged Dr Barnaschone.



News Archive

Prof Prakash Naidoo appointed as Vice-Rector: Operations
2017-09-13

 Description: Prof Prakash read more Tags: Prof Prakash Naidoo, Prakash Naidoo, Vice-Rector: Operations, Qwaqwa Campus Principal 

Prof Prakash Naidoo has been appointed
as Vice-Rector: Operations
Photo: Stephen Collet



The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the appointment of Prof Prakash Naidoo as Vice-Rector: Operations, during its quarterly meeting held on the South Campus in Bloemfontein on 8 September 2017.

Prof Naidoo is a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Resources and Planning at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT). He has also been the Executive Dean: Faculty of Management Sciences at VUT. Prior to this, he was a lecturer in the Department of Accounting at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), and Vice-Dean and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Commerce at DUT.
“Prof Naidoo is a seasoned senior manager and an excellent appointment in this vital position. He understands the higher-education sector, and the Council is satisfied by the quality and extent of experience which he will bring to the position,” said Mr Willem Louw, Chairperson of the UFS Council. 

He holds a PhD in Management Accounting, MComm in Management Accounting, Honours in Accounting, Honours in Economics, BComm (Acc), and a University Diploma in Education.

Prof Naidoo is a registered professional accountant with the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA), an associate of the Chartered Institute of Business Management (CIBM), and an Internationally Certified Fraud Examiner (ACFE). He was also an international associate of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
He served as member and chairperson on various boards and forums, including the Investment Committee of the National Tertiary Retirement Fund (NTRF); Audit Committee of the National Institute on Higher Education in Mpumalanga (NIHE); Audit Committee of the Higher Education Purchasing Consortium (PURCO), and other task teams in higher education. He also served as a former director of ACFE (SA Chapter), where he received a commendation for his work in fighting fraud and corruption in the country. He has written and published numerous papers, supervised research, presented papers at conferences, and published one book.
Prof Naidoo is currently the Campus Principal of the university’s Qwaqwa Campus. He will start in the new position as from 1 January 2018, following the subsequent retirement of Prof Nicky Morgan, current Vice-Rector: Operations at the end of December 2017.

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