North Gauteng Mental Health

Registered NPO welfare organisation; mental health and social welfare services; statutory social work; community development; protective workshops; special care centres; advocacy; Tshwane Metropolitan area-serving NGMHS has evolved over seven decades to provide comprehensive mental health and social welfare services to the communities of Tshwane. The organisation now operates multiple offices and programmes across Nellmapius, Mamelodi, Soshanguve, and Jan Niemand Park — townships with significant poverty, mental health burden, GBV rates, and limited formal services. Social work services include: - Generic community social work - **Statutory work** (child protection investigation, statutory intervention in GBV/child abuse contexts, court reports) - Community support: addressing socio-economic barriers (poverty, crime, poor health, underperforming schools) - Empowerment initiatives: knowledge, resources, and capacity for self-directed change - Support for mental health care users and their families - Referrals to specialist services **GBV relevance of social work offices:** Statutory social workers can receive and investigate GBV and child abuse cases, appear in court, apply for children's court orders, and refer survivors to shelters. This is a particularly important function in Nellmapius and Mamelodi, where few dedicated GBV NPOs operate. **2. Community Development Projects** - **Ithuteng Community Development Project** — Kondelelani Secondary School, Soshanguve Block S - **Sizabonke Community Development Project** — Emasangweni Primary School, Mamelodi East Both projects focus on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) affected by HIV/AIDS and at risk of dropping out of school. Services: food parcels, home visits, support groups, food gardens, homework assistance, and social activities. The organisation reports 90% of beneficiaries showing measurable life improvement. **3. Special Care Centres** NGMHS operates Special Care Centres for people living with intellectual disabilities — providing day care, skills development, and support. **4. Protective Workshops** **Phuthanamagole Protective Workshop** — vocational skills development and supported employment for adults with disabilities. Income-generating activities and work readiness. **5. Advocacy Department** - Advocacy for mental health policy and rights - Community education events (including remote and virtual sessions) on mental health, substance abuse, and related topics - Public stigma reduction campaigns **GBV-specific services:** NGMHS's generic social work specialising in statutory work is the organisation's most directly GBV-relevant service. The Nellmapius and Mamelodi offices cover communities with high GBV rates and very limited dedicated GBV NPO infrastructure. NGMHS social workers can: - Investigate GBV and child abuse - Apply for court orders - Provide case management for GBV-affected families - Refer survivors to counselling, shelter (nearest NGMHS referral partners), and legal services - Provide psychosocial support for mental health consequences of GBV (trauma, depression, anxiety, PTSD) - Connect survivors with SASSA and housing services