Homeless persons benefit from rehabilitation opportunities at Strandfontein temporary shelter

10 May 2020

With over 1600 homeless persons accommodated at the Strandfontein temporary emergency shelter, a number of individuals have made use of rehabilitation opportunities at the shelter and thanked the City’s medical staff on site for their support.

While the temporary shelter space was initially set up in line with section 11 D of the National Government’s COVID-19 National Disaster Management regulations to contain the spread of the coronavirus during the lockdown, and which we have done successfully with not a single homeless person on site contracting the virus, we were also able to record a number of other unexpected successes.

Doctors and clinical nurse practitioners at the daily clinic service set up on site conducted more than 2 000 consultations. More than 1 300 homeless people benefited from these consultations with many being diagnosed with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, that would otherwise have gone unchecked on the streets. These individuals are now enrolled for chronic medication.

The general health checks offered by the City assisted the individuals on site to access medication for pain relief, blood pressure, anti-depressants and other medical conditions, and who were also assessed for mental and substance abuse concerns.

Substance abuse education and awareness sessions were held with all 1 600 homeless persons through smaller group interactions. A handful of individuals on site indicated that they went ‘cold turkey’ and would be making use of the additional services that the City’s out-patient rehabilitation service provides.

During the health consultations, many homeless persons requested that they be connected to the City’s Matrix® Clinics. Others who have opted for shelter placement post the closure of Strandfontein, indicated that the continued substance abuse interventions offered by the City are a major factor supporting their decision to try and stay rehabilitated.

Our Street People Programme staff will continue to engage those who requested assistance to ensure that they remain focused and motivated.

I want to thank all the staff who worked at the Strandfontein temporary shelter site for the service that they offered during these challenging times, and I want to thank the homeless persons on site for making use of these valuable services.

Additional Information:

The City of Cape Town offers Matrix-certified drug and alcohol outpatient treatment programmes in Cape Town. The programme is based on the Matrix® model and consists of three to four sessions a week, which involve:

counselling sessions with or without family members;

an early recovery group which focuses on skills that will help you stay clean and sober;

a relapse prevention group which focuses on living without alcohol and drugs;

a family education group which teaches you and your family about the process of recovery; and

a social support group involving regular meetings with others struggling with substance abuse.

Issued by Greg Wagner, Spokesperson to the Executive Mayor, 12 May 2020