In support of October’s Mental Health Awareness Month, the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) will be hosting the Mental Wellbeing Livestream, a series of online events aimed at creating much needed awareness around mental health, drilling down on some of the most pertinent issues faced by South Africans today.

The Mental Wellbeing Livestream will be presented across HWSETA’s dedicated social media platforms and hosted by medical doctors and advocates for mental health, Dr Nokukhanya Khanyile and Dr Bello Alvarez.  The 30-minute livestreams will feature guests such as clinical psychologist Anele Siswana, psychologist Sharon Louria, and virologist Dr Bonolo Mashishi.

HWSETA’s social media followers will be able to send through questions via each platform’s direct message (DM) service before each livestream event, which will then be answered and discussed by the experts on the day. Followers can remain anonymous, and all questions will be treated with the utmost discretion.

“Many South Africans don’t have access to mental health care; through the Mental Wellness Livestream we hope to provide support and contact with mental health experts in a safe environment.  Also, through the topics, our guests will address major mental health challenges and issues, providing tangible and workable solutions,” says Elaine Brass, CEO of HWSETA.

The first Mental Wellbeing Livestream will go live on Thursday, 7 October at 18:00 SAST with the topic, Fighting the stigma associated with mental health.  The livestream will be hosted by Dr Alvarez, with guests Anele Siswana and a medical student.

October’s Mental Wellbeing Livestream topics will also include: T

• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental wellbeing of healthcare professionals and the public at large;
• The challenges of distance learning and its toll on mental wellbeing of students; and
• Parenting during the Covid pandemic and its impact on the mental health of parents and students.

Find HWSETA’s social platforms on:

• acebook at (@HWSETA / https://www.facebook.com/HWSETA).
• Instagram (@HWSETA_SA / https://www.instagram.com/hwseta_sa/).
• LinkedIN (@HWSETA / https://www.linkedin.com/company/hwseta/).

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About HWSETA

HWSETA is more than a skills development authority. We are a national entity dedicated to service, and we consider our work a part of the public trust. When we talk about skills development, it’s about changing people’s lives, enhancing their employability and aligning their skills to our economy. We have served the nation for 19 years, and in that time, we have continually changed and grown to provide the skills that our country needs to meet new challenges in the health and social development sectors, as well as the veterinary sector. We seek people with the same strong ethic of service, energy, and dedication to serving our country.