The Substance Abuse Treatment Workforce of South Africa

The purpose of this paper is to describe characteristics of substance abuse treatment counselors in the Republic of South Africa, including demographics, education, training, and job duties. Counselors recruited from 24 treatment centers completed a survey after signing informed consent. Counselors were primarily female (75%), racially diverse (36.4% White, 30.8% Black, 18.9% Coloured, 12.6% Indian or Asian, and 1.4% Cape Malay), and were 38 years old on average. The majority (62.3%) held at least an equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, and just under half (49%) were registered social workers. Counselors had a mean of 5.3 years’ experience in substance abuse treatment. The substance abuse treatment workforce of South Africa appears to be young and educated, yet only one third of the counselors had any formal training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. South African counselors could benefit from more training in evidence-based techniques

An Evaluation of the Relationship Between Spatial Form and Transport Mode in Elim, South Africa

The location of activities and the need for interactions create a demand for transport. The mode of transport choices for travelling to commercial centres has always been varied. However, private car use has been the most frequently used mode of transport. As a case study, this study explores how retail trade has influenced transport mode choice in the Elim commercial area in Makhado Local Municipality, South Africa. A mixed method approach was adopted using secondary data and a questionnaire survey to acquire data amongst customers in the Elim commercial area. A Cronbach Alpha test using the survey data was done to check the data’s reliability and internal consistency achieving a Cronbach ? = 0.903, which indicates that the survey data is reliable. The results show that the retail trade area increased in minibus taxis and local people walking to the node where the retail trade is located. The study concluded that the land-use structure in the local area significantly influenced the transportation mode

Self concept and school dropout of black adolescents

M.Ed. (Educational Guidance)This study forms part of a group project on school dropout which the Rand Afrikaans University and the Ben Gurion University in Israel have jointly undertaken. There is a widespread concern about the high dropout rate in schools all over the world including the Republic of South Africa. In view of the many challenges facing the country economically and politically South Africa needs its youth to be motivated, productive and self supportive.The Rand Afrikaans University and the Ben Gurion University have decided to pool their knowledge and experience in researching factors which contribute to pupils' leaving school too early. The project aims to identify the at-risk pupils and to research internal and external factors such as self concept, family relations and locus of control and their relation to dropout. This study will specifically focus on the way potential dropouts in black schools experience their self concept

The Role of the Church in Low-Income Housing in Namibia

The paper examines the church's role in Namibia's low-income housing process. The study followed the qualitative method; data were drawn from journals, books, newspapers, and other relevant material. The article argues that the church in Namibia plays a positive role in low-income housing and promotes Sustainable Development Goals. The findings reveal that the church established a foundation for the current Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, an umbrella body of savings groups that address housing issues for low-income groups. The church plays a significant role by building houses for the poor, donating materials, and helping low-income communities alleviate poverty. The study supports participatory planning efforts in housing, highlighting that the church and faith-based organizations have a place in promoting Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goals 1, 2, and 11. It augments literature in religious studies, the built environment, and sustainable urban development by investigating the church's role in housing provision. In contrast, most studies focus on the church’s involvement in politics, culture, and socio-economic development. The study will benefit stakeholders who want to contribute towards goal 11 (Sustainable cities and communities). Additionally, the contribution will grow as the research serves as a novel contemporary reference for future studies in the same field

The Impact of Urban Planning on Places of Worship in Windhoek Namibia

Urban planning impacts freedom of religion through planning regulations applied by local municipalities in establishing places of worship in urban areas. However, incorporating religion in urban planning in most countries has remained insignificant, regardless of the new challenges of increasing religious diversity in most cities. This paper examines the role of urban planning policies in Namibia in establishing places of worship in Windhoek and its impact on freedom of religion in the City. Data was collected by reviewing and exploring journal papers, government documents, books, and newspaper articles. Neoliberal theory was employed to guide the study. The research established that the City of Windhoek, through planning policies, has a direct impact on places of worship, and to facilitate a sustainable process, the City put a moratorium on establishing new houses of worship to reduce the number of people intending to create such facilities. Applications for even places of worship by religious bodies, including churches, are treated the same as other applications for related institutions, even though the churches and other religious facilities have different ways of worshipping. In Namibia, the government and municipal urban planning departments benefit all religious organizations equitably. The study's findings contribute to the scientific discussions on places of worship and town planning policies in developing countries. The findings will benefit all stakeholders involved in developing places of worship, such as policymakers, academics, and researchers. The study is limited to Windhoek, and further studies should incorporate both urban and rural areas

The Substance Abuse Treatment Workforce of South Africa

The purpose of this paper is to describe characteristics of substance abuse treatment counselors in the Republic of South Africa, including demographics, education, training, and job duties. Counselors recruited from 24 treatment centers completed a survey after signing informed consent. Counselors were primarily female (75%), racially diverse (36.4% White, 30.8% Black, 18.9% Coloured, 12.6% Indian or Asian, and 1.4% Cape Malay), and were 38 years old on average. The majority (62.3%) held at least an equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, and just under half (49%) were registered social workers. Counselors had a mean of 5.3 years’ experience in substance abuse treatment. The substance abuse treatment workforce of South Africa appears to be young and educated, yet only one third of the counselors had any formal training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. South African counselors could benefit from more training in evidence-based techniques