A new ICDP project has recently started in South Africa.
ICDP has signed an agreement for the development of an ICDP project in cooperation with the non-profit organization in Johannesburg, called Ububele Educational and Psychotherapy Trust (https://ububele.org/about-us/). The new project involves training of a group of professionals to become ICDP facilitators. ICDP trainer, Silje Bjørnstad Holter, is carrying out this work as a volunteer. She has already conducted the first workshop for Ububele staff and will be working in Johannesburg until May 2020. Silje is experienced in running caregiver groups and has written her thesis on ICDP, as well as a couple of evaluation and research reports.
The ICDP programme has been well received by the Ububele organization who now appear keen to integrate ICDP as one of their activities to strengthen child and family mental health in the township of Alexandra. On 22 of January 2020, Katharine Frost, the Director of the Ububele Educational and Psychotherapy Trust wrote a letter to Nicoletta Armstrong, ICDP chair, in which she made the following statement:
“The Ububele Educational and Psychotherapy Trust, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, provides therapeutic services to the community of Alexandra – a densely populated, impoverished community with a myriad of challenges. The addition of ICDP training, extends our offering so as to affect change and provide support for the families we serve. The ICDP appears to me to be a good fit with the principles and values of our organization. In particular, the emphasis on culture is resonant and appropriate. We are hoping that a total of 14 practitioners will be trained (a combination of psychologists and community counsellors) and we intend offering 7 self-training parenting groups within the coming months, so as to complete the training of our staff.”