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FORENSIC

EASTERN PROVINCE

1 Luiz Dolores M (Prof) : Tel: (041) 504-2354

Fax: (041) 583-3152

E-mail: pyadml@upe.ac.za

2 Stones Christopher (Prof) : Tel: (046) 603-8501

Fax: (046) 622-4032

E-mail: c.stones@ru.ac.za

FREE STATE/NORTHERN CAPE

1 Louw Daniel A (Prof) : Tel: (051) 401-2444

Fax: (051) 447-5719

E-mail: louwda@hum.uovs.ac.za

2 Luttig Elizabeth M (Dr) : Tel: (051) 436-5147

Fax: (051) 436-5163

3 Sweetlove Brian G (Mr) : Tel: (051) 408-2155

Fax: (051) 408-3353

E-mail: briantwk@intekom.co.za

GAUTENG/MPUMALANGA

1 Cooper Saths (Dr) : Tel: (011) 616-9373/4

Fax: (011) 616-9377/8

E-mail: scooper@PsySSA.com

2 Dangor Zubeda (Dr) : Tel: (011) 854-5804/5

Fax: (011) 852-2620

E-mail: zubeda@nisaa.org.za

3 Mayekiso Tokozile V (Prof): Tel: (011) 717-4525

Fax: (011) 717-4559

E-mail: 018toko@muse.wits.ac.za

4 Mokhuane Esther MQ (Prof): Tel: (012) 521-4632

Fax: (012) 521-4632

E-mail: mokhuane@medunsa.ac.za

5 Olivier Louise (Dr) : Tel: (012) 997-3715/6

Fax: (012) 997-3717

E-mail: antonf@lantic.net (husband)

KWAZULU/NATAL

1 Bosch Brenda A (Ms) : Tel: (031) 260-4598

Fax: (031) 260-4357

E-mail: boschb1@nu.ac.za

2 Mdaka Lorraine SB (Dr) : Tel: (031) 208-4165

Fax: (031) 208-4168

E-mail: nokukhanya@worldonline.co.za

3 Pillay Basil J (Prof) : Tel: (031) 260-4325

Fax: (031) 260-4357

E-mail: pillayb@nu.ac.za

4 Schlebusch Lourens (Prof): Tel: (031) 260-4324

Fax: (031) 260-4357

E-mail: schlebusch@nu.ac.za

5 Tollman Shirley (Prof) : Tel: (031) 261-8288

Fax: (031) 261-4566

E-mail: tollwatt@iafrica.com

6 Watts Ann (Dr) : Tel: (031) 261-8288

Fax: (031) 261-4566

E-mail: tollwatt@iafrica.com

NORTHERN PROVINCE/MPUMALANGA

1 Heystek Joost (Dr) : Tel: (015) 297-2166

Fax: (015) 297-2166

E-mail: ergo@mweb.co.za

2 Mashego Teresa-Anne (Dr): Tel: (015) 268-2321

Fax: (015) 296-0050

E-mail: teresam@unin.unorth.ac.za

3 Msimeki Arnold K (Dr) : Tel: (015) 268-2552

Fax: (015) 268-2556

E-mail: msimekia@unin.unorth.ac.za

4 Sodi Tholene (Dr) : Tel: (015) 291-1103/4

Fax: (015) 291-1110

E-mail: drsodi@iafrica.com

NORTH WEST

1 Wissing Jan AB (Mnr) : Tel/Fax: (014) 594-2270

E-mail: janwis@mweb.co.za

2 Wissing Maria P (Prof) : Tel: (018) 299-1721

Fax: (018) 299-1730

E-mail: psqmp@pukuit.puk.ac.za

WESTERN CAPE

1 Bytheway Janet (Ms) : Tel: (021) 557-6066

Fax: (021) 557-6038

E-mail: jbytheway@mweb.co.za

2 Bawa Umesh (Mr) : Tel: (021) 959-2283

Fax: (021) 959-3515

E-mail: ubawa@uwc.ac.za

3 Lockhat Rafiq (Mr) : Tel: (021) 959-2283

Fax: (021) 637-9746

E-mail: rlockhat@uwc.ac.za

4 Malcolm Charles F (Dr) : Tel: (021) 404-2035

Fax: (021) 440-3199

E-mail: cmalcolm@curie.uct.ac.za

5 Naidoo Pamela (Ms) : Tel: (021) 959-2835

Fax: (021) 959-3515

E-mail: pnaidoo@uwc.ac.za

New Mental Health Bill

New Mental Health legislation was passed by Parliament in May 2002, and will be enacted once the Minister of Health has signed regulations for the Act and once people in provinces have been trained and processes put in place to carry out the provisions of the legislation. The new law will come into effect later this year or early next year.

The process of drafting and passing the legislation was a long and sometimes difficult one, which started in 1997 when representatives from a number of key stakeholders met in Pretoria to discuss what was wrong with the existing legislation and what the key elements of new legislation should be. PsySSA was one of the core organizations from the earliest stages and was represented by Dr Saths Cooper. A first draft was then drawn up and circulated to the core group. After initials inputs had been incorporated, the Bill was circulated at various draft stages to a widening circle of stakeholders and very significant and wide-ranging input was received. Eventually, a reasonable degree of consensus was reached and in February 2000 the Bill was published in the Government Gazette for public comment. Another round of important comments were received and integrated.

The Bill was then thoroughly discussed and debated by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health. All political parties other than the ACDP (who objected on the basis of one clause with regard to state patients) supported the Bill, signifying that the human rights values underpinning the legislation was widely endorsed. The Select Committee of the National Council of Provinces then debated the Bill and it was also referred to all Provincial Legislatures for provincial comment and endorsement. Certain amendments proposed by the Department of Justice were incorporated at his stage. The Bill was then referred back to the National Assembly, where it was finally passed.

Some of the important changes for psychologists include that clinical and counselling psychologists may conduct mental health status examinations to determine whether a person should receive “assisted” or “involuntary” care. Such examinations were previously the sole domain of the medical profession. Psychologists may also be members of Mental Health Review Boards, which will, inter alia, decide whether a person can be kept as an involuntary user. An application for the discharge of state patients also requires that a clinical psychologist’s report be submitted if such an assessment has been done.

The regulations will be published for public comment for three months and all PsySSA members are urged to study them and make representation to the National Department of Health, which regards this as just the beginning of a new mental health era in South Africa.

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