Organisational objectives

The focus of SANCA’s interventions is primarily on prevention, which is geared towards creating and reinforcing healthy behaviour and lifestyles, in addition to the provision of early intervention services.

This entails taking action at three distinct levels:

1. Primary Prevention, which necessitates taking action to build resilience and prevent substance abuse problems before they occur.

This proactive intervention focuses on altering the individual and the community, through awareness programmes and developmental services, to build capacity within communities and to reduce the risk of chemical dependency as well as related social and health challenges. This principle is embodied in programmes such as POPPETS, SANCA’s Youth Programme and other life skills programmes.

2. Secondary Prevention initiatives focus on high risk groups such as youth and abused women and include a collection of workplace prevention and intervention programmes.

The secondary prevention programme aims to reduce the severity of the consequences of substance abuse before they become more serious. It also equips, through training, other professionals such as educators, nursing staff and social workers to intervene constructively.

3. Tertiary Intervention is directed at those who have already developed a substance abuse problem. This programme offers counselling and out-patient services to substance abusers, their families and collaterals.