Welcome to Headway-Gauteng

The vast majority of our injured members have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of a motor vehicle accident, sporting accident or personal assault. We also assist survivors of other acquired brain injuries (ABI) for example, stroke (CVA).

All our injured members have led a full life up until they sustained a life changing brain injury which could include permanent changes to physical, cognitive, emotional and or behavioural processes.

A family support group consisting of hundreds of families from a diverse range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Each family has someone dear to them who has sustained a brain injury.
A counselling service and a small telephone call centre which provides one-on-one counselling to families.
A friendship group which takes place twice a month.
A holistic fully inclusive activity/therapy day programme at all our branches which provides our injured members with a structured, productive day where stimulating and enjoyable activities and social skills can be practiced, under the supervision of fully trained therapists, ably assisted by a team of volunteers from the community.
We are recognised as a training institution by both the Occupational and Speech Therapy Departments at Wits Universityand the Psychology Departments of Johannesburg University and UNISA, who use Headway as a practical site for their students.
Headway is also affiliated to the Wits Health Consortium for continued professional development for therapists.

Complementary services offered by Headway include:
TBI booklets and leaflets in all major emergency wards ~ social get-togethers for families ~ a monthly newsletter ~ a small lending library ~ home and hospital visits ~ referrals for legal advice on how to approach the Road Accident Fund ~ advice on additional/other therapies.

The Headway Activity Centre
The primary objective of our activity day is to provide a place of “belonging” for survivors of brain iinjury, where attendees can take part in meaningful activities and socialise with one another. This will provide a focus and something to look forward to and will also allow the family of the injured people time off for distraction and rest.

The activity centre is open daily with each day offering a full, multidisciplinary group therapy programme. While Headway is not a rehabilitation centre everything we do is therapeutic in nature with a focus on constructive, productive activities that encourage interaction and independence. The activity programme is run by a team of skilled therapists consisting of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech Therapists, Biokineticists and Music Therapy. Each group session is facilitated by a therapist who is ably assisted by a team of volunteers from the community. As an adjunct to conventional therapy, Headway also offers activities such as beading, drumming, cooking, music relaxation and more.
Therapy activities include physical exercises and sports, cognitive and perceptual exercises, speech and language exercises, computer work and discussion groups. Certain group sessions also target education and understanding of the brain injury, and acceptance and management of the resultant impairments. Outings and guest speakers are also arranged. The cost to attend the activity centre is R130 per day, however the attendees at our Alexandra and Soweto branches are fully sponsored.

Whether completing an activity in the bright spacious therapy room, or sharing tea or lunch on the outdoor patio, our attendees are encouraged to interact socially and to form friendships. In terms of the caregiver, Headway provides an opportunity for respite as the family can be safe in the knowledge that their loved one is being cared for and being engaged in a stimulating day. For further information or to book for an initial assessment for the activity centre, please phone Bianca on 011 442 5733

Volunteers
We are sincerely grateful to the men and women who volunteer their services at both our centres. Without the collective energy and caring spirit of this team of people from the community, we would not be in a position to run our programme successfully.

Being a volunteer at HEADWAY means you will be giving, but we believe that you will also be receiving. Receiving, in a sense that you will be contributing to a worthwhile project and by giving of your time and energy, you will be making a real difference in someone’s life, someone who may have lost almost everything. We greatly value the contribution made by every one of our volunteers.

A quote from one of our much valued volunteers :
"I have been volunteering at Headway since late 2005 and it has been a wonderful experience. The members, whether those with a brain injury or their families, are so grateful for the services of Headway and the individuals who make that possible, in whatever way. Volunteering is rewarding and fulfilling, knowing that one is making a worthwhile contribution to society – that one is useful. I also love learning new things and in my years at Headway I have developed a much deeper understanding of what life is like for people with disabilities and for their families. I find many areas outside of Headway where I can apply my experiences."

The following is a quotation by the French philosopher Voltaire:
‘Men, who are occupied in the restoration of health to other men, by the joint exertion of skill and humanity are above all great of the earth. They even partake of divinity, since to preserve and renew is almost as noble as to create.’

If you would like further information about becoming a volunteer at HEADWAY please contact Sheila on 011 4425733 or email headway@iafrica.com

Become a member of Headway
As Headway is a non-government, non-profit organisation, we raise our own funds and therefore ask you to become a member of Headway in order to benefit from our services. Headway membership for the entire family is R200 per annum. Should you become a member of Headway you will be entitled to attend our support group meetings, receive our monthly newsletter, have access to our library, be contacted by a counsellor from our capable team and your injured family member will be able to attend our daily therapy/activity programme.

Support Services

Telephonic
If you phone Headway someone will be available to answer your questions and provide you with advice and information. We can offer assistance on practical matters such as what to do when the injured person is discharged from hospital, make suggestions regarding rehabilitation and support you in understanding some of the changes that have taken place to the injured person and generally to assist you to come to terms with what has happened.

Counseling
Headway understands that a great amount of strain is placed on the family of the injured person and that financial resources for professional counseling are often exhausted in the early days after the accident. For this reason we offer a counseling service that is made up of a team of trained volunteer counselors. One of our counselors will be in constant telephonic contact with you and will be available to meet with you in person if need be.

Support Group
Meeting other families facing the same trauma and challenges can be a very positive and encouraging experience. The Headway Friendship Circle (HFC) meets every second Thursday evening from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Headway premises (85 1st Road Hyde Park). Once a month there is a guest speaker who may be one of our therapists or a motivational speaker, and we are sometimes honoured by one of our injured members being the guest speaker. The other meeting of the month is a general discussion amongst the group members, which is informal and confidential in nature. There is no cost for the meetings and a light supper is provided. For enquiries regarding HFC, please contact Headway on (011) 442-5733. In addition to these meetings, there are several social functions throughout the year. These gatherings are arranged to hopefully cement the friendships formed through the activity centre and support group and to provide our members with an opportunity to relax and enjoy a casual social environment. Please contact us to enquire about upcoming events.

Library
As there is power in knowledge, Headway aims to equip you with as much information as possible about brain injury and how to cope with life’s challenges following such a trauma. We have a library of books and articles available to you, most of which have been read by our staff and we can thus recommend the appropriate materials for your needs.

Home and Hospital Visits
If your loved one is still in hospital and you are in need of support and information, one of our staff will come and visit you at the hospital.

Headway Khomelela, our first outreach branch in Alexandra
Khomelela has been running since 2004 at the Alexandra Health Centre & University Clinic, 33 Arkwright Ave. Wynberg. Khomelela, which means ‘never give up’ is a fully sponsored project meaning that our families don’t pay fees of any kind.

The centre is run according to the same premises and programmes as our main branch and includes Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Biokinetics. Various other activities such as drumming, music relaxation and beading take place and outings and guest speakers are arranged. Counselling, assessments and home visits are also organised and awareness campaigns at local clinics, schools and other community organisations take place frequently. The purpose of these campaigns is to educate the community about brain injury and to source those families in need of Headway’s services. Transport to and from the centre is available to the attendees and a hot meal is provided daily.

Due to the socio-economic situation of this community, we have introduced and an income generation programme.

HEADWAY IN SOWETO:
Headway in Soweto, 829 Elias Motsoaledi Road, Moroka was officially opened on 19th March, with approximately 200 people attended the opening ceremony.

The centre which is open one day per week at present is run according to the same premises and programmes as Headway’s other two branches and includes Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Biokinetics. Counselling, assessments and home visits are also organised and awareness campaigns at local clinics, schools and other community organisations take place frequently.