9 February 2020

Dear SAC members,

The Executive Committee is mindful that some of you may be directly or indirectly affected by the 2019-nCoV outbreak DORSCON Orange because you are serving in the frontline with vulnerable client groups, like the elderly and children, and/or have family or loved ones who serve in the frontline of the healthcare and public sectors, and may be in a more vulnerable position. We understand this may create anxiety and worry for you as an individual, and we encourage you to reach out to your fellow colleagues and supervisors for support.

Please do write in to our EXCO (admin@sacsingapore.org) or call us (+65 67088292) to let us know how we can support you through this time. Likewise, should members of the public need emotional and psychological support, SAC has members ready to respond and attend to such requests – write in or call our Secretariat.

We assure members that we are in touch with the authorities and are actively investigating ways to support both our members and the general public. You can stay updated with any new SAC-driven developments via our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SingaporeAssociationforCounselling/).

This is a time of widespread public worry and we can play an important role as counsellors, by modelling a calm and resilient stance with our words and in our actions. We encourage our members to avail themselves socially and attend to the community served by your agencies, your clients, your own neighbourhood, and families – and offer encouragement and psychological support to individuals and families who need to manage their anxiety, panic, and unfounded fears.

If you have found creative ways to engage with your clients and/or communities to reduce the level of fear, we would like to hear from you so we can learn together as a community of counsellors and psychotherapists. For example, one of our members found herself spending time encouraging and empathizing with a middle-aged NTUC Check-out cashier who was experiencing tiredness, muscle and bone aches after the non-stop panic-buying overnight on Friday & Saturday! These older cashiers serving late shifts could be easily missed in the current frenzy!

We encourage all members to follow all the recommended DORSCON Orange guidelines with regards to social responsibility, hygiene practices, keeping updated with health advisories, complying with control measures and staying at home if unwell.

Stay healthy and continue to be vigilant.

Warm regards,
SAC EXCO

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