From Surviving to Thriving
BeYOUtiful Mindz is proud to lead the implementation of our award-winning project, "From Surviving to Thriving: Integrating Mental Health Care into HIV Care for Adolescent and Young Adults Living with HIV."
This innovative, youth-led initiative addresses the critical intersection of HIV and mental health by seamlessly weaving mental health support directly into existing HIV care systems for 16–24-year-olds in Buffalo City Municipality
We are implementing a multi-layered support system designed to be accessible, culturally relevant, and sustainable:
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Digital Mental Health Screening: Using validated tools (PHQ-9 & GAD-7) on mobile platforms for early identification of depression and anxiety within clinic and community settings.
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Peer-Led Psychosocial Support: Training and deploying young peer mentors living with HIV to provide interpersonal counselling (IPC) and build trust, reducing stigma and improving engagement.
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Community-Based Group Therapy: Offering structured, trauma-informed support groups in safe, youth-friendly community venues to foster connection and collective healing.
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24/7 Digital Support: A dedicated WhatsApp service provides round-the-clock access to mental health resources, automated self-help guidance, and connections to live support during business hours.
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This project was inspired by the Imbizo: