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Helping Hands, Right When They Need It

June 2020

Sitting at his dining table, clinical psychologist Mr Jeremy Heng answers call after call on the National Care Hotline, a 24-hour hotline offering emotional support to the community as it copes with the stress of COVID-19 and the Circuit Breaker measures.

“As volunteer duty care officers, we offer psychological ‘first aid’ – assessing their needs and risks, stabilising their emotions, and giving them links to resources that can help,” explains Jeremy.

Jeremy works as a Clinical Psychologist at SSFR @ Children’s Society, conducting assessments and interventions for our beneficiaries. Now, he also spends many of his weekends taking calls, working an eight-hour shift each time. 

The calls are not as long as his usual sessions, usually lasting from 15 to 30 minutes, and cut across a wide range of issues from various age groups. 

Where relevant, he reminds callers to focus on what is within their control often sharing personal coping skills and relaxation techniques and to have a routine, stay active, and avoid triggers such as news on infection numbers.

He also connects them to the right system supports, like financial, medical or crisis assistance providers.


Jeremy Heng helping a caller through a crisis on the National Care Hotline

Most of all, he reminds them that they are not alone. “We are all in this together. There is a collective anxiety and pain in this country. But we can – and will – get through this crisis, especially if we share a collective sense of hope,” he says.

Exam help for students

The Society has sought out solutions for those caught out by COVID-19, including for students from low-income families who need academic support during Home-Based Learning.

To help beneficiaries of JYC @ Children’s Society who are taking their GCE ‘O’ Level examinations this year, it has worked with IB Lounge, an IB-specialised tuition service, to create a tuition programme for the months of May and June.

Since 11 May, IB Lounge’s volunteer tutors have been conducting weekly Zoom sessions on subjects including Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and Geography. Students can then test their understanding and knowledge by trying out practice questions shared via the Zoom whiteboard. 

Tutor Mr Markus Ng, who usually teaches the IB syllabus, put himself back in learning mode for the project, revising the GCE 'O' Level syllabus to be better prepared. But it is worth it, he says, adding that he hopes to be able to continue to help.

“Teaching the students from Singapore Children’s Society has been a real joy as I can see their determination to learn and improve. They are bright students who enjoy learning. I wish all the students all the best in their examinations.” 

Caleb*, 16, hopes the one-on-one help will get him closer to his dream of qualifying for a junior college.

“It was very useful. I could further understand the subject, clarify my doubts and do practice questions given by the tutor. Thank you to my tutors for being so patient with us and helping us to learn,” he says.

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of our beneficiary

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