Often, social workers have to not only work with those who apply for certain services at social service centers, but also find families themselves who need help. For example, the Selydiv Social Services Center received information about a woman with a young child who is irresponsible about fulfilling her parental duties.
When visiting the family by social workers, it turned out that the woman had the status of a single mother, did not work, and abused alcohol. The family's living conditions were unsatisfactory, and the family's financial security was at a low level, so the child was not fully nourished. The mother also constantly coughed and looked sickly.
When visiting the center, the woman was offered to undergo a screening questionnaire for tuberculosis. Based on the results of a positive screening, the social service provider conducted motivational counseling on the need to undergo an examination. Simultaneous informational counseling on the prevention of tuberculosis in children motivated the mother to undergo an examination for herself and the child at the health center.
The mother and child had declarations with their family doctor, so the necessary amount of examinations were immediately prescribed. The mother underwent a chest X-ray examination and a microscopic examination of sputum, and the child underwent a tuberculin test. The mother was found to have residual symptoms after pneumonia, and the child had LTBI.
The family was taken under social support, a social worker provided a motivational kit, and helped them receive humanitarian aid in the form of food, clothing, and shoes. The psychological support that the family received from the social service provider of the project "You Should Know About Tuberculosis" helped the family endure the entire six-month treatment period and not interrupt the course. Persistent preventive work with the family contributed to the conscious fulfillment of doctors' prescriptions and adherence to the recovery regimen for the child.
And during the support, the mother was helped to find a job. And the child's repeated tuberculin test after completing LTBI treatment was negative. So, the support was completed with a positive result.