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SATURDAY RIL 13, 1985
*
PROBLEMS ARISING FROM POOR MENTAL OR PHYSICAL HEALTH AND
* FINANCIAL PROBLEMS.
APART FROM ANSWERING GENERAL ENQUIRIES, STAFF MANNING THE HOTLINE REFER CASES TO FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES, SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD OFFICES AND OTHER SERVICE UNITS FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTION.
IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, MORE THAN 2 000 CASES WERE REFERRED TO THE RELEVANT UNITS FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTION,
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE HOTLINE OPERATED PRIMARILY AS AN ENQUIRY AND REFERRAL SERVICE. THERE WERE OCCASIONS UPON WHICH PROFESSIONAL STAFF MANNING THE SERVICE WOULD PROVIDE IMMEDIATE COUNSELLING TO THE CALLER ON THE TELEPHONE.
CITING AN EXAMPLE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT A 28-YEAR-OLD WOMAN HAD BEEN CALLING THE HOTLINE OVER A TWO-MONTH PERIOD EARLIER THIS YEAR SEEKING HELP IN COPING WITH HER MARITAL PROBLEM.
SHE SAID HER HUSBAND WAS HAVING AN EXTRA-MARITAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ANOTHER WOMAN, BUT SHE BELIEVED HE STILL LOVED HER AND THE CHILDREN.
WHEN THE WOMAN FIRST CALLED THE HOTLINE, SHE WAS VERY UNHAPPY AND DISPLAYED GREAT ANXIETY.
THROUGH COUNSELLING AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FROM STAFF OF THE HOTLINE, SHE BEGAN TO TAKE A MORE OPTIMISTIC VIEW OF HER SITUATION AND WAS MOTIVATED TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM CALMLY WITH HER HUSBAND, WHO SUBSEQUENTLY SHOWED A POSITIVE CHANGE IN HIS ATTITUDE.
+
ON THE ADVICE OF THE HOTLINE STAFF. SHE LATER APPROACHED THE DEPARTMENT'S FAMILY SERVICES CENTRE IN HER DISTRICT FOR FURTHER SERVICES.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE WORK OF THE HOTLINE IS TO RECEIVE REPORTS OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE CASES FROM THE PUBLIC.
LAST YEAR, THE HOTLINE RECEIVED 139 CALLS ON SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE CASES · 78 FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND 61 FROM THE POLICE.
MOST OF THESE WERE REFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT'S NETWORK OF FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES FOR FURTHER ACTION. TWENTY-EIGHT OF THE CASES REFERRED TURNED OUT TO BE GENUINE CHILD ABUSE CASES.
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THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT PROMPT ACTION IN REPORTING SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE CASES NOT ONLY MIGHT SAVE THE LIFE OF A CHILD BUT COULD ASSIST THE FAMILY BY BRINGING THEIR DIFFICULTIES TO THE ATTENTION OF THE AUTHORITIES WHO WERE IN A POSITION TO HELP THEM.
+ THE EMPHASIS IS ON EARLY DETECTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION
BY PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE, HE SAID.
IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, HE SAID THE POLICE SHOULD BE CONTACTED AT ONCE.
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