The NTB Social Worker Serve Unit and Lombok TV9 Talkshow Discuss the Impact of COVID-19

MATARAM (15 May 2020) - West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Social Worker Serve Unit (Sakti Peksos) Supervisor, Arief Budi Saputera as a resource person at the Talkshow "Focus NTB" organized by TV 9 Lombok in collaboration with the Indonesian International Plan Foundation.

The talkshow coincided with International Family Day with the theme "Safe Schools from COVID-19, Potential for Violence Against Children and Psychosocial Support While Learning from Home".

According to Arief, the impact of COVID-19 on children, there are three things that must be paid attention by parents and families, namely the increased risk of neglect and lack of childcare, increased psychosocial pressure such as fear and inability to overcome difficulties, and increased cases of violence against children, both physical , sexual, emotional and economic violences.

The efforts that have been made by the NTB Social Service in the emergency of the COVID-19 outbreak through Sakti Peksos, include conducting data collection and assessment of children and parents who test positive for COVID-19, People Under Monitoring (ODP) and Patients Under Supervision (PDP). "We will follow up the results of the data collection and assessment by proposing emergency funds in the form of cash worth Rp. 500 thousand per child from the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation for Children of the Ministry of Social Affairs", explained Arief. In addition, there was assistance for children's groceries from the NTB Social Service which was distributed to several affected children.

Access to services related to mental health and psychosocial support from the NTB Social Service Agency includes the NTB Social Services Psychosocial Support Service Team (LDP). The LDP team consists of Sakti Peksos, Tagana, & DPD the Association of Indonesian Professional Social Workers (IPSPI) NTB who are ready to contribute in the handling and recovery process. "At the request of local officials, we will conduct LDP to ODP children in Dasan Geria Lingsar Village because both parents are positive for COVID-19," said Arief.

As the end of the talkshow series, Arief added that the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation for Children of the Ministry of Social Affairs has the TePSA Call Center 1500771 (Child Social Service Telephone). For anyone who sees, hears and experiences such as violence, neglected, disability and other children's problems, including seeking protection, childcare, psychosocial support for children and families as well as care references, please contact the service.