A 7 year-old girl and her mother came into The Children’s Clinic. This child had never seen a doctor before and the only reason for her visit was that she needed to be immunized for school. Noticing that something was wrong, a Medical Assistant (MA) at the Clinic soon discovered that the 7 year-old girl had been abused all throughout her life. This child had been severely neglected while in her maternal aunt’s care.

            The MA’s gentle but persuasive words encouraged the mother to share her concerns for her daughter with the Clinic’s Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Medical Social Worker. The mother was grateful for the Clinic’s staff and admitted that if it had not been for the staff’s warmth and personal touch, she would not have opened up as she had.

            With the help of the local community agencies, appropriate psychosocial interventions occurred for this young girl. It was discovered that there were seven more children who were also in the care of this maternal aunt. This aunt had allowed the abuse to occur and currently has an open case with the Department of Children and Family Services. Through this single intervention, the Clinic was able to help the lives of eight children.