The Ministry of Community Development announced the four interactive channels named “Taaluf” to provide family counseling for all the community members as a development service that allows free consultation with a selection of family counselors who answer the enquiries of the community members and provides them with guidance and advices that are adequate to each person circumstances. The launch of the new “Taaluf” channels coincide with the current circumstances In response to the efforts to reduce the spread of the new Coronavirus -COVID 19 and based on the Ministry's keenness to achieve the safety and quality of life of community members and the stability of all the family members.
In this regard, Excellency Hessa Tahlak, Assistant Undersecretary for Social Development at the Ministry of Community Development, stated that "Taaluf" Family Counselling Initiative with its four new interactive channels, promotes the stability, cohesion and coherence of the family, the foundation of any community, and seeks to achieve a better family reality and a more beautiful social life; "Taaluf" focuses on interaction and dialogue to disseminate knowledge, guidance and make consultation easier and faster to reach out all the family members in an effort to overcome community challenges and promote family stability in each home, noting that the expansion of "Taaluf" channels and making them available to everyone, comes in the context of the ministry's constant keenness to approach the family and reach it with more initiatives, support and meet their and requirements, to remain stable and harmonious.
Excellency Hessa Tahlak added that "Taaluf" Family Counselling Initiative is available now 24/7 in complete privacy and complete confidentiality, this service is important in light of home isolation and social distancing due to its important role in bringing family members together and overcome their challenges and disputes. It also reduces problems by giving advices and guidance in order to achieve more positive impacts on the psychological and behavioral health of the family and community members. The ministry continues the implement of such initiatives to achieve more access to information and services based on its vision "a cohesive, responsible society involved in social development" to support the national index about family cohesiveness and social coherence and improve the quality of life of all community members. Furthermore, Alia Al Joker, Director of Family Development Department at the Ministry of Community Development, emphasized that "Taaluf" with its new interactive four channels, reflects the home isolation and social distancing being an opportunity for all the families to socially interact and invest their times positively without any disputes; all the community members now can communicate with Taaluf 24/7 and ask for free live consultations through the hotline, video calls, website and Taaluf Live Instagram, this makes family counselling accessible for everyone by all by means that suit the circumstance, time and place of each person; in full confidentiality and privacy by the Ministry for greater stability and family cohesion.
She said: "Taaluf" Family Counselling, became now in four interactive services: "Taaluf" hotline 800623 daily from 9,00 a.m. until 9,00 p.m. except on Fridays and Saturdays, "Taaluf" video calls, a new service offered remotely via whatsapp with prior appointment booking on the ministry's website, in addition to the availability of "Taaluf" through the ministry's website to enable all the community members submit their enquiries through the website www.mocd.gov.ae 24/7 and lastly "Taaluf Live", a continuous weekly live streaming service through the ministry's Instagram account (mocduae) to discuss topics of interest related to the family and community in these current circumstances.
Al Joker explained that "Taaluf" Hotline service is provided through live communication with a selection of family counsellors namely: Aisha Mohammad Al Huwaidi, Youssef Mohammed Al Shehhi, Abdul Qadir Mohamed Al Ajjal, Moza Obaid Al Shamsi; while "Taaluf" Video Calls is provided by the family counsellors: Hassan Sultan Al Hammadi, Jassem Mohamed Al Makki, Saif Mohammed Adran, Fikria Mahmood Mohammed, Abdul Qadir Mohammed Al Ajjal.
It is noted that the Ministry of Community Development launched "Taaluf" for family counselling since more than one year through phone calls and personal interviews in all the ministry's social development centers as well as the website. During the past year, the ministry provided (386) family, social and educational counselling of which (298) through phone calls, (55) personal interviews and (33) through the website.