Obstetric center for family counseling - an innovative model for family counseling work among marginalized groups

The socio-economic changes influence negatively the most vulnerable groups of society and deteriorate their so­cial and health status. These groups are with the greatest need of being provided with integrated medical care for the family and the community. In order to increase the quality of care for maternal and child health in margin­alized groups, innovative practices should be applied, the core of which is the holistic approach of the midwife­ry model of care. AIM : To develop and propose a model for an Obstetric Center for Family Counseling (OCFC) and define the role of the midwife in the process of family counseling. MATERIALS AND METHODS : We have used: • literature related to best practices in the implementation of the Midwives Model of Care; • a sociological method - direct anonymous survey of 4th year trainee midwives in the Bachelor Midwife program at: Medical University of Varna, Medical University of Pleven, Rousse University `St. Kliment Ohridski` and the Higher Medical School in Bitola, Macedonia. We have also included graduates from the academic years 2014 and 2015 and experts, professors at the medical universities in Varna, Plovdiv, Pleven, and Sofia and the Rousse Uni­versity, conducting specialized training in the period March - April 2016; • a statistical method - we have used a non-parametric analysis of the results with statistical package SPSS for Windows version 19.0.0 for the analysis of the data from our own study. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS : The idea of creating OCFC developed on the basis of opinion surveys of trainee midwives and experts on the attitudes and abilities of the midwife to conduct independent counselling ac­tivities. The creation of an Obstetric Center for Family Counseling is associated with the development of consul­tative work as promotion and prevention method regarding pregnancy and safe motherhood, support in solving medical and social and psychological problems in families from marginalized groups - unemployed, poor, unin­sured with reduced social adaptation and more. The advisory activity will be related to the provision of health in­formation, learning and developing skills associated with normal pregnancy, childbirth and newborn care, psy­chological, social and legal advice.