Gwangju City to Provide 24/7 Year-Round Care for Severely Disabled Developmental Disorder Patients

Completion of First Recruitment for Convergence Support Project Users... Support Starts from the 16th

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 4th that it will officially launch an integrated support project providing one-on-one care services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for people with the most severe developmental disabilities. This is the first of its kind nationwide.

This care service aims to support people with the most severe developmental disabilities and their families who are in the blind spots of care during the COVID-19 situation. Following the establishment of a support plan last year, the city has begun full-scale implementation by recruiting users for the integrated support project this year.

The city will first recruit a total of 40 people: 6 for the daytime multi-support activity project, 4 men for the support housing for the most severe developmental disabilities, and 30 for weekend and holiday care support. Eligible candidates are residents of Gwangju aged 18 or older with the most severe developmental disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors or violent tendencies, resulting in refusal or maladaptation to facility use and inability to receive care support outside their families.

A total of 55 applicants were received in this recruitment, and those who pass the eligibility screening at the Gwangju Developmental Disability Support Center on the 15th will be able to use the care services starting from the 16th.

Gwangju City will also conduct basic training for professional personnel in the integrated care project for the most severe developmental disabilities from the 8th to the 12th at the alternative space ‘Gonggongyeon’ located in Gwangsan-gu to strengthen their capabilities.

Participants must be under 60 years old and meet qualification requirements such as social workers, special school teachers, or disability activity supporters, and wish to work as specialized personnel for people with developmental disabilities. For more details, contact the Gwangju Developmental Disability Support Center.

Gwangju’s prompt advancement of demand-centered, field-experienced disability policies ahead of other local governments was triggered by the death of a mother and child with developmental disabilities in Gwangju in June last year.

At that time, Mayor Lee Yong-seop emphasized social responsibility for people with developmental disabilities and instructed related departments to devise support measures. Consequently, the relevant departments formed and operated a task force (T/F) composed of developmental disability parent groups, experts, and disability activists to discover support policies, and established the ‘Gwangju Metropolitan City Support Plan for the Most Severe Developmental Disabilities’ in September last year.

Meanwhile, Gwangju City designated the Gwangju City Comprehensive Welfare Center for the Disabled and Seo-gu Disabled Welfare Center as operating institutions for the integrated support project for the most severe developmental disabilities through a public contest early last month, and is accelerating preparations to allow use starting from the 15th, with an opening ceremony scheduled for the 22nd.