Jeongeup-si Selected as an 'Excellent Institution' in Mental Health Promotion Project Evaluation

[Jeongeup=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil] Jeongeup City, Jeollabuk-do (Mayor Yoo Jinseop) announced on the 27th that the Jeongeup Mental Health Welfare Center was selected as an excellent institution in the 2021 Community Mental Health Promotion Project evaluation hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, receiving the Minister of Health and Welfare Award.

The Jeongeup Mental Health Welfare Center has been providing excellent services in connection with the Jeongeup Public Health Center to promote citizens' mental health and manage mental health crises.

Since its opening in 2007, it has been conducting counseling calls and on-site responses, and has also carried out various projects and programs such as child and adolescent mental health projects, suicide prevention projects, and addiction prevention management projects.

In particular, last year, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, face-to-face activities such as mobile screenings and campaigns became difficult, leading to the establishment of a new non-face-to-face mental health screening system to respond to this situation.

The city distributed mental health screening forms to five convenience stores in the region to improve accessibility for residents who felt burdened by visiting the Mental Health Welfare Center and using its services.

Participants submit the screening forms to the convenience stores after self-assessment, and the Mental Health Welfare Center collects them to provide professional counseling, treatment linkage, and case management services for high-risk groups.

Through this, the Mental Health Welfare Center identified 100 high-risk cases last year and 72 cases this year.

The city expects that the non-face-to-face screening will lower the threshold for citizens to use mental health services, and plans to expand the types of businesses involved from next year to include cafes, PC rooms, billiard halls, and more.

They also plan to operate a mobile psychological support service targeting vulnerable groups who have difficulty visiting the Mental Health Welfare Center by purchasing and remodeling a "Mind Relief Bus."

A city official said, “As the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs, active response to mental health is more important than ever,” and added, “We will continue to prepare various programs to improve the mental health of local residents.”

Jeongeup=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil gjg7070@asiae.co.kr