Recruitment of Adolescents for the 2025 Healing Program at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
National Youth Didim Center Supports Emotional Recovery and Social Skills
Long- and Short-term Courses Offered for Youth Struggling with Emotional or Behavioral Issues
A, who had difficulty meeting new people, spent daily life lethargically without any friends. Then, at the 'National Youth Didim Center' he came to know, he was able to practice emotional regulation and learn interpersonal skills through programs such as psychological therapy and career exploration, as well as close care, and later was able to have a smooth school life.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced on the 21st that it will operate the '2025 National Youth Didim Center' healing course for adolescents who are struggling with emotional or behavioral problems.
The Didim Center is a residential healing facility that supports adolescents aged 9 to 18 who have difficulties in family or peer relationships due to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety, school maladjustment, and so on.
At the National Central Youth Didim Center, young people are participating in career activity programs. Provided by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
It supports psychological therapy and counseling, therapeutic care, career exploration and experiential activities, alternative education, and operates a guardian participation program so that adolescents who have completed the healing process and their family members can form emotional bonds and maintain the healing effect after returning home.
This year, the Didim Center will operate long-term courses (3 sessions in Yongin, 3 sessions in Daegu, total 6 sessions) and short-term courses (7 sessions in Yongin, 5 sessions in Daegu, total 12 sessions).
The long-term course consists of the Orum course (1 month) and the Didim course (4 months), and the short-term course consists of a healing camp of 11 nights and 12 days (Yongin) and an internet and smartphone overdependence healing camp of 7 nights and 8 days (Daegu).
Youth who wish to participate in the program can apply individually through the Youth Safety Net or the Didim Center website, and socially disadvantaged youth are exempt from admission fees.
According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the total number of people who completed the long- and short-term courses from 2012 to last year was 8,939.
As a result of measuring the behavioral changes before and after admission of youth in the long-term course last year, risk factors such as problem behaviors and negative emotions decreased by 14.14% compared to the previous year, and protective factors such as emotional stability increased by 14.22%.
The Didim Center is designated as an alternative education consignment institution by 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide, and the period of participation in the healing process is recognized as school days. In August last year, it was also designated as a target institution for the Dream Connection project, so out-of-school youth participating in the healing process can have their learning hours recognized for obtaining elementary or middle school academic qualifications.
Choi Eun-ju, Youth Policy Officer of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, said, "We will do our best to support adolescents who are struggling with depression and anxiety to heal their minds at the Didim Center, regain emotional stability, and grow up healthily."
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