Tailored guide covers counseling, treatment and welfare support across economic, mental health and youth crises
South Chungcheong Province released a crisis support guide Monday to help residents quickly find the services they need when facing economic hardship, mental health challenges or suicide risk.
The guide was developed to ensure that residents dealing with overlapping difficulties — including financial strain and mental health problems — do not miss out on available support simply because they are unaware of existing programs.
The guide covers 30 programs in total: eight addressing economic crises, including emergency welfare support, debt adjustment and financial assistance for small business owners; 10 covering mental health and suicide prevention, including counseling, treatment cost support and assistance for survivors bereaved by suicide; and 12 targeting at-risk youth and socially isolated or reclusive young people, including special support for youth in crisis, psychological counseling, and employment and residential support.
Beyond describing each program, the guide lets readers check at a glance the eligibility criteria, available benefits, application procedures, and contact information for counseling agencies — all organized by program.
The province plans to distribute the guide first to 33 locations including city and county government service centers, public health centers and mental health welfare centers, followed by a second round of distribution to financial institutions such as the Inclusive Finance Support Center and Nonghyup, as well as other facilities closely integrated into residents' daily lives.
Kim Eun-suk, head of the Mental Health Division at South Chungcheong Province, said it is vital that residents in crisis not be left to struggle alone simply because they do not know where to turn. "We will use this guide as an opportunity to work with cities, counties and related agencies to proactively identify those facing economic and psychological crises, and to strengthen a tailored service network that connects them to everything from counseling to treatment and welfare support," Kim said.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
