Why Did Seongdong-gu Station Four Case Managers for Schizophrenia?

District and 48 Public-Private Agencies Cooperate to Manage At-Risk Households with 'Public-Private Integrated Case Management'... 14 Expert Committee Members Hold Regular Solution Meetings

Han Young-hee, Deputy Mayor of Seongdong-gu, is holding a solution meeting with a committee of experts from various fields to resolve the case of Mr. K.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Over the past year, our society has been shaken by the fear of schizophrenia. Crimes committed by patients with schizophrenia, commonly known as mental illness, have rapidly increased, including the so-called ‘An In-deuk incident’?the Jinju apartment arson murder case?as well as indiscriminate assaults on psychiatric ward inpatients and the murder of a neighbor’s grandmother by a teenage youth.

Seongdong-gu (District Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is taking the lead in caring for neighbors with schizophrenia, a growing social problem, through the ‘Public-Private Cooperative Integrated Case Management,’ where 48 public and private organizations collaborate to identify and support households in crisis.

Mr. Kwak (69), who once was the head of his household and responsible for his family’s livelihood, was diagnosed with schizophrenia following sudden unemployment and divorce. After wandering the streets homeless, he was admitted to the ‘Municipal Vision Training Center’ (located in Yongdap-dong, Seongdong-gu), a social rehabilitation support center for the homeless, where he received care and protection for six years. He then moved into government-supported rental housing and succeeded in reemployment, beginning to stand on his own.

In December last year, just as it seemed he had successfully reintegrated into society, a crisis arose. Living alone, he neglected his schizophrenia treatment and began accumulating trash and filth throughout his home. Recognizing the danger, Seongdong-gu joined forces with the local community center, mental health welfare center, Vision Training Center, police station, and 119 fire station. Mr. Kwak was designated a priority management target, hospitalized for treatment, and over 10 tons of household waste were cleaned out. Recently discharged, he has returned home and resumed daily life, receiving continuous care from the district’s integrated support center.

This case of Mr. Kwak is a representative example of the ‘Public-Private Cooperative Integrated Case Management’ for households in crisis, involving Seongdong-gu’s public, private, and police sectors working together.

The ‘Public-Private Cooperative Integrated Case Management’ is a management system where 48 public and private organizations gather to jointly address and solve the complex difficulties faced by residents. Public officials and private case managers cooperate to provide various services, helping the subjects live as healthy members of society.

Centered on the local community center, public and private organizations meet regularly every month, and when a household in crisis arises, an immediate meeting is held for swift joint response. Through integrated case meetings at the community center, a primary case management agency is designated, roles are divided among agencies, service overlaps and omissions are adjusted, and resources are efficiently allocated.

The ‘Case Management Specialist,’ who oversees integrated case management, acts as the control tower for the system.

Cleaning the house of Mr. K, which is filled with garbage

Additionally, to address potential crisis households such as those with schizophrenia phobia, four integrated case managers are stationed in the Welfare Policy and Hope Welfare Team, and a solution meeting composed of 14 experts from various fields is held regularly to promptly resolve issues.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “For vulnerable households with diverse and complex problems, it is important for public and private sectors to respond quickly and jointly to solve issues. Through the activation of integrated case management, we will strive to make Seongdong-gu a happy district for all residents by actively and efficiently addressing vulnerable groups, including households with schizophrenia and single-person households, who are in welfare blind spots.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.