'Songpa-gu Crisis Family Integrated Support Center' Helps Crisis Families Recover

Songpa-gu and Songpa Police Station Collaborate to Provide Intensive Support for At-Risk Families: One Year of Assistance Helping Families Recover and Regain Normal Life... Numerous Success Stories!

Meeting of Promoting Organizations Held on March 27

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) announced on the 25th that it will make every effort to identify and support families at risk of domestic violence and abuse in response to COVID-19, centered on the 'Songpa-gu Integrated Support Center for Families in Crisis,' which is operated in cooperation with the Songpa Police Station.

# A woman in her 50s, Ms. A, from a grandparent-grandchild household, was suffering from habitual abuse by her cohabiting partner, on whom she was economically dependent. Through the Integrated Support Center for Families in Crisis, approximately 13 months of customized services were provided, including ▲separation from the perpetrator (cohabiting partner) ▲scholarship support for her granddaughter ▲connection to regular sponsorship funds ▲selection as a basic livelihood security recipient ▲professional counseling at the Mental Health Welfare Center, enabling her to escape the domestic violence crisis and maintain a stable economic life.

The above case is an adaptation of an excellent example from the Songpa-gu?Songpa Police Station collaborative intensive support project for families in crisis.

Since its opening in July last year, the Songpa-gu Integrated Support Center for Families in Crisis has been dedicated to identifying and supporting families in crisis within welfare blind spots in the region.

So far, 1,460 reports of domestic violence and abuse to 112 have been monitored, providing tailored integrated services ranging from simple counseling (1,392 cases) to referrals to specialized agencies and integrated case management (132 cases). As a result, the number of domestic violence reports to 112 in Songpa-gu decreased by more than 10% compared to the previous year, and the victim support rate increased by over 50%.

Issues related to family, such as child abuse and domestic violence, are generally difficult for third parties to intervene in, and traditional methods like police patrols have limitations in crime prevention.

In particular, the social and economic shocks caused by COVID-19 and stay-at-home measures have created conditions where domestic violence may increase.

Considering the unique nature of domestic violence, Songpa-gu plans to further intensify the operation of the 'Integrated Support Center for Families in Crisis,' which combines the district’s welfare and care safety nets with the Songpa Police Station’s security capabilities to provide one-stop identification and support for families in crisis.

The center is staffed full-time by six personnel, including Songpa-gu integrated case managers, abuse prevention officers (APO) from the Songpa Police Station, and counseling specialists from Seoul City. First, they monitor and conduct initial counseling for families reporting domestic violence and abuse through 112, and if immediate intervention is necessary, they conduct home visits and connect to specialized agencies and integrated case management with prior consent.

Additionally, financial welfare counselors and legal home doctors (lawyers) work at the center biweekly, providing professional counseling services to enhance convenience for families affected by domestic violence.

Along with the Songpa Police Station, the center conducts domestic violence and abuse prevention campaigns and actively promotes the center so that all residents can easily access its services.

Furthermore, regular capacity-building training is conducted to strengthen the expertise of the center’s staff.

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “The COVID-19 pandemic has created a situation where domestic violence may increase further. We will make greater efforts to revitalize the operation of the center to identify families in crisis suffering from violence, abuse, and neglect, protect socially vulnerable individuals, and remodel them into healthy families.”

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