Dongjak-gu 'Homeless Crisis Counselor' Dispatched

Operation of Homeless Street Counseling Team: Providing Health and Mental Illness Assessment, Self-Support Guidance, Hospital Treatment Counseling, and Customized Welfare Services for the Homeless

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Chang-woo Lee) is operating the "Homeless Street Counseling Team" (hereinafter referred to as the Street Counseling Team) to actively assist homeless individuals in crisis.

This project was established to protect homeless people who have become street dwellers due to prolonged economic difficulties caused by COVID-19 and sudden financial hardships, and to promote their motivation for self-reliance through systematic management.

Last year, the district conducted 135 on-site patrols in vulnerable homeless areas, supporting 12 people by connecting them to the Homeless Comprehensive Support Center and homeless welfare facilities, and providing customized welfare services such as basic livelihood support and self-reliance linkage through emergency aid, as well as offering emergency overnight shelter to 10 people.

Starting this year, the district has hired temporary workers for the Street Counseling Team to enhance professionalism in homeless counseling and to identify homeless individuals who have not yet been discovered.

The Street Counseling Team operates in pairs, patrolling areas with heavy foot traffic and high homeless populations such as Isu Station, Sadang Station, and Noryangjin Station from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and conducting counseling with homeless individuals.

The main patrol and counseling activities include ▲ assessing the health status and mental illnesses of homeless individuals ▲ conducting individual welfare needs surveys ▲ linking to job support centers and providing self-reliance guidance ▲ guiding hospital admission or rehabilitation facility placement. For homeless individuals who refuse facility admission, temporary housing support is provided to encourage them to leave homelessness.

Additionally, the district has established and operates a systematic homeless protection system through customized case management.

General homeless individuals are guided to enter homeless shelters or use emergency shelters after counseling and analysis, while homeless individuals with alcohol dependence or mental illnesses are recommended to enter the Seoul Metropolitan Vision Training Center to support successful rehabilitation.

Furthermore, the district has established an emergency communication system among police stations, fire stations, local medical institutions, and homeless facilities, and uses a crisis response call system to respond promptly in emergency situations.

Choi Ho-gyu, Director of the Social Welfare Division, stated, "Through this project, we will actively help homeless individuals pushed to the streets due to prolonged COVID-19 and financial hardships improve their self-reliance abilities and return to the local community."

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