Mental Health Welfare Centers and Inter-Agency Collaboration to Strengthen Identification and Support for Vulnerable Groups

Ministry of Health and Welfare Distributes Guidelines for Mental Health Service Referrals

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on September 21, 2025, that it has distributed the "Inter-Agency Mental Health Service Referral Guidelines" to strengthen the identification and support of vulnerable groups as part of the implementation plan for the "2025 National Suicide Prevention Strategy."

The inter-agency service referral system is a framework that allows ministries, local governments, and private facilities to mutually refer welfare services based on the Social Security Information System. Since November last year, mental health welfare centers have expanded their collaborations, starting with the Military Manpower Administration and extending to institutions such as the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency and the Credit Counseling & Recovery Service.

The new guidelines are designed to clearly define criteria for selecting recipients, as well as referral and acceptance procedures, so that vulnerable groups can receive timely support. This aims to reduce the workload of practitioners and provide swift and accurate services to those in need.

First, individuals at risk of self-harm or harm to others due to severe mental illness, or those unable to manage outpatient visits or medication, are screened through consultations with mental health professionals or self-administered assessments. Each institution then identifies the individual's mental health service needs, provides information about the referral process, confirms their intent, and documents the reason for referral. This information is then sent electronically to the mental health welfare center. The center contacts the individual by phone or text, conducts counseling and assessment, provides the necessary mental health services, and reports the results back to the referring institution.

For example, if a client visits the Korea Inclusive Finance Support Center seeking policy-based microloans, a counselor may introduce mental health services through promotional materials such as leaflets. If the client requests it, or if there is a clear risk of self-harm or harm to others, the counselor obtains the client's consent and refers them to the mental health welfare center. The center's staff then contacts the client for a phone or in-person consultation and provides the necessary mental health services, enabling integrated support in a single visit.

Lee Sangwon, Director of Mental Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "To improve the mental health of the public, it is important for various ministries and agencies to work together to identify individuals in need and intervene early." He added, "We will continue to strengthen collaboration between mental health welfare centers, suicide prevention centers, employment welfare centers, crime victim support centers, Wee Centers, and other relevant organizations."

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