NEWS
Promotion for Smile Centers (Draft)
Promotion for Smile Centers (Draft)
○We introduce to you Smile Centers, an integrated support center for crime victims experiencing trauma.
○Smile Centers are operated by the Ministry of Justice and offer various services, including psychotherapy, temporary protective shelters, and social support networks, for victims of crime and their families experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety disorders, and other psychological conditions.
○Since 2019, South Jeolla Province has endeavored to establish a Smile Center within the province to address its lack of a specialized agency dedicated to the protection of victims of violent crimes. This year, the 16th Smile Center in Korea had been opened in Mokpo.
○Mokpo Smile Center is located in a three-story building (300, Yongdang-ro, Mokpo [+82-61-277-1295]) that houses consultation rooms, therapy rooms, play therapy rooms, and living quarters.
○Anyone can experience psychological changes because of crime. Here are the services offered by the Smile Center to support the recovery of your mind and body.
○Smile Center Services
| Classification | Details |
| Case Management | Once a case is registered at the Smile Center, a manager is designated for the case. Then, the manager works to search for resources inside and outside the center so that the victim(s) can receive the most pertinent services in a timely manner. |
| Psychotherapy and Psychiatry | In the case that the victim is deemed to require psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment, the center conducts the treatment with the help of its internal experts or cooperating specialists. |
| Psychological Evaluation | A trained specialist in psychiatry handles psychological evaluation, which is undertaken with due diligence with the comfort and stability of the victims in mind, so that the victims’ psychological state can be understood and the treatment plans can be established. |
| Psychotherapy | Trained specialists work to reduce the psychological damages of violent crime and restore the stability of the victims and their families through individual and group therapy. |
| Living Quarters Programs | In cases where the residence of the victim has been lost because of arson or other factors, the victim needs to move away from the site of the crime for their psychological stability, or the residence still bears the evidence of a crime and needs to be vacated, the Smile Center offers temporary living arrangements in its living quarters as well as residence programs for the residents. ※ Residence programs are offered on a case-by-case basis, and living quarters programs are, in principle, limited to short-term stays of less than one month. |
| Legal Support | The Smile Center offers legal support regarding the progress of investigation and trial, preparations for witness summoning, documentation, and postincident matters. |
| Social Support | Damages caused by the loss of property, interruption in studies, relocation, and other social consequences are mitigated with networking among regional educational, welfare, and other service organizations so that the victims’ losses in different areas of life could be recovered. |
| Follow-Up Management | Regular follow-up management ensures that victims have access to pertinent services even after the resolution of their case. |
| Restoration Program | Support groups gather victims experiencing similar pain in a space where they can share their stories, encourage each other, and take part in beneficial activities. |
○Go to the official webpage of Smile Center▶https://resmile.or.kr/main/main.php