Mental health welfare institutions are social welfare institutions that treat and care for special groups with mental disorders among people with special poverty. The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Health Commission recently jointly announced the "Regulations on the Management of Mental Health Welfare Institutions", which will come into effect on March 1, 2025.

The Measures have 6 chapters and 49 articles, and the main content is to refine and standardize the service objects and service content of the organization, and clarify the planning and construction, internal management, guarantee and supervision measures of the organization.

The main service objects of mental health welfare institutions are 3 categories

The Measures clearly state that there are 3 categories of service objects of mental health welfare institutions:

1. The statutory treatment objects. Treating and caring for patients with mental disorders among people with extreme poverty is a statutory duty that mental health welfare institutions should perform.

The second is to give priority to the treatment of the target. On the premise that all the statutory recipients should be admitted, mental health welfare institutions will give priority to the treatment of mental disorders among social assistance subjects such as homelessness and beggars and minimum living security, mental disorder patients with mental disorders who serve as guardians of the civil affairs department, and other mental disorder patients with priority in treating and caring for them in accordance with the law.

The third is that the subjects can be admitted. Mental health welfare institutions with conditions can admit other social patients.

Clear the content of services provided by mental health welfare institutions

The Measures clearly state that mental health welfare institutions mainly provide daily care, rehabilitation, medical services and other services.

First, in terms of life care, we provide food, daily life care services such as cleaning, hygiene, etc. for patients with mental disorders, and carry out cultural and sports entertainment activities in accordance with the requirements of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Disabled to enrich the patients' spiritual and cultural life.

The second is to carry out in-hospital rehabilitation services such as life skills training, social adaptability training, and vocational rehabilitation based on the patient's wishes and abilities. Third, in terms of medical services, mental health welfare institutions must have the ability to diagnose and treat, obtain the "Medical Institution Practice License", and provide medical services to patients with mental disorders in accordance with laws and regulations, diagnostic standards and treatment specifications. In addition, the Measures also encourage and guide mental health welfare institutions to base themselves on the responsibilities of the civil affairs department to provide personnel training, disease assessment, technical guidance and other support for community rehabilitation of mental disorders.

(CCTV reporter Li Yumei)