CCTV News: The reporter learned from a press conference held by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on January 22 that 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 "Regulations on the Management of Mental Health Welfare Institutions" clearly states that mental health welfare institutions should accept all mental disorders among the extremely poor. At the same time, they should give priority to the treatment of mental disorders among social assistance subjects such as homeless beggars and minimum living security. Mental health welfare institutions with conditions can admit other social patients.

As of now, there are 141 mental health welfare institutions nationwide, with about 74,000 beds.

The Measures clearly state that mental health welfare institutions mainly provide life care, rehabilitation, medical care and other services, and in terms of rehabilitation services, help patients carry out in-hospital rehabilitation services such as life skills training, social adaptability training, and vocational rehabilitation. In terms of medical services, mental health welfare institutions must have the ability to diagnose and treat, obtain a "Medical Institution Practice License", and provide medical services to patients with mental disorders.

Zhang Zhende, deputy director of the Department of Social Affairs of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said: "For places where mental health welfare institutions have not been established, we will continue to actively seek financial investment and increase the construction of mental health welfare institutions. On the other hand, we will entrust other mental health welfare institutions to temporarily treat and care for patients with mental disorders in the extremely poor."

Ministry of Civil Affairs: Pilot service social assistance has been carried out in 69 regions

In addition, at the press conference held by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on the 22nd, the reporter learned that since last July, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance jointly launched a pilot program of service social assistance across the country, it has now carried out pilot program of service social assistance in 69 regions including 5 provinces, 22 cities (prefectures), 42 counties (cities, districts).

Service-based social assistance is different from traditional cash assistance. It is a relief provided to the needy in the form of services. Since the pilot work of service-based social assistance has been launched, various pilot areas have relied on the dynamic monitoring information platform for low-income populations and have accurately portrayed the types of difficulties, degrees of difficulties and corresponding service needs of the needy through "big data comparison + iron footboard investigation", forming a demand ledger, and providing diverse social assistance services such as visits, passport care, rehabilitation training, meal assistance and bathing assistance, walking assistance and cleaning, psychological counseling, and social integration. In addition, various pilot areas have generally increased their policy and financial support, and raised funds such as fiscal funds, lottery public welfare funds, social donations, etc. through multiple channels for service social assistance.

Xu Yun, deputy director of the Social Assistance Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said: "Overall, in the past six months since the pilot work was launched, a service-type social assistance operation mechanism of "dynamic monitoring, demand assessment, resource matching, precise services, and orderly supervision" has been initially established to provide targeted care services, life services, and care services for the needy, which will help improve the quality of life of the recipients and is more popular with them than to directly pay money.