Covid-19 Psychological Counseling Workplan

Promulgation Date: 2020-3-18
Title: 关于印发新冠肺炎疫情心理疏导工作方案的通知
Document Number:联防联控机制发〔2020〕34号
Expiration date: 
Promulgating Entities:国务院应对新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情联防联控机制
Source of text: http://www.nhc.gov.cn/jkj/s3577/202003/0beb22634f8a4a48aecf405c289fc25e.shtml

After the onset of Covid-19, The Joint Mechanism for the Prevention and Control of the Coronavirus released the "Guiding Principles for Emergency Psychological Crisis Intervention in the Novel Coronavirus Epidemic" on January 26 in order to guide each reason in completing psychological crisis intervention efforts for different populations. At present, there is a positive trend of improvement in the Covid-19 situation in our country and the psychological states of various groups are changing. This Plan is drafted so as to further strengthen psychological counseling and psychological intervention for key groups.

I. Work Goals

Carrying out psychological services such as psychological counseling and psychological interventions for key populations such as patients and their families, and the families of the deceased, to protect the public's mental health and promote social harmony and stability.

II. Work Measures

(1) Strengthen psychological counseling for patients and their families.

Each medical and health facility should pay attention to the mental health status of patients, and have psychological counseling services provided for by psychotherapists, social workers, and so forth. Promptly conduct assessments and interventions for patients whose mental health state is poorer, consulting with psychiatric doctors when necessary. When patients are discharged, transfer materials related to the use of psychoactive medications to the basic-level medical establishment for the isolation point or to the patient's residence, to ensure the continuity of treatment. （Health Commission Responsible）

The district and county headquarters for prevention and control of Covid-19 in areas such as Hubei‘’s Wuhan that are seriously impacted by the epidemic, should organize the establishment of service teams composed of mental health and psychology professionals and social workers, to provide psychological services to cured and isolated patients, emphasizing the provision of psychological counseling to patients with anxiety-depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and so forth; promptly identifying those with psychological symptoms such as self-harm, suicide, or violent tendencies, and having psychiatrists consult on them or transferring them to a psychiatric treatment establishment. (Health and Civil Affairs departments responsible)

Urban and rural community workers should strengthen compassionate care for patients' families and patients that have been treated and returned home, assisting patients' return to normal life. Guide community residents to treat patients and their families correctly, avoiding discrimination. Organize and mobilize forces such as social workers and professional volunteers to provide services such as mental comfort, psychological support, and social contact to cured patients and their families that have psychological issues in rural and urban communities, promptly identifying individuals with serious psychological and behavioral issues and introducing them to mental health treatment establishments. (Ministry of Civil Affairs is to take the lead, and the Health Commission is to cooperate)

(2) Do a good job of concern, care, and psychological counseling for the families of deceased patients. Local departments such as for civil affairs, health, labor unions, communist youth league, women's federations, and disabled persons federations should strengthen care and concern for the families of the deceased, organizing social work institutions, mental health treatment establishments and so forth to provide social support and psychological intervention services, guiding them to vent their grief and assisting their smooth passage through mourning and the restoration of their normal lives. The units, communities, and so forth to which the deceased belong shall establish a compassionate support group to provide care and psychological support to the families of the deceased that desire it. Family members that exhibit serious psychological issues are to be assisted in seeking consultation at local mental health establishments. Regions such as Hubei Province's Wuhan where the epidemic is serious should complete work plans to divide and hand over ashes from cremated remains for funerals, strengthening humane care, and guiding on paying respects through the internet and other means to avoid gathering together. (Departments such as for civil affairs, health commissions, labor unions, communist youth leagues, womens federations, and disabled persons federations are to be responsible)

(3) Strengthen the psychological support for those on the minimum living allowance, the poor, the elderly with special difficulties, at-risk children, the vagrants and beggars, the persons with disabilities, and so forth. Departments such as civil affairs, womens federations, and disabled persons federations should mobilize and lead social forces such as charitable organizations, social work services establishments, volunteer services organizations, to provide life assistance and support care for groups such as minimum subsistence allowance recipients, impoverished persons, older people in especially difficult positions, children at risk, vagrants and beggars, and persons with disabilities. 湖北省、武汉市民政、妇联、残联等部门要摸清低保对象、特困人员、孤寡老人、孤儿、困境儿童、残疾人等群体的具体情况，把日常生活服务和保障与心理服务相结合，了解工作对象心理特点，针对性地提供心理支持或协助寻求心理专业人员帮助。 (Departments such as for civil affairs, womens federations, and disabled persons federations are responsible)

(4) Do a good job psychological services for epidemic prevention and control workers. Each local health department should fully utilize local psychotherapy, mental health, and social work service resources, to provide psychological services to medical workers. Strengthen care for frontline medical personnel, having mental health experts organize and carry out relaxation training and other such activities during days off. Targetted personal psychotherapy or appropriate pharmaceutical intervention should be carried out for medical personnel exhibiting notable reactions to stress. Hubei Province and Wuhan should give full play to the roles of the local mental health institutions and the Aid for Hubei Psychological Assistance Team in providing psychological services to medical personnel through means such as lectures, group therapy, individual consultation, online platforms, psychological hotlines, and so forth. （Health Commission Responsible）

(5) Strengthen psychological counseling for public security police and other frontline personnel. Departments such as for public security, judicial administration, civil affairs, and labor unions should complete work arrangements and rotations for civil police (auxiliary police), judicial administrative cadres and police, social workers, basic-level workers, and cadres under them, and use resources from within the system or from the public to provide psychological services to frontline workers, and conduct active interventions for those with serious psychological and behavioral issues. Strengthen psychological counseling for the families of civil police (auxiliary police), social workers, basic-level workers, and others who die in the line of duty as a result of epidemic prevention and control. Hubei and Wuhan should give play to the role of all kinds of volunteers, paying attention to recognizing and discovering individuals with psychological needs or who might have psychological problems, and conducting assessments and interventions by having community cadres contact psychological professionals and social workers. (Political-legal commissions, public security, judicial administration, civil affairs, labor unions, and other such departments are responsible.)

(6) Strengthen management and services for special populations. 各地要建立健全基层综合管理小组，加强公安监所被监管人员、服刑人员、社区矫正对象、刑满释放人员、强制隔离戒毒人员、强制隔离戒毒解戒人员、社区戒毒社区康复人员、参加戒毒药物维持治疗人员和自愿戒毒人员、易肇事肇祸严重精神障碍患者等特殊人群管理服务。 信访部门要畅通诉求表达渠道，引导利益受损群众理性反映诉求，做好思想疏导工作。 湖北省、武汉市要做好滞留在鄂、在汉人员特别是生活困难、经济损失较大人群的心理服务。 对有典型心理行为问题的利益受损群体，引入心理服务工作人员配合进行矛盾处理或纠纷化解，预防极端事件发生。 (political-legal committees and departments for public security, civil affairs, judicial administration, health, and petitions are responsible.

(7) Actively expand psychological counseling for the broader population. Each department for publicity, radio, and television should give play to the role of media to complete popularization of mental health knowledge and explanations of state policies, promptly channeling the public's negative emotions brought on by extended isolation, creating a social atmosphere of confidence, warm compassion, and collectivity. Departments such as for education, labor unions, communist leagues, and womens federations should use all kinds of online and offline resources for psychological resources to strengthen psychological counseling for different populations such as students, personnel at businesses and state or public institutions, and women and children. 湖北省、武汉市要将心理服务融入网格化管理工作，对仍有确诊病例的小区，安排心理服务专业人员、社会工作者或志愿者，及时疏导居民长期封闭管理产生的负面情绪。 (Publicity, Radio and Television, Education, Labor Unions, Communist Youth Leagues, and Women's Federations are responsible)

III. Safeguard Measures

(1) Each area should include Covid-19 psychological counseling services in arrangements for overall epidemic prevention and control work, establishing work mechanisms in which the Party leads, departments coordinate, and society mobilizes.

(2) Each area is to provide financial support for psychological services in light of actual conditions. Support participation in psychological services efforts by mental health treatment establishments, social work service establishments, public psychological services establishments, and so forth.

(3) Each area should carry out training for psychological service workers, social workers, and professional volunteers to increase the level of services, follow professional ethics, and protect the privacy of those being served.

(4) Each health department should conduct assessments of different populations' mental health status, and promptly adjust the focus of psychological services. Use methods such as retaining third parties to assess the psychological services and efficacy of related psychological services.