Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention Hold ‘Mentor-Mentee’ Conference for Suicide Prevention Workers in Cheonan, July 23-24… Supporting New Staff’s Field Adaptation

About 100 workers from suicide prevention centers and mental health welfare centers nationwide attend, sharing field experience to prevent burnout and strengthen expertise

Song Jung-sook, Reporter Posted 2026/07/26 [10:10] Article No. 53605

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong) and the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention (Chairperson Jeong Yoon-soon) will hold the “2026 Suicide Prevention Worker ‘Mentor-Mentee Capacity Building’ Conference” for two days, from July 23 to 24, at the Jaeneung Education Training Institute in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. The conference brings together suicide prevention workers from suicide prevention centers and mental health welfare centers nationwide to share field experience and practical know-how, encourage one another, and improve the quality and expertise of suicide prevention services. This year’s program focuses in particular on helping new staff settle into their roles and systematically passing on the experience of veteran workers to strengthen frontline response capabilities. About 100 people are expected to attend, including officials from the ministry and the foundation as well as suicide prevention workers.

On the first day, writer Kim Hye-min will give a lecture titled “The Power of Good Questions for a Sustainable Work and Life,” addressing burnout prevention and self-care for frontline workers. An awards ceremony will follow, presenting one Minister of Health and Welfare Award and two Foundation Chairperson Awards to institutions recognized for outstanding suicide prevention programs. The award-winning cases include a resident-led peer support model for suicide prevention, “Modu Run,” a running crew program designed to prevent staff burnout, and know-how on building relationships with high-risk individuals through birthday meal gatherings — sharing practical knowledge from community-level work. A promotional wall showcasing program outcomes will also be set up, giving workers a chance to review outstanding regional cases and discuss future directions for the program.

The second day opens with a Q&A session in which veteran workers answer questions submitted in advance by new staff. This is followed by in-depth discussions on topics such as case management, crisis counseling, cooperation with related agencies, stress management and administrative work, and concludes with a “Talk Concert with Mentors and Mentees,” where participants can freely share their field experiences and concerns.

The conference is part of a broader push by the government to strengthen its response system and consolidate the recent downward trend in suicide deaths, under the national policy goal of “a government that saves the lives of its people.” The government has designated suicide prevention officers at the level of deputy head or higher in every provincial and municipal government, and has completed the deployment of 293 newly dedicated public officials as part of a shift from a public health center-centered response to a dedicated organizational structure spanning welfare, employment and health services. It is also increasing the number of counselors staffing the Suicide Prevention Counseling Hotline (109) from the current 103 to 200 by the end of the year to raise the response rate, while working to develop and introduce an AI-based system for managing online content that induces suicide within the same timeframe. For high-risk groups such as suicide attempt survivors and bereaved families, the government also plans to introduce nationwide situation management, rapid crisis intervention and a stable temporary shelter system.

Lee Sun-young, Director General for Mental Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, “Suicide cannot be solved by the efforts of a single institution — the entire community, starting with frontline workers, must respond through close cooperation.” She added, “The government will continue to develop measures that provide practical help to frontline workers, such as burnout prevention programs and securing additional personnel.” Jeong Yoon-soon, Chairperson of the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said, “The expertise and psychological resilience of the workers on the front lines of suicide prevention form an important foundation of the nation’s safety net for life.” She added, “I hope this conference will be an opportunity not only for senior and junior workers to share experiences and care for one another, but also to further solidify the cooperative system among suicide prevention sites nationwide.”