Questions/Answers

* To respond to a paradigm shift from ‘Retributive Justice’ to ‘Restorative Justice’ - Justice in a traditional practice focused on the appropriate punishment as a morally acceptable response to crime. However, paradigm has shifted to restorative justice that focuses on the needs of victims and offenders and restoration of the harm that was done to the victims and community. - To respond to this paradigm shift, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea has enforced [Crime Victim Protection Act] since 2006 and helped recovery of victims and their families of crimes, especially violent crimes, with a national level policy. * To provide a professional support through an integrated organization rather than a limited victims service - Previously, limited supports for treatment cost and living cost were provided to victims through private organizations with a limited governmental subsidy. Ministry of Justice recognized the needs of an integrated support by professionals to help comprehensive recovery of the victims and initiated the establishment of Smile Center in 2010. Smile Center is fully subsidized by the government and employs various mental health professionals including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and social workers.

* Crime victims are another layer of the vulnerable groups in our society. Smile Center strives for inclusiveness and provides public services for victims and their families to recover and return to the society as healthy members. * Smile Center is a professional organization providing an integrated mental health service that is aligned with a new perspective of restorative justice. Its innovative one-stop service is distinguished from the many previous offerings as it is supported and funded entirely on the national level and connects with a network of professionals to provide all necessary help through one agency and one integrated service.

* Smile Center is aligned with the Goal 16 because it is a systematic organization to sustain peace and justice through strong institutional supports. - Its structure and procedures can be duplicated and sustained to meet developmental goals in any other parts in the world. - With restorative justice in mind, it helps and protects all ages, sex and nationalities within Korea and prevents the secondary victimization to promote peace and inclusiveness. - It offers an integrated service encompassing professional treatments for trauma, physical protection and legal services for holistic recovery.

* Establish Restorative Justice - Too often, victims and families of violent crimes suffering from the trauma was not been able to return to the society and even committed suicides in Korea because they could not get the proper help and protections from the professionals. Smile Center has been the one and only public organization to properly deal with aftermath of crimes, shifting its focus on the recovery of victims and community and providing professional and holistic supports. Its effectiveness is proven by its fast growth and statistics. * Preventing the Secondary Victimization and Protection - Smile Center recognizes that many crimes, especially domestic violence cases are repeated and accelerated end up resulting severe crimes. We intervene as early as possible to empower victims and to prevent further or secondary victimization. - Smile Center recognizes that violent crimes scar victims for a long time. We provide professional treatments at different lengths and paces for each case. We promote Support Groups to help each other continuously, organize joint memorial services and provide psycho-education for the remaining families. For example, the 3rd Annual Symposium of Smile Center facilitated [Grief Counseling and Psychological Support for Surviving Families] on November 12th, 2018.

* Providing national level supports: Previously, crime victim supports had been scattered efforts with lack of resources. Many victims had to deal with trauma on their own or received limited supports from private entities. Smile Center provides public services through public funding and moves Korea one step further towards restorative justice. * Establishing an integrated structure with a network of professionals: This innovative idea improved outcomes of the services tremendously by providing an access to all necessary supports through one agency. * Enabling 24/7 responses and phone consultations to psychological emergencies. Staff is on duty at all times for admitted clients.

* Shifting to the national level support: It is a unique approach in Korea to support crime victims with 100% government funding. * Establishing an integrated structure with a network of professionals: It is a unique approach to integrate different service structure and become a hub of the professional network that encompasses psychological, social, physical and legal aspects. * Enabling 24/7 responses and phone consultations to psychological emergencies: It is an adaptation from 24/7 responses to physical emergencies as we recognize equally critical needs of psychological services.

* Since its establishment of Smile Center at the east of Seoul location in 2010, the same structure has been transferred to 12 additional locations within Korea. Ministry of Justice has a plan to expand to a total of 18 locations by 2020. Each new location was able to initiate the service successfully using the same model and is providing a case-by-case support sharing knowledges and networks. * We believe that this model can easily be adapted in an existing agency to enhance the system or as a new organization in other parts of the world to bring restorative justice more effectively.

* It is funded 100% by the government. * It employees top mental health professions who are specialized in trauma victims. As of 2017, there are 95 staff members in 11 locations across the nation including 9 Psychiatrists, 2 Professors of Psychology, 33 Clinical Psychologists, and 24 Social Workers. * It also works closely with affiliated professionals, such as physical doctors or attorneys as needed basis. * Each location acquires its own building independently and houses following standard facility programs: Offices, Conference Rooms, Consultation Rooms, Psychological Assessment Rooms, Group Therapy Rooms, Play Therapy Rooms, Men and Women’s Dormitories and Cafeteria.

* Smile Center uses [Crime Victims Protection Fund] Per [Article 30 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea (Crime Victim's Remedy Claim Right)] and [Crime Victim Protection Act]. As supported by the national policies and funding, financial stability is guaranteed at a sustainable level. However, Ministry of Justice is putting the best efforts to secure a sufficient budget to cover increasing demands through improved policies and public advocacy. * Since professionals working at Smile Center are the key driver of successful operations, it is critical to recruit and retain professional resources. We believe that growing needs for the services, rewarding track records of supported cases, public awareness of the results and strong governmental support will contribute to draw the best professionals to Smile Center continuously. * Smile Center is expanding its efforts to educate public on the services and to improve accessibility to all areas in the country, even providing transportation services and home visit services when appropriate.

Yes

- Smile Center submits a Monthly Performance Report internally and issues an Annual Report externally. Additional White Papers and a General Annual Report are also issued by the General Support Group for all Smile Center locations that is formed in 2018. - Human Rights Bureau of Ministry of Justice issues an Annual Evaluation Report to National Assembly of the Republic of Korea that includes statistics and performance of Smile Center. - So far, all evaluation reports showed significant achievement of Smile Center with improvements on clients’ conditions that resulted rapid growth of Smile Center operations nation-wide.

* Followings are main indicators used for evaluations of Smile Center. Refer details in [Support Documents #1: 2017 Annual Report]. - Quantitative Evaluation Index including numbers of total registered cases and total supported cases, numbers of supported cases by category, such as Psychological Support, Social Support, Legal Support...etc., and statistics related to admitted clients - Qualitative Evaluation Index including publication of Trauma Recovery Guidebooks, publication of various researches and thesis, subjective evaluations on various treatment programs and clients’ testimonials

* Followings are notable outcomes. Refer details in [Support Documents #1: 2017 Annual Report]. - Total number of clients increased 3,489% within 7 years, between 2010 (79 clients) and 2017 (2,835 clients). - Total number of psychological support cases increased 11,811% within 7 years, between 2010 (518 cases) and 2017 (61,698 cases). - Total number of Smile Center locations increased 1,000% within 7 years, between 2010 (1 location) and 2017 (11 locations). - Meaningful reductions were shown in clients for depression, anxiety, PTSD and overall level of trauma. - Meaningful numbers of clients returned to the society as functioning members.

* Smile Center established public and private networks effectively as below. - Ministry of Justice: A governmental organization that established and have been funding Smile Center. It monitors operation and expansion status of Smile Center at a high level and supports at a policy level. - Korean Crime Victims Support Association: A civilian organization that has been existed before Smile Center. Its service was limited to a minimal cost support without mental health professionals. It now works with Smile Center to share historical knowledge and to provide supplemental support as an affiliated organization of Ministry of Justice. - Mental Health Professionals: Professional staff employed directly at Smile Center or other affiliated organizations who provide treatments to victims and families, run overall operations, and report status and details to Ministry of Justice. They are the main voices of Smile Center who continue to develop and improve the operation. - Police Stations and Hospitals: Police officers are the first responders who initiate service requests in most of cases. Professionals in Smile Center work closely with police officers and hospital staff so that victims and families can get the proper supports at the right time.

* It is critical to have an integrated service that approaches holistically and can be accessible at the right time to properly help crime victims and families considering their vulnerable nature. * To move forward, we will, - Expand budget and increase effectiveness by integrating further with other public agencies’ scattered efforts centered on Smile Center. - Create national level policies that can draw additional funding. - Place strategies to service remote areas until growth reaches to a desired level to cover entire country. - Create policies and supports for the service providers to prevent vicarious trauma or secondary trauma.