Vietnam expands school social work and psychological counseling models

The Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, in collaboration with Good Neighbors International (GNI), is working to expand school-based social work and psychological counseling models. A recent professional training session was held to enhance the capacity to support, protect, and care for students' mental health.

During the training, Nguyen Xuan An Viet, Deputy Director of the Department of Students, emphasized that psychological counseling focuses on addressing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral issues to promote healthy development. In contrast, social work aims to assist individuals, groups, and communities in resolving social issues ranging from personal relationships to broader concerns like human rights and social justice.

The initiative follows guidelines issued by the Ministry to improve student protection. The training provided guidance for general education institutions on planning, organizing, and implementing professional processes for both social work and psychological counseling to prevent issues and support students effectively.