Abstract

Since 2024, the Korean Psychological Association (KPA) has operated the Seoul Metropolitan Psychological Support Center (SMPSC) under commission from the Seoul Metropolitan Government. This initiative reflects an alignment between municipal policy efforts to strengthen public psychological services and KPA’s commitment to advancing evidence-based psychological assessment and treatment. Over the past two years, SMPSC has sought to establish a role distinct from existing public psychological service systems while remaining closely responsive to service needs in practice. Its primary functions have included outcome monitoring of publicly funded psychological services, the provision of evidence-based training and supervision for service providers, and collaboration with existing service systems to address institutional gaps within the current public service framework. In 2026, the scope of SMPSC's functions has further expanded, reflecting a series of policy changes, including the transfer of the Seoul Disaster Psychological Assistance Team (SDPAT) to SMPSC and the expansion of the target population covered by the National Mental Health Counseling Voucher Program.. While this expansion represents a meaningful and encouraging development, establishing SMPSC as a sustainable model for the broad public implementation of evidence-based psychological practice will require continued articulation of its core function, clearly differentiated from existing public psychological service systems, along with comprehensive service planning and operational strategies grounded in everyday practice realities and sustained collaboration across professional disciplines.