Study on the Introduction of Qualifications for Immigrant Multicultural Family Counselors

The purpose is to argue the necessity of the concept and professional qualification of immigrant multicultural family counseling so that it can contribute to the improvement of the economic and social status of immigrant multicultural family counselors and the development of national social welfare. The research process was based on a literature review on evidence-based immigrant multicultural family counseling, and analyzed the legal system for establishing a nationally recognized qualification system and immigrant multicultural family counseling service, as well as the current status and problems of the qualification system for immigrant multicultural family counselors. In order for immigrant multicultural families to receive professional counseling at counseling specialized institutions other than the family center stipulated in the Multicultural Family Support Act, it is proposed that experts who have acquired qualifications based on the “Mental Health and Welfare Act,” “Multicultural Family Support Act,” and “Multicultural Social Experts” be eligible to apply for the “Immigrant Multicultural Family Counselor” exam. Through this, immigrant multicultural families have a duty to protect their basic rights in order to protect them from psychological and mental difficulties such as human rights violations, discrimination, and oppression in order to live a healthy life with a minimum level of humanity. Therefore, it is necessary to legislate a qualification system so that it can be recognized as a field of psychological counseling for the promotion of mental health and sociocultural adaptation of immigrant multicultural families currently facing. Accordingly, this study aims to establish a legal system for receiving family counseling by efficiently operating immigrant multicultural family counseling as a specialized counseling service and to suggest a plan for activation and introduction of a qualification system.