Stem Center Community Support Division Activity Report
Support in FY2020 by the Stem Center Community Support Division (hereinafter, “Division”) for areas
affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake included Shiogama City, Tagajo City, Matsushima Town, andShichigahama Town under the jurisdiction of the Shiogama Health Center; and Natori City, Watari Town, andYamamoto Town under the jurisdiction of the Shiogama Health Center Iwanuma Branch.
Furthermore, we have provided support since February 2020 to Marumori Town, which was affected byTyphoon Hagibis in 2019, upon the prefecture’s request. However, we received continued requests in FY2020
as well, and the activity areas of the Division included three cities and five towns. We report on the main
activities along with the respective projects.
[Resident support project]
1. Consultation support project(1) Continued visits to high-risk individuals in health surveys
Cases that required continuous support were handed over from FY2019 while gradually conducting
accompanying visits with municipal managers. Visits conducted solely by the Division in FY2020 werefor those with suicidal ideations, PTSD, and mental illness, with a few individuals each in Natori City,
Watari Town, and Yamamoto Town.
(2) Visits to high-risk individuals in health survey of affected residents in Marumori Town
In FY2020, a health survey was conducted for all households who received a disaster certification(1,085 total), and we cooperated with non-submitted individual and high-risk individual home visits.
2. Community resident exchange project (salons)
Table 1 shows salon activities.
Table 1 Community resident exchange project (salons)
Implementation date HostmunicipalityProject
name

Host form

ParticipantsContent

2020/6/19–
2020/11/20

Iwanuma CityUtsukushi
ma salon

HostIndividuals whomoved fromFukushima
Prefecture to thearea around
Iwanuma City

The salon was held Once aduring COVID-19, monthso the exchange
duration was under
1 hour. We focusedon light gymnastics
and recent status
reports.
Members wanted tohost a salon, but
this was suspended
during the period
when a state ofemergency wasdeclared in thecountry.

2020/6/25–
2021/3/25

Natori City

Town
nurse’s
officeCooperation
with city

City residents

Canceled for April Once aand May due tomonth
COVID-19.
Venue was Yuriage
Public Hall, which
is an area withparticularlyextensive
earthquake damage
within the city andwherereconstruction
housing is located.
Contents included
weight / bloodpressuremeasurements,mini-healthlectures, and healthconsultations. A
picture-story show

- 39 -

Frequency

Total number ofparticipants
4370

2020/7/3
2020/9/18

Natori City

Natori City Co-sponsor with Men trying tohealthcity
abstain fromsalon
alcohol

Natori City health salon

created by theCenter was also
performed in thelecture.
The project wasconcluded in
FY2020, but thiswas an opportunity
for each of theparticipating
residents toconsider their own
health.
On a monthly basis, Twice ain the last six years, year
the mornings
involved salons.
Afternoons
involved studying
alcohol abstinence
and individual
consultations basedon drinking diaries.
Most of themembers have
improved to regulardrinking levels, andthe health salon wasconcluded in
FY2019.
Held as an alumni
association in
FY2020.
Participantsreflected on six
years of salon
activities, andindividual
consultations wereconducted on
individual goals forthe future.
Members madesuggestions forvoluntary activities.
It was said thatsupporters would
contact each otherwhile keeping aneye on the status ofCOVID-19.

Utsukushima salon[Support for supporters project]
1. Professional staff dispatch
Division staff members were assigned to municipalities to support the work of municipal public healthnurses.

- 40 -18

(1)

(2)

Professional staff placement (seconded staff)
A professional staff member was assigned to Natori City. The staff member provided work support
involving disaster victim support projects and mental health and welfare projects.
Staff dispatch to municipalities (dispatch team)Regular support was provided by dispatching staff members to Natori City / Watari Town
approximately once a week, and 1–2 times a month to Shiogama City / Yamamoto Town. Staff
members were dispatched to Tagajo City, Matsushima Town, and Shichigahama Town upon requestfrom the municipality or health center. Dispatches to Marumori Town were primarily forcooperation with health surveys, and staff members attended meetings with the town and Sennan
Health Center 1–2 times a month beginning in July. Dispatches were sent at all hours, 1–2 times a week,during the visit period from November to February.

2.

Main support contents(1) Meetings on health surveys for disaster victims and case study meetings for high-risk people
FY2020 was the final year of the health survey in the cities and towns affected by the Great East JapanEarthquake.
(Number of implemented days)
Natori City, 3 times; Shiogama City, 2 times; Shichigahama Town, 2 times.
(2) Participation as advisor in case study meetings and case reviews
Study cases from health surveys decreased, and study meetings regarding mental health cases anddifficulties pertaining to cases of child-rearing generations have become the primary focus.
(Number of participating sessions)
Yamamoto Town, 15 times; Watari Town, 14 times; Natori City, 7 times; Shiogama City, 7 times;
Tagajo City, 2 times; Matsushima Town, 2 times; Shichigahama Town, 1 time.
(3) Accompanying visits / interviews
For FY2020, we primarily conducted accompanying visits with municipal managers while being
conscious of transferring cases to them.
We also conducted accompanying visits for cases where support for new cases was requested.
(Number of cooperating days)
Natori City, 39 days; Shiogama City, 25 days; Yamamoto Town, 7 days; Watari Town, 4 days;
Shichigahama Town, 1 day.
(4) Participation in meetings on maternal and child health
There were many mental health issues among mothers, and we participated as advisors.
(Number of participating sessions)
Natori City, 12 times; Watari Town, 12 times; Yamamoto Town, 5 times.
(5) Workshops for supporters (Table 2)
We implemented workshops with the cooperation of Center doctors and psychologists, as well as
Division staff.
Table 2 Workshops for supporters
HostTraining content
Number ofSupportImplementation date
Subject
municipality
and theme
participants
methodWhat to know
when engaging Novice counseling
Instructor
2020/6/25
12with mental
staff members
dispatchhealthShiogama City
Support for the
Administrative
Instructor
2020/8/24
18
subject’s family
officials
dispatch
Gatekeeper
course:Administrative
Instructor
2020/11/18
30“Workplaceofficials
dispatchmental health”
Watari Town
Handling people
with visual orHome care support
Instructor
2020/12/1140
auditory
professionals
dispatchhallucinations
Support forpeople withAdministrative
Instructor
2021/1/14
Tagajo City
8personalityofficials
dispatchdisorders- 41 -2020/5/11–
2021/1/18

Natori City

2020/10/26

New public healthnurse / registereddietitianworkshop:“Determining
mental aspects ofmothers,” 8sessions
Intra-agency
public healthnurse general
meeting lecture:“How to holdcase study
meetings”

Administrative
officials

105 in total

Instructor

Administrative
officials

16Instructor※Instructor: Community Support Division staff member※Instructor dispatch: Miyagi Disaster Mental Health Care Center staff members, other than those from theCommunity Support Division(6) Marumori Town support
The Division has been involved with Marumori Town while remaining cognizant of the experience todate in handling the earthquake disaster. We introduced assessment tables and pamphlets when visiting highrisk individuals, and we conducted training for visits upon request of town public health nurses. We also
responded to accompanying visits with town public health nurses.
In March 2021, health surveys were reviewed between the town, health center, and Division.
Furthermore, at the beginning of FY2020, the Center doctor gave a lecture on “Protecting mental health aftera disaster” to staff of the Marumori Town Council of Social Welfare upon request of the Miyagi Mental
Health and Welfare Center. There were 21 participants.
In March 2021, the Center doctor gave a lecture on mental health after the earthquake to 50 social workers
and health promotion staff of the town at the request of the town.
[Raising public awareness project]
We have conducted raising public awareness projects for community residents upon request ofcooperation by municipalities, and the contents are shown in Table 3. There were requests for the “Healthfestival” and “District health education” at the beginning of FY2020; however, these were canceled due toconcerns over COVID-19.
Table 3 Raising public awareness training for residents
Implementation date

Host municipality

2020/9/4
Shiogama City
2020/9/16

2020/10/29

Tagajo City

2020/10/15
Natori City
2021/1/15

Training content andtheme
Mental health supporter
course ①: “Mental
health and suicideprevention”
Mental health supporter
course ②: “How tocommunicate
effectively”
Shooting video withdifferent content for“Mental and physicalhealth promotion course:① youth generation,② working and childrearing generation,③ elderly generation
Health picture-story
show: “How to set yourmind to be forwardthinking: Reframing”
Radio (Natoraji) lecture:“Sleep / stress andmental health”- 42 -

Number ofparticipants

Support method

27

Cooperation withmanagement

18

Instructor

Video distribution
with city

Instructor dispatch

７

Instructor

Instructor

[Summary / prospects and issues]
FY2020 was set as the end for the first phase of support for affected municipalities, and we have beenorganizing resident support, support for supporters, and public awareness projects while contemplating the ideal
form of support after FY2021.
For resident support projects, we are planning to shift from support from only the Division to accompanying
visits from FY2022 onwards.
For salon activities, we plan to continue providing a venue for people who have relocated from Fukushima
to gather and enhance the content while listening to the participants’ opinions.
Due to the extension of activities of the Center, meetings were held between the municipalities, health centers,mental health and welfare centers, and the Center for each health center area, which involved discussing thebasic concept of the direction of mental health and welfare activities after FY2021. In these meetings, we shared
how we will “conduct seamless health activities and create networks with other organizations to promote mental
health and a connected community through collaboration with residents;” and, “provide support via
accompanying visits (assessments and relationship building), case study meetings (ensuring places for learningfrom each other), and outreach as a way to raise the level of community mental health and welfare activities(human resource development that can be conducted in the field) to build the competence of health activity
workers.”
In the Iwanuma Branch area, meetings were held as before between municipalities, the Iwanuma Branch, andthe Division. Furthermore, in the Shiogama Health Center area, we participated in case study meetings and casereviews for each municipality (with a focus on health centers) since FY2020, without waiting for FY2021.
Case study meetings involved the participation not only of the municipal manager, but also of public healthnurses from other Divisions, as well as other organizations. These became places of learning from each other,and we felt that this led to network-building. In FY2021, further cooperation with health centers, as well as
mental health and welfare centers, will likely be necessary to develop activities according to the actual conditionsof the community.
Support for Marumori Town, which was affected by the typhoon, was conducted as a model example oflarge-scale natural disasters in the future while remaining aware of the tradition of past activities. We would liketo provide an ideal method of support that can be utilized even in the event of future disasters.

- 43 -