The Ministry of Mental Health and Welfare confirmed in March 2021 that the municipalities would have a key role in building a community-based integrated care system for people with mental health problems. The Japanese health care system consists of medical, public health, and welfare sections, which are relatively independent from each other. The public health sector is comprised of municipal and prefectural organizations, including the public health center and mental health and welfare center. The public health sector supports people who are reluctant to receive psychiatric treatment in spite of the presence of mental health problems, including hikikomori patients and those with severe mental health problems disengaged from psychiatric treatment. In the community-based integrated care system for people with mental health problems, municipalities are supposed to accept consultations from people with mental health problems as a first contact point, and they are supposed to ask for support from the other public health sectors, including the public health center and mental health and welfare center. They are also supposed to refer them to psychiatric institutions, including psychiatric clinics and psychiatric hospitals. Given the shortage of human workforce in public health sectors, we should reinforce human resources for the public health sector for this system to operate effectively.
 Author's abstract