Critics of the proposed changes have planned protests in Warsaw on Thursday.
Leszczyna said that these centers will be established wherever qualified professionals are available, with tenders for their operation to be launched in early 2025.
Instead of paying for each service individually, the centers will receive a fixed payment, she added.
To help patients find mental health support, the government plans to create an interactive map of available facilities.
Leszczyna also highlighted plans to support children and adolescents, including continued government funding for a crisis helpline, access to school psychologists, and community-based therapists who will address not only the needs of children but also their families.
Students will be able to expand their knowledge of mental health through a new subject in Polish schools: health education.
Protests over planned changes
The proposed changes to the mental health system focus on community-based care rather than hospital treatment. However, some of the planned funding shifts have sparked controversy.
Protests were scheduled for Thursday, following a conference on mental health in Warsaw.
New mental health funding model raises concerns
Experts caution that the new funding model, based on payment per patient, could make mental healthcare in Poland less accessible by prioritizing profit-driven approaches over comprehensive public support, potentially leaving many patients without the help they need.
They draw a parallel with dental services, which, following privatization and near-total commercialization, have become accessible primarily to those who can afford to pay for treatment.
"The Ministry of Health, instead of continuing the tested model, plans to reduce funding for facilities," said the National Trade Union of Psychologists.
It added: "In our opinion, this will affect the quality of care, lead to a reduction in staff, including psychologists, and thus make it more difficult for patients to access support and psychological diagnosis. The mental health community strongly opposes these changes."
Criticizing the protests, Leszczyna said in an interview on broadcaster RMF FM:
"I don’t understand this protest ... The program will be implemented the way this community wants it to be. In a few days, the team working on mental health center funding will select a leader. Most of this team consists of doctors, psychiatrists and people from the field. There’s really no need to protest in the streets."
Protests over the future of mental health centers in Poland have been supported by resident doctors, among other groups.
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Source: Polish Radio, RMF FM/PAP/IAR
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