Policy Address

Mental Health

106.       Community support for discharged mental patients has recently become a public concern. To strengthen support for people with mental illness at the community level, the HA will pilot a case management programme in some districts in the next financial year to provide continuous and customised intensive community support for those with severe conditions. If this pilot programme is successful, we will gradually extend it to cover all districts within three years.

107.       The HA will promote collaboration between psychiatric specialist out-patient service and the primary healthcare service. The psychiatric specialist out-patient clinics will enhance their assessment service for common mental disorders and focus on patients with complex needs, and refer in a timely manner those with less severe conditions to the primary healthcare service for follow-up. The HA will also support the primary healthcare service in providing integrated mental healthcare to these patients.

108.       We set up the first Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness in Tin Shui Wai in March this year. We will revamp the community mental health support services and set up similar centres in all 18 districts, and will enhance their services for persons with severe mental illness to keep pace with the HA's case management programme. We will increase the number of medical social workers.

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