Tripartite Training Program in Community Psychiatry
A major, pioneering initiative was the establishment of the China – Hong Kong – Melbourne Tripartite Community Mental Health Training Program involving three major academic centers, our Department, the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Peking University (PKU). A Memorandum of Understanding about this large-scale program was signed by the 3 parties in September 2007. The main objective of this project is to bring the mental health services and facilities in mainland China up to higher standard that are commensurate with the recommendations of the World Health Organization. One of the impediments of the full implementation of this plan is the lack of sufficiently trained mental health professionals. In order to facilitate the implementation of the above plan in mainland China, a training program was set up jointly by the three, above-mentioned academic centers. Mental health professionals from Kwai Chung Hospital and Castle Peak Hospital and the NTE Cluster also take part in this project. Over the last year this program trained over 80 psychiatrists and nursing officers from different major psychiatric institutions in China (centres from Beijing, Shanghai as well as Guangdong, Hunan, Northeast and Zhejiang Provinces). Groups of mainland Chinese mental health workers took turns to come to Hong Kong for a 2-week practical training on community mental health. The program is still ongoing and there will be more trainees from China. |
Activities after the Sichuan Earthquake
After the May 12, 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province, our Department organized a number of activities to support the post-disaster mental health needs in the affected area. There were three initiatives:
- Building up collaborative network with core operation teams in disaster areas, aiming at providing consultancy, training and skill sharing. The Guangdong Provincial Health Bureau was delegated to coordinate the medical care of more than 1000 disaster victims transferred from Sichuan since late May, 2008. In view of the potential long-term mental health needs of these displaced victims, the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Mental Health invited our department to deliver a series of workshops on Disaster Mental Health to over 200 frontline health care providers and community gatekeepers (including school-teachers and counselors). Professor Helen Chiu has set up an expert training team with members coming from our department (Faculty members or adjunct professors), the Mental Health Association, The Chinese Association of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and the Hong Kong Psychogeriatric Association. Weekly sessions of workshop started in June 2008. The core syllabus included “Trauma Psychology”, “Psychological First-Aid”, “Bereavement Counseling”, “Relaxation Technique”, “Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorders, Depression and Anxiety Disorders”. Also, Professor Chiu and Professor Sandra Chan were invited to attend the Top Seminar on Psychosocial Response to Disaster in Beijing on October 10 to 11, 2008. Professor Chiu gave a keynote presentation on “Disaster Mental Health” and Professor Sandra Chan gave a presentation on “Disaster and Suicide”. This was a high level seminar involving government officials of China, representatives of United Nation and WHO, media and psychiatrists.
- Setting up Mental Health Funds to support disaster mental health training and post-disaster psychological interventions. Shortly after the tragic disaster in Sichuan, Professor Helen Chiu suggested to the Hong Kong Psychogeriatric Association to set up a Mental Health Fund for Disasters in China. The Fund was then set up in late May, 2008.
- Establishing international platform to share skills, expertise and information on disaster mental health in Asia-Pacific Region. Professor Helen Chiu has been liaising with the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Regional Office, and other international experts from the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists, the Asia-Australian Mental Health Link, the International Psychogeriatric Association and the World Psychiatric Association with a view to establishing a long-term platform to share skills, expertise and information on disaster mental health in the Asia-Pacific Region. For details, please click here (Sichuan Earthquake link)
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