With last year's wonderful
experience of the joint project with the Department of Social
Work and Administration of China Youth College for Politics,
we once again have signed a collaboration agreement to set up
a 'Social Work Laboratory' in March this year. The project,
which will last for three years, aims to build an effective
management structure for the laboratory, to provide direct social
services through the laboratory, and to explore different models
and systems for frontline social workers. Hong Kong Christian
Service (HKCS) will provide advices regarding the set up and
development of the laboratory, as well as a subsidy of one full-time
staff responsible for direct services. We will also arrange
a one-month intensive training programs in Hong Kong for this
staff plus one more co-worker. This will allow them to experience
first-hand the social work laboratories run in Hong Kong and
to study how social work practices can be expanded.
On
May 20, 2001, our Director together with three staff attended
the Opening Ceremony of the 'Youth Hotline', which is a joint
program between China Youth College and China Youth Daily (the
second largest publisher). The hotline is available to the whole
country. This hotline is connected to the laboratory where experienced
volunteers and teachers of the Psychology and Counselling department
will answer the calls. It will also become one of the fieldwork
placements in social workers training. HKCS will later join
their supervisory team to advise on the implementation of hotline
services as well as its future development.
