WECARE FUND
友伴。同行計劃
INSTITUTION
Hong Kong College of Technology
TEAM MEMBERS
Lau Kwan Lam
Chu Wai Fung
Ng Wai Lok Wallace
Cheung Lok Hong
Lam Wai Ching
Law Cheuk Wah
Lo Wai Yin
PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR
Chau Mun Chu, Cher
Head of Department of Student Development
Hong Kong College of Technology
BACKGROUND
With the tragic outburst of 34 youth suicide incidents, the Hong Kong College of Technology (HKCT) understands the importance of increasing the awareness of suicide prevention on campus. Through various positive psychology education, suicide prevention talks and activities, they aim to promote help seeking behaviour and increase altruism behaviours among students.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this project is to train up a team of peer counsellors, hoping to spread love and cultivate a caring school atmosphere. It also promotes the importance of suicide prevention, to understand the meaning of life, to raise the importance of mental well-being and to improve students’ resilience.
METHODOLOGY
2 students were invited to be peer counsellors from each discipline, in the aim of promoting caring relationships and increasing awareness of youth suicide among students. The student development office trained selected students to be caring individuals, who approached students on campus, and showed care and support. Various talks and lectures were also given to peer ambassadors. These included mental health first aid course, suicide prevention talk and positive psychology workshop. HKCT also collaborated with the Samaritans Befrienders Hong Kong, where an exhibition of positive mind and game booths about mental health was set up to promote suicide prevention on campus. It was organized by participants who completed the mental health first aid course.
IMPACTS AND OUTCOMES
Through mental health first aid training course, students were trained with basic counseling skills, which have enhanced their sense of increasing altruistic behaviours, mental health knowledge and awareness of suicide. They are now well equipped to be peer counsellors after all the trainings and workshops.
Furthermore, peer counsellors were allowed to apply their learnt mental health knowledge during the mental health exhibition and game booths, where emotional support can be provided to their classmates and students on campus readily.
NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES
1735 people