Over the past year, our organisation has faced unprecedented challenges across multiple fronts, including service expansion, human resources, and financial management. With the concerted efforts of the Executive Committee, professional team, and dedicated volunteers, we have maintained steady organisational development and continued to promote mental health and recovery concepts within the community. Together with the Executive Committee, I have remained committed to upholding our governance responsibilities, ensuring that despite a rapidly changing social environment, our organisation continues to progress steadily through close collaboration in the areas of mission adherence, service quality, corporate governance, risk management, prudent financial planning, and long-term institutional development.

Service Enhancement Amid Challenges

Our organisation continues to stand at the forefront of mental health services. Leveraging our professional expertise and practical experience, we cultivate deep community engagement, providing holistic and recovery-oriented support that helps service users regain daily rhythm and social roles. Following the severe flooding incident, the vocational rehabilitation service centre, New Jade Manufacturing Centre, successfully completed its reconstruction and officially reopened on 1 June 2024. The reopening ceremony was attended by representatives from the Social Welfare Department, NGOs, the healthcare sector, and the business community, who witnessed both the restoration outcomes and the collective efforts behind them. A new ‘Timeline Gallery’ was established to document the renovation process, while also providing members with an enhanced training environment to rebuild work ability and dignity.

In terms of residential services, our organisation actively strengthened training for halfway house supervisors and teams in anticipation of the Residential Care Homes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2023, which came into effect on 16 June 2024. New internal processes were introduced to align with the registration system, consolidating service foundations and continuously enhancing the quality of care.

The 18111 Mental Health Support Hotline, which has been operating for over a year, continued to offer 24-hour immediate assistance throughout the year. As an important first contact point for mental health support, it provides emotional counselling, community resource information, and case referrals. Over the past year, the hotline handled nearly 200,000 calls—an average of 323 per day, exceeding initial estimates. Despite staffing pressures, colleagues and volunteers remained steadfast on the front line, maintaining a 99% answer rate within 10 seconds. After 18 months of operation, the hotline has been handed over to another social service organisation. We express our heartfelt gratitude to the Health Bureau and the Department of Health for their trust and recognition of our contributions and accumulated experience through over a decade of managing the ‘JUSTONE’ 24-hour hotline service. A service summary sharing held in June brought together long-term strategic partners and sponsors including Lee Hysan Foundation, Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation and Kerry Group, together with the volunteers, concluding this meaningful journey with gratitude and warmth.

Building Industry Connection and International Exchange

Our organisation actively connects with local and international partners to promote mental health as a shared social concern. Locally, we were appointed by the Labour and Welfare Bureau as the coordinating organisation for the ‘Mental Health Month 2024’ Preparatory Committee, collaborating with over ten social service agencies and twenty-four Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness under the theme, ‘Linking Hearts, Bridging Communities’, organising a series of public education activities in the community.

Internationally, we continue to participate in the International Recovery and Citizenship Collective (IRCC), attending biannual meetings to exchange experiences and practices with global partners. In June 2024, our team delivered a presentation entitled ‘Citizenship and Recovery-Oriented Peer Support’, sharing our experience in peer worker training and the integration of Recovery Citizenship into practice. The exchange was enriched by interaction with speakers from Belgium, France, Germany, Norway, the United States, and Brazil. We also maintain ongoing collaboration with Yale University’s Program for Recovery and Community Health (Yale-PRCH) through online consultations to enhance our professional capacity in Recovering Citizenship research and training.

Expanding Mainland Partnerships and Networks

Since the 1990s, our organisation has supported the development of mental health services in Mainland China, assisting in the establishment of organisations such as Guangzhou Richmond, Shenzhen Huimin, and Guangzhou Likang, and maintaining close partnerships even after their independent operations began. Recently, we funded Guangzhou Richmond Mental Health Social Work Resource Centre’s ‘Youth Transition Support Programme’, which offers stressed adolescents a non-medical buffer through vocational experiences, social training, relaxation activities, and one-stop community resources, helping them reintegrate into daily and social life.

We also encourage our staff to participate in Mainland study tours—such as the ‘Connecting Hearts’ Guangzhou Exchange Tour, Chaozhou Exchange Tour, and Foshan Exchange Tour—to deepen understanding of Mainland conditions and mental health service development, broadening perspectives and inspiring innovation in local services.

Strengthening Corporate Governance and Risk Management

Amid a dynamic external environment and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, our organisation remains fully compliant with laws and service agreements signed with funding bodies. During the year, we provided staff with diversified training and information covering topics such as National Security Law, prevention of sexual harassment, equal opportunities, and Service Quality Standards (SQS), deepening professional and legal understanding. In preparation for the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance coming into effect in 2026, we have launched an online certificate course to equip all professionals with early identification and response capabilities for suspected child abuse cases.

To reinforce service quality, dedicated personnel have been assigned to coordinate quality assurance efforts, enhance monitoring and follow-up mechanisms, and offer clear guidance and support for implementing professional standards across service units.

Prudent Financial Management for Service Sustainability

With Hong Kong’s slowing economy and continued fiscal constraints, our organisation will face a 7 per cent cumulative funding cut over the next three years under the ‘Productivity Enhancement Programme’. To ensure stability and sustainable growth, we adhere to prudent financial management principles, making the best use of the Social Welfare Department’s flexible administrative arrangements and our existing reserves to retain talent and maintain service quality. Internal monitoring mechanisms ensure compliance with financial policies and procedures, while regular reviews of service category, user needs, and staff considerations help optimise resource allocation.

The Executive Committee, Finance Sub-Committee, and senior management continue to review different reserve levels in order to maintain overall financial stability. Through internal communications and briefings, staff are kept informed of financial status and strategies, fostering collective understanding in navigating resource challenges.

Organisational Growth and Leadership Succession

Last year, our organisation was selected as one of the five beneficiaries of the ‘Jockey Club InnoPower Social Welfare Fellowship’. Five senior staff members completed a six-month leadership and innovation programme, including training at Harvard University’s Executive Education Program and Tsinghua University in Beijing. Following the programme, the team’s ‘Endless Learning’ initiative was adopted and launched in October 2025 as a strategic project focused on talent development.

As the organisation continues to grow, leadership succession has entered a new phase. With my six-year term as Chairperson coming to an end this year, I am confident that under the solid governance foundation and professional team established over the years, the organisation will continue to thrive under new leadership. The Executive Committee appointed Ms. Lam Lee Kwan Lois as the new Director in July 2025 to lead the next stage of development. On behalf of the organisation, heartfelt gratitude is extended to Dr. Fung Cheung Tim and Dr. Wong Kin Lung Keith for their leadership and contributions to our organisation. We look forward with optimism to the new chapter under Ms. Lam’s leadership. With the steadfast support of stakeholders, staff, and volunteers, our organisation will continue to advance steadily and achieve new milestones in mental health and recovery services.