PRESS RELEASE: Coolminds website and workshops launch, bringing a new mental health resource for HK youth
A joint initiative from Mind HK and KELY Support Group, Coolminds offers mental health resources to young people, parents and educators in Hong Kong
Hong Kong – 21 May 2020 – At a time when mental health support has never been more pivotal globally, Hong Kong welcomes a pioneering online destination for young people to learn about mental health and get access to help: Coolminds (www.coolmindshk.com). A joint initiative between Mind HK and KELY Support Group, Coolminds promotes mental health awareness, support and understanding in Hong Kong’s youth, and those around them.
With one in six[1] young Hong Kongers suffering from depression, anxiety or stress, Coolminds brings mental health resources and support to youth, parents and educators in Hong Kong. The bilingual Coolminds website, developed with the initial sponsorship from CLSA Chairman’s Trust, offers a wider array of useful information, resources and links, many of which have been localised and translated from Coolminds’ international partner organisations, including renowned mental health organisations Orygen, Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, Batyr, and the Black Dog Institute.
Coolminds resources range from mental wellbeing tips, to factsheets about conditions like depression and anxiety, to a directory linking young people to vital mental health support. Currently, there are also resources about staying well during the coronavirus outbreak, including downloadable e-booklets “A Young Person’s Guide to Staying Well During the Coronavirus Outbreak” and “A Teachers and Educators Guide: The Mental Health Effects of COVID-19”.
Coolminds encourages young people to share their voice and speak openly about their mental health experiences, providing training to encourage such sharing. Their “Clear the Clouds” initiative, which is currently in development, will be a two-day workshop, where young people will learn to share their lived experiences with mental health in closed settings and events. Online, the Coolminds blog is filled with articles and personal stories from local teens and university students talking about self-care, exam pressures, bullying and more. Every young person in Hong Kong is invited to check it out and submit their own blog or story.
To holistically empower the communities and systems surrounding young people, Coolminds organises workshops for students, parents and educators – known as a “whole-school approach”. The workshop series is designed to target the different kinds of people who coexist within a young person’s community, providing access to local resources and giving everyone a common language to speak about mental health. Workshops are led in English and Cantonese by mental health education trainers from Mind HK and KELY Support Group.
As part of its outreach, Coolminds will deliver educational workshops around youth mental health for local and international schools in Hong Kong, who serve Chinese and English speaking populations, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, as well as the general public. Thanks to the generous support of Morgan Stanley, Operation Santa Claus, MINDSET of the Jardine Matheson Group and the Hong Kong Blue Tie Ball 2018, Coolminds is now offering students, parents and educators free webinar workshop and working with their youth ambassadors to develop additional events and programmes to further support Hong Kong’s youth, including a Youth Summit in November 2020. Their workshop material has been adapted to include tips and discussions around the challenges of COVID-19 and how to care for mental health at this unprecedented time. To learn more about Coolminds workshops and webinars or to organise an event, get in touch with Coolminds at [email protected].
Dr Hannah Reidy, CEO, Mind HK, said, “Mind HK is proud to be a leader for mental health and wellbeing in Hong Kong. Our intention with Coolminds is to ramp up the resources that we have for our young people and ensure that their needs are met. Today’s youth are our future, and we want them to feel that they are valued and have a place to turn to when they require help. What’s more, with resources for parents and educators, we can help build a supportive community around them. Thank you to KELY Support Group for joining us in this great initiative as we work together to bring accessible and informative mental health resources to teens in Hong Kong.”
Ms Sky Siu, Executive Director, KELY Support Group, said, “Since 1991, KELY has been working directly with youth in Hong Kong providing services around the prevention of substance misuse, mental health & wellbeing as well as positive youth development. We have found that empowering peer support and offering safe spaces for youth to confidentially share about tough issues has been key to connecting with them and providing the help they need. We’re delighted to continue strengthening the mental health resources for youth in Hong Kong through this new initiative with Mind HK. Destigmatising mental health is no easy feat, and it will require us all to come together as fellow youth, parents, teachers, and a community to make a real impact.”
Visit Coolminds at www.coolmindshk.com to learn more about mental health, find advice from experts, read about your peers’ experiences, submit a blog to share your own experience, request a workshop, or get other fast and helpful resources for mental health. Whether you’re a parent, educator or a young person, Coolminds is for you.
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About Coolminds
Coolminds is an initiative between Mind HK, a non-profit organisation committed to improving awareness and mental health in Hong Kong; and KELY Support Group, a non-profit that equips young people with skills, knowledge and opportunities to support themselves and each other. By bringing international best practice to Hong Kong for high school and university students alike, Coolminds works to improve the mental health of young people in Hong Kong through training, information sharing, online resources and destigmatisation, as well as providing support for the adults around them.
About Mind HK
Mind HK is a registered S88 charity (91/16471) established in the name of Mind Mental Health Hong Kong Limited and is committed to improving awareness and understanding of mental health in Hong Kong. They provide online support and training programmes, based on global best practice, to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem and equip them with the resources they need. Through collaborative research, Mind HK is leading the way in understanding mental health problems in the city and providing its population with the right support and resources.
About KELY Support Group
KELY Support Group (KELY) is a Hong Kong-based non-profit organisation whose mission since 1991 is to equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities needed to support themselves and each other. KELY envisions a world where young people are empowered to reach their full potential. They collaborate with schools and other partners to offer programmes to Chinese- and English-speaking youth between the ages of 14 and 24 around three core focus areas: Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Mental Health & Wellbeing, and Positive Youth Development.
For media enquiries or interview requests, please contact Golin Hong Kong:
Maxson Tsang
Tel: +852 2501 7907
Email: [email protected]
Vivian Wong
Tel: +852 2501 7972
Email: [email protected]
[1] Study on Life Situation and Mental Well-being of Youth in Hong Kong 2018 https://hq.hkpa.hk/newscontent1.php?lang=en&news_id=40
