YWP Programme

Youth Wellbeing Practitioner (YWP) Programme

In 2021, Mind HK and MINDSET launched a new mental health pilot project – the Youth Wellbeing Practitioner (YWP) Programme.

In Hong Kong, those who require mental health support are often faced with a dilemma; either they are met with long waiting times at public hospitals, or they are forced to seek private treatment which can come at a high cost. At present, the waiting time for the intake of new cases at the psychiatric specialist out-patient clinics (PSY SOPCs), ranges from 14 to 64 weeks for stable cases (HA, 2022).

Mind HK believes that by increasing the support capacity in Hong Kong and adopting an early intervention approach, we can make a positive difference to the mental health landscape, and reduce the existing strain on healthcare services. 

Based on a model similar to the UK’s Children and Young People’s Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP-IAPT) initiative, this project aims to bridge the gap in mental health services in Hong Kong, and increase access to mental health support for youth (aged 12-24) in Hong Kong. This is achieved by training practitioners to deliver free, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based, low-intensity, manualised and guided self-help interventions.

So far, we trained 50 practitioners in June – July 2022. On completion of their theoretical training, these practitioners have been placed in host organisations in community settings to deliver free support  to youth facing mild to moderate mental health problems in need till July 2023. 

How It Works

Mind HK YWP Online Services 

From December 2022 to April 2023 youths aged 18-24 can sign up to receive YWP’s support remotely for free. By offering online mental health services, Mind HK aims to further increase the accessibility of support for youth experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems or emotional distress. 

Click here to learn more about Mind HK’s YWP services.

Future opportunities

The YWP programme is part of Mind HK’s Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT) initiative, and is the start of Mind HK’s wellbeing practitioner series.

The next pilot programme that has been launched is the Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) programme, which offers a similar intervention model but specifically targets adults. Applications for this programme close on 6 January 2023. For more information, please click here.

Thank you to all organisations who are hosting our YWPs as part of our pilot programme: