Strengthening the Greater Bay Area’s Community Safety Net through Mental Health Expertise: HKCT Shenzhen-Hong Kong Collaborative Projects Honoured in “Telling Good Social Welfare Stories” Competition
(The HKCT team attends the “Heart-to-Heart · National Day Social Welfare Showcase” cum 2026 “Telling Good Social Welfare Stories” Competition Award Presentation Ceremony to celebrate the project’s recognition)
(7 October 2026, Hong Kong) – As ties between Hong Kong and Shenzhen continue to deepen, harnessing higher education resources to address the needs of cross-boundary families and an ageing society has become an increasingly important aspect of promoting social integration and enhancing people’s well-being across the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Leveraging its strengths in applied education, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of HKCT Institute of Higher Education (HKCT) has brought Hong Kong’s well-established Mental Health First Aid training to frontline service providers in Shenzhen, while also conducting field studies of the elderly care and wellness sector in GBA cities. Through these initiatives, HKCT is contributing its professional expertise to strengthening the community support network across Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
At yesterday's “Connecting Hearts” Social Welfare Good Stories Awards Ceremony & National Day Gala, Shenzhen-Hong Kong collaborative projects advanced by HKCT received recognition. Among them, "Connecting Hearts Across the Border Through One Building: Jointly Building a Shenzhen-Hong Kong Family and Professional Support Platform", jointly implemented by HKCT and International Social Service Hong Kong Branch, stood out from more than 100 projects to receive the “Most Favourite Social Welfare Story (Tertiary Institutions)” Award.
Another HKCT project, “Cultivating New Forces for Cross-Boundary Elderly Care: A Story of Nurturing Healthcare and Wellness Talents Connecting Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area”, was also selected as a recognised project, demonstrating the tangible impact of HKCT’s professional education in empowering community services and talent development across the Greater Bay Area.
Building a Mental Health Safety Net at Luohu’s Rainbow Building: Hong Kong’s Mental Health First Aid Training Empowers Cross-Boundary Frontline Workers
(HKCT’s professional team delivers a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Standard Course to 24 frontline social workers serving cross-boundary families at the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Family Integrated Service Centre in Luohu, Shenzhen.)
The award-winning project, "Connecting Hearts Across the Border Through One Building: Jointly Building a Shenzhen-Hong Kong Family and Professional Support Platform", is based at the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Family Integrated Service Centre in the Luohu Women and Children's Building. In response to the complex challenges faced by cross-boundary families, ranging from adapting to daily life and children’s education to caregiving pressures, HKCT joined hands with International Social Service Hong Kong Branch to create a platform that “brings education into the community and professional support across boundaries.”
In mid-August, HKCT’s professional team delivered a two-day, 12-hour Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Standard Course to 24 frontline social workers serving cross-boundary families at International Social Service Hong Kong Branch. Through engaging scenario-based simulations and role-playing exercises, the training equipped frontline workers with practical skills to identify emotional crises and make appropriate referrals.
Participating social workers described the training as highly relevant to their work and strongly practice-oriented. They said it helped frontline workers identify high-risk cases more quickly in their daily work and provide timely support, significantly strengthening their confidence in serving cross-boundary families. The initiative has effectively created a mental health safety net without borders, extending professional support beyond the confines of a physical service centre.
Advancing Education and Service in Tandem to Fulfil the Social Value of Tertiary Education
(The project “One Building Connecting the Hearts of Two Cities: Co-building a Support Platform for Shenzhen-Hong Kong Families and Professionals”, jointly implemented by HKCT and International Social Service Hong Kong Branch, received the “Most Favourite Social Welfare Story (Tertiary Institutions)” Award, marking a new milestone in cross-boundary professional collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen)
In another selected project, “Cultivating New Forces for Cross-Boundary Elderly Care: A Story of Nurturing Healthcare and Wellness Talents Connecting Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area,” the HKCT team led teachers and students on field visits to elderly care and wellness facilities, including the Guangzhou Elderly Home and Yuhai International Wellness City. HKCT also plans to launch the Higher Diploma in Gerontology and Social Care (Greater Bay Area) in September 2027. The programme will incorporate gerontechnology and a 200-hour placement in the Greater Bay Area, broadening young people’s professional horizons and career opportunities in the silver economy.
Dr Lam King-yee, Assistant Dean of the School of Social Sciences at HKCT, said the recognition was a strong endorsement of the team’s continued efforts in advancing professional education and cross-boundary services in the Greater Bay Area. HKCT firmly believes that tertiary education and social services complement each other, and that bringing educational resources into the community enables knowledge to create its greatest social value.
Looking ahead, HKCT will continue to deepen its “Professional Education × Social Services × Greater Bay Area Development” model. Building on the Luohu centre, HKCT aims to develop a sustainable “Cross-Boundary Living Academy”, offering service-learning opportunities, practice-oriented certificate programmes and collaborative research. Together with its partners, HKCT will nurture professionals equipped with a Greater Bay Area perspective, ensuring that the spirit of care connecting Hong Kong and Shenzhen continues to grow and thrive.
