The Mind and Study Matter: Tutoring and Counselling Programme (MASM) is jointly organised by the Education University of Hong Kong and Edge Development Centre. The programme aims to provide professional training to local university students and equip them to become Well-Being Tutors. Our Well-Being Tutors will then provide evidence-based after-school academic support and counselling services to junior secondary school students who experience academic stress or have mental health needs (including those with suspected cases of anxiety and other special educational needs). The MASM Programme was initiated in the Mind Matters - A Hackathon for Social Impact campaign, co-organised by HSBC Private Banking and Asian Charity Services. The MASM Programme was awarded as one of the winners of the campaign, and received funding from HSBC Private Banking customers to promote mental health awareness in Hong Kong.
The Programme is currently organising 3 schemes:
1．All-rounded Tutoring Programme
The programme has started its services since 2021. It has already provided support to more than a hundred junior secondary school students (Form 1 to Form 3) who suffer from mental disturbance and has helped related suspected cases across Hong Kong.
The Programme provides two types of support:
1) In a group of 3 to 5, students (Form 1 to Form 3) who suffer from mental disturbance and suspected cases (including students with SEN), will be provided 12 hours of academic support per month. Other than academic support, the group services also include elements of positive psychology, such as: practicing a holistic view, showing gratitude, appreciating others, learning about positive emotions, showing personal virtues etc.
2) Individually, each participant will be provided with one-hour of individual counselling service per month (the number of sessions depends on the actual need). The content of the individual counselling services depends on students' needs. The goals of the services include establishing positive self-imagine, developing emotion regulation skills and more.
*Priority will be given to students from low-income families, funded by HSBC Private Banking customers.
A psychiatrist referral service will be available in the coming year (2022-23) so students who are suspected to have emotional problems can reduce the waiting time for public hospitals and receive timely assessment and diagnosis. Though psychiatrist services are subject to additional charges, they are more affordable than other services in the market, and there can be a fee reduction for low-income families.
Well-Being Tutors trained from the programme will provide academic support and counselling services for junior secondary school students. When in need, students will be getting professional support from Counselling Psychologists and referrals will be made. All Well-Being Tutors are university students or graduates. To ensure the quality of service, Well-Being Tutors will have to finish an approximate 40-hours training and pass all examinations and interviews, before being eligible to provide suitable teaching and counselling service under the close supervision of the professional supervising team. Members of the supervising team include Educational Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists and Counselling Psychologists. The research team from the Education University of Hong Kong will also regularly review the effectiveness of the programme and design the most suitable service plan for students in need.
If you have any enquiry or would like to apply for MASM school services, please fill in the Service Enquiry Form /call us at 2871 6700 or mail to [email protected] .
2. Mental Health Talks in Schools
The talk will be held during the post-exam period (June to August) of year 2021-2022. Counselling Psychologists will lead a group of Mental Health Ambassadors to hold mental health talks for junior secondary school students. All Mental Health Ambassadors are university students who are enthusiastic about promoting mental health. The talk aims at raising students' awareness of anxiety and stress, and enhancing resilience. Experiences of handling academic pressure will also be discussed in the talks to help students maintain good mental health.
If you have any enquiry or would like to apply for MASM school services, please fill in the Service Enquiry Form /call us at 2871 6700 or mail to [email protected] .
3. Organising "Loneliness Museum"
"Loneliness Museum" is jointly organized by the Mental Health Ambassadors led by "The Mind and Study Matter: Tutoring and Counselling Programme (MASM)" and LevelMind@JC-Caritas (Kwai Tsing). The programme will be held from June to December this year, aiming at designing mental health activities with teenagers through organizing the "Loneliness Museum", promoting teenagers' mental health awareness and reducing teenagers' misunderstanding of mental illnesses.
After training, Mental Health Ambassadors will hold the "Loneliness Museum" exhibition from June to August, and go to different schools to hold workshops from September to December, promoting messages about taking care of mental and physical health to students through games and sharings.
For enquiries, please fill in the Service Enquiry Form /call us at 2871 6700 or mail to [email protected] .