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SOCIAL WELFARE
use of the media, are co-ordinated by the Central Guiding Committee on Family Life Education. The theme of the 1983 campaign, Building a Happy Family, carried specific messages such as learning to be a parent, understanding roles and responsibilities in the family, strengthening family ties and preparing for marriage.
The Opportunities for Youth Scheme, administered by the department through the disbursement of small grants, encourages groups of young people to devise ways of contributing to the life of the community and helping needy groups. In 1983, $230,000 was granted to help youth groups launch about 100 projects throughout the territory.
Following recommendations in the 1981 review of the Programme Plan on Personal Social Work Among Young People, a central co-ordinating committee was set up in the Health and Welfare Branch with representatives from the Social Welfare and Education Departments, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and relevant voluntary agencies. This committee will monitor the progress of the recommendations made in the programme plan and co-ordinate the provision of services covered.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of the disabled is one of the government's prime concerns in the social welfare field. Services aim at enabling disabled people to develop their physical, mental and social capabilities to the fullest extent and assist in their integration into the community. The department is responsible for meeting the general welfare and social rehabilitation needs of the disabled, either through direct services or by providing subventions to voluntary agencies which continue to play an active role in the development of services in this field.
In line with recommendations made in the 1977 Rehabilitation White Paper, several changes in departmental responsibilities have taken place. The Education Department is now responsible for all aspects of the education and training of disabled children of school age and for boarding care and transport services in special schools. Also, since April 1982, the Technical Education and Industrial Training Department has assumed responsibility for vocational training of disabled young persons and adults. The Selective Placement Service of the Labour Department is responsible for the job placement of deaf, blind and physically disabled people and, in early 1984, will take over the placement of the ex-mentally ill and mentally handicapped.
The Social Welfare Department provides counselling services, day and residential centres, sheltered workshops, work activity centres and sports, recreational and transport arrangements for the disabled. It operates 19 centres and institutions and subvents 68 centres run by voluntary agencies, serving some 10 000 disabled people.
Considerable shortfalls have been identified in the Rehabilitation Programme Plan in the provision of day and residential care for the mentally handicapped and the ex-mentally ill. In order to provide sufficient facilities both for day care and residential services for these groups, the Social Welfare Department, with the assistance of the City and New Territories Administration, conducted a search for suitable sites in the New Territories. The feasibility of these sites was being examined during the year.
Day care services for the mentally handicapped include work activity centres and sheltered workshops. Work activity centres provide day care for low, moderate and severely mentally handicapped adults who cannot benefit from vocational training or sheltered work. At the end of 1983, there were 598 work activity places provided by the Social Welfare Department with three new centres under active planning to cater for an additional 160 places in 1984. Sheltered workshops provide work opportunities for those
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