SOCIAL WELFARE
centre places for severely mentally handicapped persons and 230 training and activity. centre places for ex-mentally ill persons to help them become more independent in daily living. Five social clubs for ex-mentally ill persons and 17 social and recreational centres for other groups of people with disabilities were set up to encourage their active participation in the community through various kinds of leisure activities.
As for residential services, in 2001 there were 5 145 hostel and home places, 17 supported housing places and 214 supported hostel places for people with disabilities who could neither live independently nor be adequately cared for by their families. For aged blind people who were unable to look after themselves adequately, or in need of care and attention, 899 places were provided in homes and care-and-attention homes. For chronic and ex-mentally ill patients, there were 970 long stay care home places and 1 347 halfway house places.
Professional Back-up and Support Services
Professional back-up services from clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists are provided for people with disabilities in rehabilitation day centres. and hostels. Support services such as home-based training for mentally handicapped persons, after-care service for dischargees of halfway houses, domiciliary occupational therapy service, and the community rehabilitation network for persons with visceral disability or chronic illness are provided in the community. Furthermore, respite service for mentally handicapped persons, occasional child care service for disabled pre-schoolers and six parents resource centres are provided to meet the special needs of families with disabled members.
Medical Social Services
Medical social workers (MSWs) provide patients and their families with individual and group counselling, financial aid, housing assistance or referral to other community resources to facilitate their treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration into society. To provide easy access to patients and their family members, MSWs are stationed in public hospitals and specialist clinics so that immediate advice and assistance can be rendered to those in need. In 2001, 172 000 cases received services from 380 MSWs.
Services for Offenders
To help offenders become law-abiding citizens and reintegrate into the community, the SWD discharges statutory functions in respect of related ordinances and provides community-based and residential services for the offenders.
The probation service serves offenders aged seven and above. Probation officers assess the offenders' suitability for probation supervision and make recommendations to the courts. They also supervise the probationers to see that they comply with probation orders. In 2001, 3 052 offenders were placed on probation. Officers also prepare reports on long-term prisoners for consideration of early release, as well as on prisoners who submit petitions for early release.
Offenders aged 14 and above and convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment may be placed on Community Service Orders which require offenders to perform unpaid work of benefit to the community and to receive guidance from probation officers. During the year, 2 007 offenders were put under such orders.
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